Ohio: NO POT FOR YOU

From the Associated Press:

Ohio voters rejected a ballot proposal Tuesday that would have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana in a single vote — a vote-getting strategy that was being watched as a test case for the nation.

Failure of the proposed state constitutional amendment followed an expensive campaign, a legal fight over its ballot wording, an investigation into petition signatures — and, predominantly, a counter campaign fueled by Ohio lawmakers. It was the only marijuana legalization question on the 2015 statewide ballots.

With three-quarters of the votes counted, the issue was losing 65 percent to 35 percent.

Issue 3 would have allowed adults 21 and older to use, purchase or grow certain amounts of marijuana. It also outlined a proposed regulatory and taxation scheme for cannabis and created a network of 10 growing facilities.

That feature was the target of opponents and a separate ballot question to prevent monopolies from being inserted into Ohio's constitution for the economic benefits of a few.

Campaign director Ian James assured supporters at a downtown Columbus gathering that the fight was not over, calling Tuesday's defeat "a bump in the road."

Maybe Obama will simply use his pen and legalize pot in all 50 states.

I think he'd like that to be his legacy.

Very fitting.