Stop Ohio SB 69

The facts behind SB 69:
Senator Tim Schaffer has introduced Senate Bill 69 requiring drug testing "for adults who apply for need-based programs that provide cash assistance, medical assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, or energy assistance."

The government will require a person to conduct a urine test.
If you REFUSE you will not be eligible for assistance and would have to wait 30 days before reapplying.
If you test positive, the results are the same.

An exception would be made for individuals testing positive for a controlled substance if the substance was prescribed by a licensed health professional and taken as directed.

THE PROBLEM:

Marijuana is classified as a Scheduled I Substance under Ohio law, along with heroin and cocaine. Ohio has not legalized Medical Marijuana. There are people in Ohio who use marijuana MEDICINALLY for "symptomatic relief for a number of medical conditions, including nausea and vomiting, stimulating appetite, promoting weight gain, and diminishing intraocular pressure from glaucoma."
"There is also evidence that smoked marijuana and/or THC reduces muscle spasticity from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, and diminishes tremors in multiple sclerosis patients. Patients and physicians have also reported that smoked marijuana provides relief from migraine headaches, depression, seizures, insomnia and chronic pain, among other conditions." (NORML.ORG- http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3472)

THE POINT:
Allowing SB 69 to pass will ultimately ruin lives, cost lives, and cost Ohio money. It's a domino effect and it is uncertain which way the dominos will fall, but they WILL FALL, and our community WILL suffer.

Sign this petition so that we can SHOW THE SENATE, THE SENATE WE THE PEOPLE ELECT, and THAT WE THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT SB 69 TO BE PASSED.


SB 69 READS AS FOLLOWED:


A BILL
To enact section 9.71 of the Revised Code to establish a drug testing requirement for adults who apply for need-based programs that provide cash assistance, medical assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, or energy assistance.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 9.71 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 9.71. (A) As used in this section:
(1)(a) Except as provided in division (A)(1)(b) of this section, "controlled substance problem" means that an individual is determined by a chemical test to have a concentration of any of the controlled substances specified in division (A)(1)(j) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, or metabolites of such a controlled substance, in the individual's urine that equals or exceeds any of the applicable levels established in that division for urine.
(b) An individual shall not be determined to have a controlled substance problem if the individual obtained the controlled substance pursuant to a prescription issued by a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs and the individual injected, ingested, or inhaled the controlled substance in accordance with the health professional's directions.
(2) "Licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs" and "prescription" have the same meanings as in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code.
(B) Notwithstanding any other section of the Revised Code and subject to divisions (C) and (D) of this section, a state agency operating a need-based program that provides cash assistance, medical assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, or energy assistance shall require each individual eighteen years of age or older who applies for the program to undergo, as a condition of eligibility for the program, a urine drug test to determine whether the individual has a controlled substance problem. An individual eighteen years of age or older who refuses to undergo a urine drug test or is determined by a urine drug test to have a controlled substance problem is ineligible for the program for which the individual applied and may not reapply sooner than thirty days after the date of the refusal or determination.
(C)(1) Division (B) of this section does not apply to a need-based program funded in whole or in part with federal funds unless either of the following is the case:
(a) The federal agency responsible for the program's administration approves the application of division (B) of this section to the program;
(b) Application of division (B) of this section to the program would not cause the state to lose federal funding for the program.
(2) A state agency operating a need-based program that provides cash assistance, medical assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, or energy assistance that is funded in whole or in part with federal funds shall seek federal approval to make division (B) of this section apply to the program unless the federal agency responsible for the program's administration is not authorized by federal law, expressly or otherwise, to grant such approval.
(D) This section does not apply to unemployment compensation benefits paid pursuant to Chapter 4141. of the Revised Code.


This information can be found here:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=129_SB_69

IN 1913 OUR NATION GAVE US THE POWER TO ELECT SENATE MEMBERS TO SERVE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT. HELP TELL THEM WE DO NOT WANT THIS BILL TO PASS.