One of the more bizarre contests in Tuesday’s voting was a ballot initiative ostensibly to legalize marijuana in Ohio.
The ballot measure, Issue 3, would have legalized recreational use of marijuana in the state and allowed the use of marijuana for medicinal reasons. The initiative had a unique, and ultimately fatal, feature, though. It awarded a monopoly on growing pot to just 10 farms in the state.
Issue 3 was rejected by Ohio voters by a 65-35 percent margin. The vote may not be a clear reflection of attitudes towards pot legalization, though.
The pot initiative was ground-breaking far beyond its subject matter. It was, in many ways, a private initiative designed to leverage the ballot process for maximum personal profit. The measure authorized 10 farms to grow legal weed in the state. The 1,100 legal weed shops authorized by the measure would be forced to buy marijuana from one of these 10 farms.
The initiative was the brain-child of political consultant Ian James. With the help of a sports agent, he recruited ten investment groups who each invested $2 million to get the measure on the ballot and fund the campaign’s for its adoption. Each of these groups would receive ownership of one of the 10 authorized pot farms.