When Ohio voters amended the Ohio Constitution to allow casinos, they mandated the actual real estate for the casinos. When it came time to build the four casinos- a minor obstacle in Columbus- when the location they authorized wouldn’t work for the criminals who got the golden ticket had to move it [1]. No worries, the legislature bent the voters over and moved it.
Now, we’re facing the same with pot growing operations. Vote for pot- and give 10 sites a monopoly on legal pot growing:
if Ohio voters approve a constitutional amendment in November to legalize pot for recreational and medical uses, documents released Monday show.
ResponsibleOhio released a 24-page summary of the ballot language that identifies where each of 10 grow sites will be. Investors bought or arranged purchase options on the 10 sites.
via Moraine site would grow marijuana if issue passes in November | www.mydaytondailynews.com [2].
The identification of specific parcels isn’t law- it’s racketeering.
ResponsibleOhio is backed by deep-pocket investors that include financiers, current and former professional athletes, real estate developers and others. It is opposed by anti-drug organizations, five statewide officeholders including Kasich and DeWine, and grassroots marijuana groups that believe carving out just 10 growing sites will unfairly block others who want to cultivate cannabis for sale.
ibid
If you don’t know what racketeering is-
Racketeering refers to criminal activity that is performed to benefit an organization such as a crime syndicate. Examples of racketeering activity include extortion, money laundering, loan sharking, obstruction of justice and bribery.
Just because it’s voted into law, doesn’t make it legal.
It’s time for a constitutional amendment in Ohio to stop granting unfair advantages by government to any business- be it limiting the locations of pot farms or casinos to specific sites, or the awarding of individual tax breaks, incentives or grants to a single business without offering the same benefits to their competition.
David,
Did you read the actual petition, or just the article written by Dayton Daily News?
Read the DDn and DBJ articles- not the petition. It’s long- should I have?
Lets see Moraine Ohio land being used as 1 of the 10 sites for the grow operation in the Miami Valley in Ohio. This all has smooth soundbite talking points all made to look good from the media. How after so many years we heard of all the illegal gambling going on. Just more of the same with the profits going to a few investors and questionable amounts for legitimate causes going to the state fund. This is a water down version of making legalized criminality OK. Anyone care to remember when the illegal Bingo operation that was to be used for charity for schools instead went to individuals was in the paper for years only getting worse until the RAIDS took place and the stories appeared until 2008 which culminated in collusion with several other events including a TASK FORCE in strange circumstances all culminating together? The monies were all unaccounted for and never solved as this case went “cold”. Now we have so called legal gambling to benefit who? The state? the operators? The schools? Can anyone trust or believe any of it? Please fill me in on anything I missed? Now we all are to believe that 10 “mega” growers or farms that are big industrial commercial operations that will start their operation getting bigger each year with guaranteed profits to these select few is somehow OK? How about the mom and pop that decides to grow a few plants to benefit their families, relatives and friends making some funds in a small family business? It will be LEGAL right? by the stroke of a pen on paper to benefit a lawyer in monetary gain to make a new law or create a new one to make one that was ILLEGAL LEGAL? They should benefit as well? This part of the equation of course will be that individuals in this capacity will be prosecuted, charged and fined with civil penalties and punishments for them. It all smells bad and I for one do not trust any of the written language, only after it makes it to the… Read more »
This is a non-issue. NO-HIO however, will be the last state to legalize marijuana. Beyond those crying foul because they don’t get to invest (Esrati) and misinformed bible thumping fanatics who think the “evil weed” is going make their daughters go “Linkletter and jump off buildings,” it’s the state itself that has a money addiction. The % the state would get in this deal is squat. Make it upwards of 40% and the legislators will get behind it. You’ll see!
This group is smart enough to know that and are testing the waters for a later attempt – by then there will be other identified growing sites so don’t worry “Mayor McGee” there will be plenty of more opportunity to “speculate.”
There is nothing that will save Ohio from these insular, inbred crooks, cronies & criminals. Everything they do disgusts me. I have seen it all around me from the 1st day I arrived on Ohio soil and it has only grown worse by the year.
How can you get bent out of shape over something that wont even pass in to law. This is NO-HIO for Pete sake – there’s no way the bible thumpers will allow legalized marijuana. Furthermore, there’s no way the state is only going get 15% of the take! Are you kidding?