While at one point boy-band members held considerable influence over the American public, tonight Ohio voters proved that era is truly over. A measure that would have legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana in the state has failed, despite support from Nick Lachey. While recent polls showed voters were split on the issue, 65 percent of voters were against it, compared to 35 percent in favor, according to the AP.
The initiative would have limited commercial-marijuana production to ten growing sites, and as one of the two dozen investors backing the sites, the former 98 Degrees member stood to make millions. Opponents said the bill would have written a “marijuana monopoly” into Ohio’s constitution. A competing measure that outlaws voter-approved monopolies and oligopolies in the state passed, which will prevent similar legalization efforts in the future.
Marijuana advocates cast the vote as a rejection of corporate involvement in the sale of weed, not legalization itself. “This was about a flawed measure and a campaign that didn’t represent what voters want,” Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority told the Washington Post. “It’s a shame Ohio voters didn’t have the opportunity to consider sensible legalization in 2015. Hopefully it’ll only be another election cycle or two until a more responsible team secures enough funding to put a better initiative on the ballot.”
