Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Renacci issued a statement Wednesday saying he opposes Issue 1, a constitutional amendment that would significantly reduce criminal penalties for drug possession.
Renacci (R-OH-16) has made solving Ohio’s opioid-addiction crisis a priority of his campaign for the U.S. Senate. He is running against two-term incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat.
One thing is for sure, the problem is real.
Ohio ranks second, behind only West Virginia, for the number of opioid-related overdose deaths. And the congressman from Ohio’s 16th district believes Issue 1, were it to pass, would bring catastrophic costs in terms of human life.
“Ohio is already Ground Zero for the opioid epidemic,” said Renacci. “We don’t need a constitutional amendment to make it even harder to combat. I agree that our drug laws need to be updated so we focus on treatment rather than incarceration. But Issue 1 is not the answer. By drastically decreasing criminal penalties, we are tying the hands of law enforcement as they fight this rampant epidemic.”
Issue 1 would make the possession of powdered fentanyl in amounts less than 20 grams a misdemeanor subject to probation.
That means a drug offender caught with less than 20 grams would get no possibility of jail time. Yet, as Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor pointed out in a recent op-ed, 19 grams of the toxic drug is enough to kill approximately 10,000 people. That’s because a lethal dose of fentanyl is just 2 milligrams (one-thousandth of a gram).
So if Issue 1 passes, an offender charged with possession of 19 grams of fentanyl would automatically get probation and could only be charged with a misdemeanor. Issue 1 does this by constitutionally dictating that any drug-possession conviction that is now a Felony 4 or Felony 5 would be reduced to a misdemeanor.
Renacci has been working with an Opioid Working Group he formed to determine how best to stop the epidemic that has disproportionately hurt Ohio. On Aug. 6, Rep. Renacci hosted an Opioid Action Panel, which allowed a thoughtful discussion on the transportation of opioids, the impact of the Good Samaritan Law and pill mills.
“What I have learned from talking with those people directly impacted by this epidemic is that we need to crack down on drug traffickers,” said Renacci. “The biggest problem we are facing is fentanyl. It’s so deadly, fentanyl the size of a grain of salt can be enough to kill you. But if Issue 1 passes, a person can have enough fentanyl to kill 10,000 people and only be charged with a misdemeanor. That will only make things worse and would make Ohio a safe haven for drug traffickers.”
Brown has not yet publicly take a position on Issue 1. The question of whether to approve Issue 1 will go before voters on the ballot November 6.
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Anthony Accardi is a writer and reporter for The Ohio Star.
