Im a former Marine and I served in Iraq. I suffer from PTSD and I'm on five different medications for sleep disorders,depression and anxiety. Marijuana helps better than any medication the VA has ever given me. I hope they wise up and see it helps people more than it huts them.

I have taken a strong stance for the decriminalization of marijuana. It's quite similar to prohibition. Prohibition was used in the 1920-1933 to stop the use, sale, and manufacturing of alcohol. But was this successful? No. Are the marijuana laws we have now successful? No. It's easy to obtain, and according to studies 11 million people in the U.S alone use on a regular basis. The government really should step back and take a look at the big picture. Marijuana laws are not working! The solution? Decriminalize it. Regardless of the laws against it, real users are going to use no matter what. Think about the 800 and some-odd thousand people who were arrested for marijuana possession and paraphenalia; this is costing the tax-payers hundreds of millions of dollars a year to keep non-violent marijuana users in jail. Then it becomes a revolving door process. It has been proven that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco-both legal substances. On top of that, it is physically impossible to overdose on marijuana, yet hundreds of thousands of deaths are linked to tobacco use and alcohol poisoning every year. We as the constituents need to work together to decriminalize.

I say good for us all that have debilitating disease's in ohio!I just know it works as medicine because i have been using it as medicine my self for my multiple sclerosis and no more pill popping that does not do nothing for my disease,just makes me broker and broker, thank you tonya, bobngayle

Interestingly, 'natural' not man-made marijuana has 421 chemicals in it's natural state, greater than 2000 when smoked, 81 of which are known carcinogens. I am not opposed to the decriminalization of marijuana, but let us not forget...this is a drug we are talking about. It has significant side effects and risks, and should be treated with caution and accurate education. Of all those chemicals in marijuana, only one supplies the high, and research shows that even in the most controlled environments, it is not possible to achieve a consistent amount of THC per plant...making it very difficult to regulate. Mj is not the pantacea to all the ills and pains out there. However, despite that, I would like to see it decriminalized, and one would have to be educated on the risks, licensed to smoke, only allowed to get high in marijuana 'bars' and not allowed to drive unless you can prove yourself competent with a coordination test...Oh yeah, and we could tax the ___ out of it to fund prevention education.

According to our own DEA figures, better than 50% of all drug cartel revenue comes from marijuana. Criminizalization of marijuana created this economic engine. Can you imagine what would happen to the drug cartels if it were decriminalized. Loss of 50% of any business revenue is typically fatal for that business. You want to hurt drug cartels - decriminalize marijuana. A totally exceptable trade-off.

With a possible diagnosis of MS on the horizon and the beginnings of sharp pain radiating to my extremities, the hope for legalized use of medical marijuana is strong. Having an option to use a natural substance as opposed to relying solely on man-made chemically synthesized pain killers is very appealing. It only seems logical that this option should be made available for medical purposes.

When we think about marijunana what is it really? Point taken John that the youths today have access to marijunana, they don't need a medical user to get it. Thousands of people can benifit from this. We should pass it. We spend billions of dollors to fight it when good people who are responible users. Anonymous is on the right track in thinking. We live in the 21 century! Let us plant our seeds and choose to use. Not all users smoke. Many inhale the vapors and eat it. Youths who choose to search for a drug will find it, regardless if it is legal or not.

The FEDS should stay out of everyone's business. They are evil to the point of criminal when they force all of us to use the legal drugs; nicotine, alcohol and pharmaceuticals that everyone knows are the real killers of our society and young people... FEDS OFF HEADS!

It isn't going to matter if Ohio passes the bill. Under federal law marijuana is still illeagal. Here is how it works in the state of Colorado where I live. In Denver County any person age 21 and over may posses up to an ounce of marijuana for their own personal use, medicinal marijuana card or not. However, if you are found to have any amount on your person the Denver police will just detain you untill the Federal Law Enforcement Official can arrive to charge you with a Federal Crime of possesion with the intent to distribute. You can also still be charged with a DUI by local police.

I think it's about time we do something. There are 12 other states that have passed this bill not including Ohio. Believe what you will but this stuff was here before we were and does not hurt anyone who uses it in a passive manner. Statistics for example is what speaks. However, 30 days is the average number that cannabis stays in the male and females bodies. This is where I'm going with this: If I were to get into a car accident, NOT under the influence of cannabis . I will for a fact be counted in what our great state of Ohio calls statistics. Again, believe what you will, but please understand that this plant was found on our soil by man. Not created by man.

So take a good look at this. Two hunderd grams (7 oz.) work out to roughly 336 joints. If they smoke three joints a day the 200 grams will last 112 days. One plant produces roughly one pound, so at 3 joints a day one pound would last one year. Twelve mature plants about twelve pounds of high quality buds. Where do you think the rest of this weed is going to go. At a low price of $2000 a pound, every poor sick person can make $22,000 bucks selling to the youth of Ohio.

It's about time the state of Ohio lets people and there doc use the medicine that maybe will help.

The Marijuana Policy Project is lobbying and working with legislators in many states to decriminalize marijuana and legalize marijuana as medicine. What best practices? Marijuana remains an illegal substance under federal law.