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Voters did the right thing

Proponents of legalizing marijuana in Ohio spent an enormous amount, $25 million by one estimate, trying to convince voters to go along with them. They called their organization “ResponsibleOhio,” and urged Buckeye State residents to do the right thing.

They did. Issue 3, the ballot measure seeking legalization, crashed and burned during the election Tuesday. According to unofficial returns, just slightly more than one-third of voters said yes to the proposal. The final tally was 2,003,641 opposed, with 1,122,386 in favor.

To some extent, recreational use of marijuana already has been “decriminalized” in Ohio. Casual users of the drug seldom, if ever, face serious penalties.

It was the pushers – seeking to become legal – who wanted Issue 3 badly. In particular, it was the tiny group of investors who would have been permitted to grow and market marijuana who favored the measure.

In the end, that may have been what snuffed out Issue 3. Some voters said they favored legalization – but could not stomach the idea of granting a lucrative, constitutionally guaranteed monopoly.

Supporters of legalized use of marijuana will be back in Ohio. Bet the farm on that. Next time, they may be more circumspect in how they handle the matter.

But for now, Buckeye State voters deserve to pat themselves on the back. They killed a plan that never should have made it to the ballot in the first place. They refused, in short, to be played for dopes.

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