By Tara Dodrill | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Tue, Jun 28, 2011

Ohio voters may have the chance to voice their opinions on allowing medical marijuana in the Buckeye State. The Ohio Medical Cannabis Act of 2012 would create a government body to control, regulate and enforce the measures proposed in the amendment. The organically grown alternative medicine is legal in 14 states and may soon be available to soothe the discomfort of patients in Ohio as well. Petitions are currently being circulated throughout the state to garner enough signatures to submit the ballot language to the Ohio Attorney General's office.

Ohio Medical Cannabis Act Facebook page already has far more "friends" and "likes" than the signatures of registered voters required to push the measure forward. America's "war on drugs" has not only failed, but become massively expensive. Law enforcement time and money could be far better spent on serious issues, safety gear and training for officers and salaries to prevent layoffs during this struggling economy.

The old argument that legalization of marijuana will lead to higher medical costs and increased drug use just do not hold water. States that have enacted controlled and regulated use of marijuana have experienced no such ill effects. Prohibition did not deter alcohol use, it merely filled the pockets of illegal dealers with cash and made drinking taboo which enticed more folks to tilt a glass in defiance.

Neighboring state Kentucky passed a law June 24 to reduce penalties for marijuana possession charges. Adults caught with a half-pound of cannabis will now only be charged with a Class B misdemeanor. The personal use reduced possession charge is only for first time offenders. If an adult gets caught with the same amount a second time a five year prison sentence can be levied.

The rising costs associated with incarceration, prison over-crowding and employee layoffs make a prison term for marijuana use ludicrous. In Kentucky adults with less than eight ounces of cannabis in their possession are typically just cited and not arrested.

Measures contained in the Ohio Medical Cannabis Act of 2012 were formulated to coincide with existing Ohio State Liquor Control Board mandates. Ohioans who are sick could obtain a prescription for medical cannabis under the dictates of a state-wide cultivation, manufacture and distribution system. The proposed act would include a governing board of nine commissioners appointed by Ohio's Governor from a list of professionals compiled by representatives of Ohio's Agricultural Research and Development Center, medical colleges and the Ohio Bar Association.

One of the primary concerns for authors of the act proposal is the safety of the medical cannabis. If Ohioans approve the ballot issue, unsafe marijuana products and "black market" growers would soon no longer exist. There would be virtually no demand for back alley drug deals and high-priced cannabis which has not been cultivated under strict safety guidelines.

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