Medical pot hearings: top Ohio elected officials used marijuana

Two of Ohio’s top elected officials, state Auditor Dave Yost and Secretary of State John Husted, said they smoked pot in the past and that Ohio should consider carefully moving forward with legalization of medical marijuana.

The admissions came during a panel discussing the possibility of medical marijuana.

Also on the panel were Attorney General Mike DeWine and Treasurer Josh Mandel, who said they had not smoked pot. DeWine is against any kind of marijuana legalization, while Mandel said he would potentially lend his support to a medical marijuana proposal.

Yost, who said he last smoked in 1978, said that no further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of marijuana in treating some medical conditions, while Husted, who said he last smoked in 1989, stressed the social consequences of legalization.

Husted remarked that it’s already difficult for employers to find people who can pass a drug test, and that medical legalization would lead to increased recreational use, exacerbating the problem.

It’s also worth noting that Ohio governor John Kasich admitted that he smoked pot in the 70’s on The Late Show with Steven Colbert, and he said he would consider legalizing medical marijuana, though he did not support last year’s call for recreational use.

 

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