Ten groups are betting millions that legalizing recreational marijuana in Ohio could net them billions in the long run.

I have been closely following all of the articles about legalization of marijuana and how the group, ResponsibleOhio, was started. I have only read one letter to the editor from a concerned Ohio resident about the increased probability of mental illness developing among users.According to the National Institutes of Health, "Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, with approximately 5 millions of daily users worldwide.

Emerging evidence supports a number of associations between cannabis and psychosis/psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia."A program from National Geographic stated an actual percentage of those who will experience psychosis: 50 percent of all marijuana users will experience psychosis.

The ResponsibleOhio campaign seeks to legalize marijuana for adults in Ohio. The campaign has received a lot of criticism because it only allows ten entities to grow marijuana for profit if the initiative passes. The initiative didn’t have a home grow provision at first, but a provision was added to allow home grow after the campaign received a lot of feedback. I know that a lot of orgs and prominent activists have came out publicly opposing the initiative, while others have refrained from opposing it, but haven’t issued an endorsement yet. To be fair, I haven’t seen any organization or prominent activist that has opposed the measure step up and promise to bring a better initiative in the future, complete with language polling and sufficient funding.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thousands of hastily scribbled signatures fill boxes in the basement of Ian James’ 7,800-square-foot restored Victorian home in the historic Franklin Park neighborhood. James needs these names to win a place on Ohio’s November ballot for a measure to legalize medical and recreational marijuana.

But the political consultant isn’t just gathering the signatures. He came up with the idea for the measure. And he recruited a lawyer to draft a constitutional amendment that would put Ohio’s future marijuana market in the hands of only 10 growers — an arrangement that critics are calling a monopoly.

Meanwhile, he plans to pay his own firm nearly $6 million to run the campaign.

Do you support marijuana legalization in Ohio? Scroll to the bottom and vote in our poll.

On a cold day in January 2014, political strategist Ian James rode the elevator with two lawyers to the 11th floor of the Scripps Center to arrive at the office of a Cincinnati wheeler-dealer. The four men sat down, made some small talk. Then James took a deep breath and made his pitch for an Ohio revolution.

"I had not met Jimmy Gould before," James recalled, "so I just asked if he were interested in the legalization of marijuana for personal use or for medical use. I didn't know how this was going to go over. But no sooner had the words come out of my mouth, Jimmy said, 'I'm in.' "

JOHNSTOWN, Ohio -- Andy Joseph didn't seek the marijuana industry -- it found him.

The Navy veteran and father of five began building botanical oil extraction systems from his home northeast of Columbus while working as an engineering director for a manufacturing company. The systems were made to extract essential oils and natural flavorings from plants such as lavender, spearmint and peppers.

But entrepreneurs in California found another use for Joseph's machines -- extracting chemicals from marijuana that could be used in hundreds of products. Joseph's business grew as more states legalized marijuana, leading him to quit his job in 2012 to run Apeks Supercritical out of a 2,000-square-foot pole barn in his backyard.

Here’s a look at what is happening in Ohio government and politics:

Ohio lawmakers want to block a proposed marijuana monopoly and other monopolies from being written into the Constitution.

“The plan rolled out Tuesday was backed by top legislative leaders, but critics said that it may go too far in trying to derail the fast-moving marijuana plan engineered by ResponsibleOhio,” Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson writes.

COLUMBUS – Ohio lawmakers want to eliminate "monopolies" in the Ohio constitution, such as one proposed by marijuana legalization group ResponsibleOhio.

A proposed constitutional amendment unveiled Tuesday would prohibit businesses from creating monopolies in the constitution. That would likely include putting specific parcels of land into the constitution, such as the location of marijuana farms. The change would not affect casino or racino locations already added into the constitution.

"The day of trying to buy our state constitution, we need to start putting some brakes to it pretty quick," said Ohio Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville.

LORAIN — The company that will grow marijuana at a proposed Lorain facility will allow its workers to organize into a union if voters approve a marijuana legalization constitutional amendment this fall, the company’s leadership announced Tuesday.

“This company will be a driver of economic growth in this community and will be an example of why respecting workers’ rights is simply good business,” Bobby George, principal owner of RG1 LLC, said during a news conference put on by ResponsibleOhio, the group pushing legalization of the medical and personal use of marijuana.

A proposal to legalize marijuana that is likely headed toward Ohio’s fall ballot would create nearly 35,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state and generate an annual economic output of $7 billion, says a new report today coordinated by Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters.

“Legalization is coming to Ohio. We need to accept the reality is going to happen,” Deters said at a press conference at the Ohio State University Moritz School of Law where the report, “Marijuana & Ohio, Past Present and Potential” was unveiled.

“Why in the world, knowing this is coming, would we let the bad guys make all the money?” Deters asked.