Battle Ground Ohio and The Struggle with Issues.

By Jeff Skinner

In a little over two weeks, Ohioans will be facing down two Issues on the ballot that could fundamentally transform the state as we know it. But the decision on either may not be so straight forward.

Issue 1 is currently dominating the minds of voters across the state and for good reason. The current ballot initiative seeks to change the Ohio state constitution to allow any individual to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to” decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy, and allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.”

While other outlets have already covered the more hidden and controversial sides of the abortion industry, the mainstream debates have actually centered around what some consider to be dubious language throughout the proposed constitutional amendment.

Despite the main push from the constitutional shift coming from proponents of abortion as a ‘women’s health issue,’ opponents of the constitutional shift argue that the language within the amendment actually opens the door to issues of child sex transitions and the removal of parental rights across the board. The mainstay of the argument comes from the phrasing of the amendment as it is written. The current changes are proposed to Article 1, of the Bill of Rights within Ohio’s constitution. 

“Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion,” the amendment reads. 

Opponents of the amendment argue that the language uses phrases like “individual” and “reproductive decisions” as well as “fertility treatment” and leaves doors open for minors seeking hormone treatments without parental input. The State’s own official documents list the proposed amendment as pertaining to “abortion and other reproductive decisions” in a near tacit acknowledgment of this argument.

Ohio Senator Kristina Roegner, Senator Michele Reynolds, and Representative Melanie Miller issued a joint statement on the proposed amendment stating it’s language is far too broad and too wide sweeping “effectively ending parental notification for children’s medical decisions such as irreversible sex change therapy.” 

Among many of the issues surrounding the language in the amendment, is also the language surrounding determination of viability of the fetus or child in the matter of abortion. Language within the amendment puts the final determination on viability in the hands of the patient’s abortion provider, an individual some may say has little vested interest in not performing the operation.

But Issue 1 is note the only thing plaguing undecided voters this November. Ohio will also be tackling the matter of marijuana legalization on Issue 2. The proposed Issue 2 amendment would seek to create a new division of cannabis control under the Department of Commerce to regulate the then legal use of adult consumption of marijuana products.

Opponents of the Issue 2 amendment point to states like Colorado, who recently legalized recreational usage of marijuana and have seen massive shifts in addiction and mental health issues. According to Dr. Roneet Lev, an addiction medicine doctor in San Diego, pharmaceutical industries are seeking to cash in on the ‘medicinal’ uses of CBD products by wiggling themselves into a natural product and increasing the plants potency to create dependency and repeat customers. According to Lev, THC levels in marijuana products have increased over four times what they were in the 1970’s. This increase in THC has led to a spike in symptoms of anxiety and psychosis, creating a negative feedback loop for patients using the substance to regulate already exacerbated mental health issues hoping to have their symptoms alleviated, only to have them exacerbated the longer they use.

According to recent studies on THC and brain chemistry, those who experience symptoms such as paranoia or anxiety are at risk of full psychotic breaks leading to symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in anywhere from 35-40% of cases. 

While there is research supporting the use of cannabis for some medicinal purposes, most studies in support of such uses only evaluate based on THC levels of 10% or below, significantly reducing the risk of mental health outcomes. Opponents of the measure question the likelihood of the industry, largely backed by pharmaceutical companies, being able to self-regulate when creating repeat customers becomes its bread and butter. Similarly, based on the proposed amendment, the Department of Commerce would be able to tax all marijuana sales at a rate of 10%.

Ohioans will be facing significant issues this November and it will be up to the voting constituency across the state to work them out on November.