2 Reasons Ohio Voters Overwhelmingly Rejected Marijuana Legalization

Low voter turnout and revulsion at crony capitalism contributed to the defeat of Issue 3.

Responsible Ohio

Yesterday voters in Ohio rejected a marijuana legalization measure by a margin of nearly 2 to 1. In my latest Forbes column, I discuss a couple of plausible explanations for the defeat of Issue 3:

According to the latest Gallup poll, 58 percent of Americans think marijuana should be legal. Surveys conducted in March and October found that most Ohioans agree. So why did Ohio voters overwhelmingly reject Issue 3, which would have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use, in yesterday's election? Two reasons spring to mind. 

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

The only good thing about Ohio is I can go there to get my legal-to-purchase-but-illegal-to-set-off fireworks. And Agile Cyborg.

[Zombie Jimbo]

Buckeyes, Rockets, and Bengals are undefeated. Agile Cyborg is in Ohio?

[Jordan]

Isn't Warty there too? Maybe they are the same person... *adjusts tinfoil hat*

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

Yeah, Warty's in the Cleveland area, as I understand it. But it would take some REAL tinfoil shit to convince me that Warty and Agile are the same person.

That we be like Arnold Schwartzenegger and Michael Moynihan (on a LOT of peyote or acid) being the same person.

Cause they're very, very different beings. Warty's a monster. Agile's a loving cum stream of lazer lights beaming through the mist of time over the horizon of infinity into the labia of your cranial receptors.

See what I mean?

[egould310]

Rockets got upset by NIU last night, Jimbo.

Ohio (Cleveland and Cincy in particular) is one of the few places left in the US where you can buy cash flowing rental properties for a very reasonable entry price. I live in California, but nake my money in Ohio.

And as always, if anybody has any property in Ohio they would like to sell, I'm buying. Email my handle at gmail.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

We hop over the border for Chick Fil A (which has apparently banned itself from MI). While I'm there, I pick up the Bronkaid or Primatine, since the great Jennifer Granmole banned ephedrine when she was being Michigan's shittiest governor ever. And current useless RINO Snyder hasn't seen fit to strike the legislation.

So - two things Ohio is good for. Chick Fil A and ephedrine. Thanks, Buckeye State!

[R C Dean]

the great Jennifer Granmole banned ephedrine when she was being Michigan's shittiest governor ever

A classmate of mine. She was a real cutie, back in the day.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

Oh, would. WOULD.

But - Worst. Governor. EVER. EVER.

Just the opposite of a leader. Her being elected to two terms is what convinced me Obama would be re-elected. Cause she's even stupider than he is, but shows how TEAM people are and how irrational voting is. BUT IF YOU DON'T VOTE YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN.

Anyhoo...

[Notorious UGCC]

Interesting.

I like her early-adopter attitude of having 80s hair in 1978.

[AlmightyJB]

You forgot stupidity which is probably the top reason.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

3) Dave's not here, man.

[MSimon]

I'm not Dave.

[See Double You]

Low voter turnout and revulsion at crony capitalism contributed to the defeat of Issue 3.

I'm not so sure. I think that ever-present desire to control was mostly what did it.

[R C Dean]

I hate to ask this, but I don't suppose there is any, you know, polling on this?

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

Only of millenials who didn't vote because they were at 7-11 getting burritos and Mountain Dew for the munchies.

[See Double You]

Ha! But in all seriousness that would be nice. At least, if my optimistic side is correct, if voters revealed why they voted against Issue 3 their answers would render hollow the prohibitionists' "victory."

[MSimon]

Two older voters in downtown Cincinnati who said they support legalization of marijuana both said they voted against Issue 3 because they didn't like the "monopoly" element creating exclusive growing sites.

"I can't believe I voted 'no' when it was finally on the ballot," said Marty Dvorchak, 62, of the northern Cincinnati suburb of Fairfield. "I think it's ridiculous that marijuana is illegal. The war on drugs has been a failure. But I don't think 10 people (growers) should have a monopoly."

http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-vot.....itics.html

[See Double You]

I'm really hoping that's the norm for the "no" votes.

[AlmightyJB]

"I think that ever-present desire to control was mostly what did it."

Exactly

[Idle Hands]

#2. #1 is a pipe dream.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

More like a HASHPIPE DREAM, amirite??!!!!

[Idle Hands]

is there any other kind?

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

Um, a drainpipe?

[Zeb]

I'd guess that opium smoking is the origin of "pipe dream".

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

2 Reasons Ohio Voters Overwhelmingly Rejected Marijuana Legalization

1) Hitler?
2) Also Hitler?

[Hyperion]

Not sure this was a bad thing. Sounds more like a rejection of cronyism than a rejection of legalization.

[Glide]

That was the mood among most of the people I know here in Ohio - and also my personal voting logic. Now, my circle is more "business conservatives" than elderly WASPs, and obviously the elderly WASPs turned out to the polls big time as they always do - but I don't think the end result says much about how a cleaner legalization bill would be received in Ohio.

[Raven Nation]

ReasonTV did a piece on all the MJ ballots a few months back. And even some of the strongest pro-legalization groups had reservations about the OH prop.

[Ken Shultz]

Reading Sullum's article, looks like the issue was more complicated than just an up or down vote on marijuana. He's right (as usual), when you've written a statute to legalize marijuana in a way that even Libertarians oppose, you have definitely written it wrong.

Even so, the big picture shouldn't get lost for the trees. Take gay marriage as an example of something that required a cultural change to happen. Gay marriage was prohibited by initiative in a blue as hell state--California. One election at any given point in time wasn't the end of that argument--and one election on marijuana in Ohio isn't the end of the marijuana argument either.

Gay marriage's defeat in California actually gave the issue a lot of impetus. Some people think the worm didn't really turn in favor of gay marriage until Obama came out publicly in favor of gay marriage, but Obama didn't do that because of any principled conviction on his part. Once it became politically advantageous for him to change his mind, he changed his mind.

[Sam Haysom]

"Cultural change" is an interesting euphemism for the King's men decided that the silly plebes votes didn't matter on the issue. But then again a big part of libertarianism is an enthusiastic embrace of judicial supremacy backed by armed King's men to do the dirty work.

[Ken Shultz]

"But then again a big part of libertarianism is an enthusiastic embrace of judicial supremacy backed by armed King's men to do the dirty work."

I have no problem with the suggestion that our rights are not subject to popularity contests. I rights exist regardless of whether they're popular or they don't really exist at all.

Yeah, someday, if all goes well, the courts may decide to treat our right to choose our own intoxicants the same way they treated our right to choose whom we marry. Gay marriage made it from the ballot to the courts by way of failures to protect that right through the initiative process, and it may take a similar initiative failure for marijuana rights to go through the courts the same way.

Great thing about the courts--they aren't necessarily subject to the interests of government employee (read police) unions like our elected politicians are.

[Ken Shultz]

The same thing will happen on marijuana.

It's just that there are bigger obstacles on marijuana because you have to mow over the police unions and other security state interest on marijuana like you didn't with gay marriage. Still, some enterprising politician who isn't beholden to police unions in a deep blue northeastern state will jump on this issue, and that'll seal the deal--just like it did with gay marriage. It's just a matter of time.

Maybe we libertarians should start a movement to get people to only vote for candidates that aren't endorsed by the police unions. Maybe we could expand it on school choice to boycotting candidates that aren't endorsed by the teachers' unions, too.

[MSimon]

you have to mow over the police unions and other security state interest on marijuana like you didn't with gay marriage.

Not true. There were a LOT of anti-gay laws on the books. There was a time when it was risky to admit you were gay.

[BigT]

I think his point was that MJ arrests are good to pad cops stats and asset forfeiture is lucrative . No comparable situation with gay stuff.

[Ken Shultz]

The prison guards unions are even powerful both at the state and national level.

If it weren't for people fighting, killing each other, robbing and stealing from each other over drugs, in addition to straight out drug busts, then we wouldn't need anywhere near as many prison guards.

What's the DEA going to do for a living? All those companies selling hardware to the police departments,
Etc., etc.

There was no such comparable array of powerful financial interests at stake in opposing gay marriage. And that is almost certainly why gay marriage was able to overcome the culture warrior barrier before marijuana did. It's just different when there is so much money and so many jobs at stake. Financial incentives just matter more.

[MSimon]

What's the DEA going to do for a living?

Enforce the regulations. Make sure that only legal cartel weed is available. Jail people who violate the age restrictions.

Plenty to do.

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[MSimon]

Never make up. Some grudges are worth holding.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

The Yinzers must have committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like Warty upon them, otherwise....

/channeling Ghengis Khan