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"Golden Week" Gone, And Medical Marijuana Program Slowly Starting Up

A panel of three federal judges has shot down the week where first-time voters can register and cast ballots at the same time. Ohio voters will be able to cast ballots for presidential candidate Gary Johnson, though he won’t be labeled as a Libertarian. A group of doctors, pro-choice and left leaning organizations and the watchdog group Common Cause Ohio are asking the Ohio State Medical Board to ask for the resignation of its director, Mike Gonidakis, who's also the president of Ohio Right To Life.

A day that medical marijuana activists have been waiting on for decades dawns on September 8, when the state law creating a medical marijuana program in Ohio takes effect. But with less than three weeks to go, it seems the program is getting a slow start. Two lawmakers who were very involved with medical marijuana law – Rep. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) and Sen. Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) – talk about the program and why it seems to be proceeding slowly.

For a medical marijuana program to work, there need to be businesses to support the new industry and the patients and doctors who want to access it. Though the specifics of the program are still unclear, entrepreneurs are trying to carve out opportunities for themselves. Statehouse correspondent Jo Ingles reports on one business working on that, and one community that's answered the question of whether they want to welcome medical marijuana dispensaries and facilities – or to try to lock them out.

And Ohio’s medical marijuana program could be a big deal, says Chris Walsh with Marijuana Business Daily, which tracks the industry.

In a presidential year marked by outrageous insults and accusations of lying, corruption, bigotry, sexism, narcissism, and small hands, there are still people who are talking about how to speak politely about important issues. Jo Ingles moderated a panel on that topic at the Columbus Metropolitan Club this week featuring Democratic former state Rep. Ted Celeste of Columbus, Ohio University journalism professor and Cleveland.com columnist Tom Suddes, and Jerry Springer – the former mayor of Cincinnati, longtime Democrat and of course, the host of a controversial show that’s often used as the prime example of trash TV – and he’s still hosting, along with a weekly podcast about politics.