Issue One will all but decriminalize possession of the most deadly drugs in our history and make prosecution of those that deal in these deadly drugs nearly impossible. As an example, possession of 19 grams of fentanyl, enough to kill 10,000 people, will become a non-jailable misdemeanor with no threat of jail for first and second offenses in a two-year period.
»TRENDING: What is State Issue 1 on the Ohio ballot this fall?
This is the most obvious failure of Issue 1 and there are many more tucked away in the proposed amendment. No adjoining state to Ohio has such an amendment and will make Ohio a sanctuary state for criminals who would face stiff penalties in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky who have the good sense to prosecute drug dealers with felony prosecutions.
» WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAY: Governor candidates DeWine, Cordray debate Issue 1
The message to youth will be “try it, you may like it” without criminal consequences, except of course death — as every coroner in Ohio has seen like never before in our history. The war on drugs has been tough, but not lost. We cannot succumb to a mentality that says “if you can’t beat them, join them,” and we as a people cannot support drug dealers of misery and death who profit on the lives of our youth.
OPINION CONTENT ON ISSUE 1:
- OPINION: Organizations, people explain why they support State Issue 1
- OPINION: ACLU of Ohio urges Ohioans to vote yes on State Issue 1
- OPINION: Ohio Education Association says Issue 1 helps reduce prison costs
- OPINION: Policy Matters Ohio supports State Issue 1
- OPINION: Organizations, people explain why they do not support State Issue 1
- OPINION: Attorney says Issue 1 the wrong way to fix our problems
- OPINION: Prosecutor says Issue 1 will decriminalize drug possession
- OPINION: Judge says Ohioans should vote no on Issue 1
- OPINION: Judge calls Issue 1 a 'dangerous proposition'