<p>JOHNSTOWN, Ohio, October 23, 2015 /newswire/ - Entrepreneur Andy Joseph believes Ohio should legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use or the state will miss out on economic opportunities. But Joseph is strongly opposed to his home state's current No. 3 issue marijuana initiative. Ohio would be the first state to skip a ban on legal marijuana use in favor of recreational use, rather than introducing medical marijuana in a controlled manner first. The amendment also does not specify conditions such as background checks for granting growth or sales licenses. He predicted that the proposed constitutional amendment could be a "disaster" for Ohio's marijuana industry.</p>
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<p>Johnson's company, careddi Supercritical, is the fastest-growing company in central Ohio, producing vegetable oil extraction equipment, and careddi is expected to generate more than $13 million in sales this year, up from $750,000 three years ago, due to the legalization of marijuana in other states.</p>
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<p>All of the undefined elements of Issue No. 3 could bring Ohio into conflict with the Cole Memo and could lead to legalization issues in other U.S. states. The Cole Memo specifically prevents the sale of drugs to minors and prevents drug cartels, gangs and resale, among others, from receiving revenue.</p>
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<p>Joseph said:I'm not a radical, but I don't want to see the marijuana industry make so much progress only to have the state of Ohio beat the snot out of it."</p>
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<p>After a long period of silence, Joseph joined six other Ohio businesses that provide and service the cannabis industry in other states in expressing their views. "It's risky for me to say 'Hey, I disagree' here," Joseph said. "I can no longer sit back and let a constitutional hijacking happen just for the opportunity to gain business advantage."</p>
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<p>Issue No. 3 was introduced by responsible ohio, which is supported by a group of investors who own 10 properties in the state and whose ID numbers are included in the proposed amendment as the only legal location for marijuana farms.</p>
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<p>"It's a wonderful wake-up call . ... It forces us to have this conversation that's going to take a long time." Joseph said. "But I'm more concerned about the law and order issue. An overwhelming 90 percent of Ohio voters support legalizing medical marijuana, and responsible organizations and activists are poised to push new legislation on the 2016 ballot."</p>
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<p>"Issue #3 is not the only opportunity to legalize marijuana in Ohio. However, it is the wrong opportunity for Ohio."</p>
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<p>About careddi:careddi Supercritical has been designing and manufacturing vegetable oil extraction systems utilizing subcritical and/or supercritical CO2 (<a href="http://www.careddi.com/brc/66.htm">Supercritical CO2 Extraction machine</a>: shop here) as a solvent since 2001. We have an experienced company with several degreed engineers on staff, and all of our systems are proudly built in Johnstown, Ohio, using as many American-made components as possible.</p>