With the stroke of a pen, governor John Kasich made Ohio the 25th state to legalize medicinal marijuana. Once the rules take effect later this year, Ohioans will be able to obtain marijuana for medical use to treat certain ailments like Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, epilepsy and other seizure disorders.
While recreational use is still banned, this is clearly a step in the right direction toward ending the disastrous War on Drugs, not to mention the freedom and autonomy patients can now enjoy as they treat chronic and intractable illnesses.
In Spring 2015, Learn Liberty profiled the story of a young girl who was afflicted with a form of epilepsy that resulted in crippling seizures. Sophia’s story is a harrowing example of the backward nature of the government’s war on drugs. The Drug Enforcement Agency classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. According to the DEA, marijuana has no medicinal use and has a high propensity for abuse. Sophia’s story is one of thousands (if not millions) that defy the DEA’s conclusion, and it seems that state governments are catching on faster than the federal government.
Watch the video below to hear Sophia’s story. We’re glad John Kasich had a change of heart and allowed Ohioans, including Sophia and her parents, access to medical marijuana.