“Responsible Ohio: Successes, Failures, and the Future of Adult Marijuana Use in Ohio”

The title of this post is the title of this notable new article that was authored by Sean Klammer and got its start in my Marijuana Law and Policy seminar a few years ago. Here is the article’s introduction:

On November 3, 2015, Ohioans went to the polls to vote on Issue 3, a ballot initiative to amend the Ohio Constitution to legalize adult marijuana use.  Though other states had legalized medicinal marijuana prior to eliminating prohibition, ResponsibleOhio, the political action committee (PAC) behind the initiative, believed it could skip this preliminary hurdle.  The group worked tirelessly for almost two years to ensure that Issue 3 would become law.  Had it succeeded, the organization would have possessed the blueprint to end prohibition in many other states, if not the entire country.  Yet, despite favorable polling in the months leading up to the election, it became clear that the PAC had miscalculated.  On election night, the initiative was soundly defeated, with Ohioans voting against legalization at a rate of two to one.  The State would have to wait until at least the 2016 presidential election to get another chance at legalization.

Part I of this Essay reviews the history and key players behind ResponsibleOhio as well as the initiative’s path to the ballot.  Part II summarizes the text of Issue 3 and assesses relevant provisions.  Parts III and IV highlight the debate between marijuana activists and prohibitionists, and Part V analyzes why the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.  Part VI notes that even though Issue 3 did not pass, it led to acceptance of medical marijuana in Ohio and thus set the stage for full legalization in 2020.  Finally, the Essay concludes in Part VII with a reflection on the lessons learned from ResponsibleOhio and gives suggestions on how to best frame a marijuana legalization campaign to appeal to voters in the next presidential election.