Ohio snuffs out a greedy ballot measure on marijuana
It has long been known that politics can make for a pretty good business model.
Car dealers and real estate brokers, for instance, are famous for the laws they have pushed through state legislatures that limit upstart competitors. And major corporations have turned Washington lobbying offices into profit centers that manufacture tax breaks cheaper than factories can turn out actual products.
But one area of politics that has been relatively free of this kind of legalized graft has been the ballot initiative. Which is why Ohio’s overwhelming defeat of a marijuana legalization measure on Tuesday is such good news. Whatever you might think of pot’s place in society — we’d like to see how things go in Colorado and elsewhere before legalization spreads — Ohioans have set an example for those trying to use ballot measures for personal gain.
The measure in question, known as Issue 3, would not only have legalized pot, it also would have set up its financiers as the only large-scale growers of marijuana in the state. In fact, their little oligopoly would have been enshrined in Ohio’s Constitution.
Yes, wealthy individuals have long financed ballot initiatives. For the most part, however, their measures have been broad in scope, not personally enriching.
The Ohio measure was a brazen attempt by a few to enrich themselves unfairly. Not only did Ohio voters see through their ploy, they passed another measure that will bar similar types of ballot initiatives in the future.
There is enough reason to be cynical about the money flowing into politics without having to worry about the initiative process being corrupted.
Next year, a number of less objectionable marijuana measures will be on state ballots. That will provide a better sense of voters’ thoughts on the underlying issue of legalization. In the meantime, Ohio voters had the good sense to see through a smokescreen.