Kim McCarthy (D)

2020 Voter Guide Questionnaire

1. Do you support or oppose changing state law to allow adults 21 and older to possess limited amounts of marijuana and establishing a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol? Under such a system, it would remain illegal to consume marijuana in public and drive under the influence of marijuana.

I support the legalization of marijuana for adults 21 years and older, and it’s regulation and taxation similar to how the state of Ohio manages the sale of alcohol.

2. Other states which legalized medical cannabis around the same time as Ohio have programs that are further ahead and functioning much better than Ohio’s. The patients of Ohio have expressed concerns and are generally dissatisfied with the program. Can the patients count on you to spend time on making improvements to the medical marijuana program?

The current state law legalizing medical cannabis seems to have been drafted by people who didn’t actually want to do it, and it shows in how inefficient and unhelpful it’s implementation has been for all-too-many of those who are in real need of having access it. It also seems to have been designed to generate a lot of profits for a handful of people, with little regard to the impact on the patient. I would definitely support efforts to improve and streamline the process of making medical cannabis readily available to patients and the medical practitioners who are treating them. There are plenty of working models already in existence in numerous other states throughout the country from which ideas for such improvements can be developed.

3. If an amendment to H.B.523 were proposed that would allow patients and/or caregivers to grow a limited amount of plants in their home, would you support or oppose the amendment?

Though I would need to see the specific details of the plan before committing my vote to it, I would almost assuredly support such a proposal. On principle people should be allowed to have more personal agency over their own healthcare decisions and treatments, especially when involving a proven tried and tested natural substance like cannabis.

4. If introduced, would you oppose a resolution that would make the citizen ballot initiative process more difficult than it already is?

Absolutely. Having direct experience with citizen initiatives, I know the process is already burdensome enough. We should be enabling more democratic participation and accountability within our politics, not hindering it.