Stacked against legalization? Top foe of Ohio medical marijuana gets 2 advisory board slots
COLUMBUS, Ohio The new Ohio medical marijuana advisory committee will include two members of a group that fought legalization, raising concerns among advocates about whether the panel will be stacked against them.
The 14-member panels roster was set with final appointments this week. Its first meeting must be held within a month.
Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger named Marcie Seidel, executive director of the Drug Free Action Alliance, as one of his two appointees on Thursday. The assistant director at the alliance, Tony Coder, was named to the committee by Republican Gov. John Kasich. Seidel and Coder are designated to represent people involved in mental health treatment and alcohol- and drug-addiction treatment, respectively.
Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, an offshoot of the group that pushed legalization of medical marijuana, said these positions werent meant for opponents.
Her only qualifications are that she really doesnt like medical marijuana, said Aaron Marshall, the groups spokesman. We were hopeful that all the appointments would be made in good faith.
Coder said the alliances primary concern as Ohio establishes its new medical marijuana program is patients.
We want to ensure that patients whose doctors recommend marijuana have access to a safe product for their condition, he said in an email. At the same time, we want to reiterate that this is a medical marijuana bill, and we want Ohios program to be about patient health and safety rather than creating another big tobacco or another industry that is more concerned about profit than health.
He said he has spent 13 years and Seidel has spent 18 years in substance abuse prevention, which includes promotion of mental health wellness. He said they both intend to respect that medical marijuana is now law in Ohio.
Rounding out the advisory committee are:
Pharmacists: Curtis Passafume Jr., a vice president of pharmacy services at ...
