Ohio Prosecutors Opposed to Issue 2

Dear Editor:

One question for our voters on the ballot for November 7th is Issue 2. It includes a fairly long explanation of its purposes which includes the intent to “Legalize and regulate the cultivation, processing, sale, purchase, possession, home grow, and use of cannabis by adults at least 21 years of age.” I want to inform Darke County voters that Ohio prosecutors are opposed to this measure.

On September 27th, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association (OPAA) passed a formal resolution urging voters to oppose this legalization of marijuana and to vote “NO” on Issue 2. The reasons listed by the OPAA include the following:

Legalization of marijuana will result in more impaired driving, resulting in more traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities. Following legalization in Colorado, traffic deaths increased by 29% and traffic deaths involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana more than doubled from 2013 to 2020.

Legalization of marijuana presents a serious health concern. The American Medical Association policy statement on marijuana legislation states that “the sale of cannabis for adult use should not be legalized” and “discourages cannabis use, especially by persons vulnerable to the drug’s effects and in high-risk populations such as youths.

Legalization of marijuana is particularly dangerous to children. It will result in marijuana becoming widely available and in forms such as candy and other edible products which will get into the hands and mouths of children. It will also send the wrong message to kids that marijuana is not a dangerous substance.

I join my fellow prosecutors in urging you to vote “NO’on Issue 2.

Sincerely,

R. Kelly Ormsby, III

Prosecuting Attorney