The Board of Directors of the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce voted this week to oppose the legalization of marijuana in Ohio.
Issue 3 is a constitutional amendment that Ohio voters will consider at the ballot box on November 3rd that would legalize marijuana use for both medical and recreational purposes. The measure also sets up a monopolistic system where only certain individuals and groups can produce and sell the drug.
Issue 2 on the November ballot is a constitutional amendment that if passed would prohibit the establishment of monopolies such as that proposed in Issue 3.
The Chamber Board voted unanimously to endorse a "NO" vote on Issue 3 and a "YES" vote on Issue 2.
The Chamber's opposition is based on the certainty that increased access leads to increased usage of marijuana, and that greater usage is bad for the people and businesses of Zanesville, Muskingum County, and Ohio.
In opposing Issue 3, the Chamber joins a long list of other organizations in Ohio who agree that legalizing marijuana is the wrong thing to do. Virtually every major business, healthcare, industry, and professional association in the state is opposed to Issue 3, as are many political leaders and governmental entities. A complete list is available at www.noissue3.com/index.php/we-re-voting-no. The groups and individuals include: - Ohio's Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of State
- Ohio Chamber of Commerce
- Ohio State Medical Association
- Ohio Children's Hospital Association
- Ohio Hospital Association
- Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
- Ohio Manufacturers' Association
- Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities
- Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18
- League of Women Voters of Ohio
- Ohio School Boards Association
- Ohio Nurses Association
- FOP of Ohio
- Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association
- County Commissioners' Association of Ohio
- Nationwide Children's Hospital
- Cleveland Clinic
- League of Women Voters of Ohio
- Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement
As you can see, the people that view Issue 3 as bad for Ohio include one of the most diverse coalitions ever assembled in this state. Something is seriously wrong with a proposal that so many different sectors of our economy and our communities find objectionable.
Here's more about why the Chamber opposes Issue 3 and supports Issue 2.
Workplace Concerns - Workplace safety is a top priority for both employers and employees. Accidents and injuries will rise as usage does. No one wants to work next to or depend on someone who has been using drugs, and employers do not want impaired people in the place of work.
- Productivity on the job will surely go down and absenteeism will rise, threatening the competitiveness of Ohio's businesses and our state's economic growth.
- It will become more difficult to recruit new employers to Ohio, as businesses will decline to consider locations where they must deal with more marijuana usage issues.
- Recruiting drug-free employees and maintaining a drug free workplace will become more difficult, and many employers must do so for insurance, quality and safety reasons.
- Employers will see their administrative costs rise, as they take management and legal steps to implement new substance abuse policies and defend those policies in court.
- Managing and policing the medical use of marijuana by employees will be a no-win situation for employers.
- We urge employers to read this Colorado newspaper's report on the status of implementation in that state, as of March 2015.
- We also encourage you to read this article by attorney Anthony Fiore which focuses on complications employers will deal with if Issue 3 passes.
Health Concerns - Contrary to the TV ads currently appearing, medical marijuana usage is not the issue in question, and it's really not the objective of the proposal's backers. If it were, why does the proposal also make recreational usage legal? Also, medical marijuana's long time activists and traditional supporters don't even totally agree with Issue 3.
- Marijuana is considered by many medical and mental health professionals to be a "gateway drug" which leads to the abuse of more powerful and addictive drugs.
- Marijuana can be ingested in several ways. Smoking is one of the major ways, and it has been proven that smoking is bad your personal health. Although the ingredients are different in tobacco and marijuana, this drug is still very harmful to your health.
- Children can accidentally consume marijuana delivered in other forms such as candy and cookies. The high concentrations of THC - marijuana's active ingredient - can be harmful and even deadly to children.
Fairness Concerns - Ten landowners - and only those ten - will have the right to produce marijuana if Issue 3 passes. A small, exclusive group of investors and pro-pot political activists are driving this proposal so that they can profit while the rest of Ohioans struggle to deal with the law and its impacts. Voting yes on Issue 2 can help prevent this sort of cartel arrangement related to marijuana and any similar self-serving proposals that may come up in the future. The current Ohio casino law, which allows gambling only in specific locations and hosted by certain companies, would remain unchanged.
- The promise of new tax dollars which proponents say the investors would pay and thus actually benefit the state and its communities is a questionable rationale. As one columnist in Newsweek said, "the cost of increased law enforcement, drugged-driving incidents, fatal crashes, loss of productivity and a huge spike in gang-related crime bring into question the cost-benefit of those dollars."
What You Can Do to Help Defeat Issue 3 and Pass Issue 2 - Share this email with your contacts.
- Share this email with your employees and encourage them to vote Yes on 2 and No on 3.
- Post your opinion on this issue on your social media accounts
- Read and share the Issue 3 Fact Book, especially the 10 Reasons to Vote No on page 9.
- Vote on November 3rd.
| 
