Ohio vote was against monopoly not marijuana, say campaigners

Advocates eye 2016 after voters decisively rejected Issue 3 which would have handed control of a legal cannabis industry to a small group of millionaires
The Guardian (UK)
Wednesday, November 4, 2015

buddieMarijuana legalization advocates in Ohio are turning their attention to 2016, after voters rejected a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational use – a measure critics said would have enshrined an oligopoly in the state constitution. Issue 3 lost in a landslide, an embarrassing defeat for backers of the campaign, who poured over $20m into the race. About 65% of Ohians opposed the initiative, and 35% voted in favor. The defeat does not represent a referendum on prohibition of marijuana in Ohio, legalization advocates said; it showed residents simply rejected the creation of a monopoly.