MEDICAL MARIJUANA BACKERS TO GATHER SIGNATURES

The Ohio Ballot Board approved a medical-marijuana ballot issue
yesterday, clearing the way for supporters to begin gathering
signatures to place it on the statewide ballot in November 2012.

The backers of the bill must now gather at least 385,000 valid
signatures of Ohio registered voters to submit to the secretary of
state in order to qualify for next year's fall ballot.

The Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment would allow qualified
practitioners to prescribe marijuana for patients at least 18 years
old with a "qualifying medical condition." Patients could obtain up
to 3.5?ounces of marijuana at a time.

Qualifying medical conditions under the issue include cancer,
Parkinson's disease, HIV and AIDS, posttraumatic stress disorder,
sickle-cell anemia, glaucoma and any condition approved by the Ohio
Department of Health that causes "severe nausea, severe pain or
severe and persistent muscle spasms including but not limited to
those characteristic of multiple sclerosis."

Patients also could cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants.

Under the proposal, "safe access centers" where medical marijuana
would be dispensed could not display in public view signs with the
word cannabis or pictures of the marijuana leaf.

Supporters of the proposed issue previously submitted wording for the
amendment, which was approved by Attorney General Mike DeWine's
office, and a minimum of 1,000 signatures of registered voters to get
the process started.