As election day nears, one issue in particular has Ohioans caught up in a heated debate: Issue 3. If Issue 3, which is set to appear on the ballot in early November, passes, Ohio would become the first state to legalize marijuana without first legalizing it only for medical purposes and become the first culturally conservative Midwestern state to approve the sale of cannabis.

Representative Mike Curtin of Columbus said, “It was the most audacious proposed amendment in the state’s history since we had the initiative process.”

The passing of Issue 3 would come with several benefits. Issue 3 would provide special protections for medical patients and significantly reduce the number of people being arrested for marijuana possession. In addition, thousands of legal jobs could potentially be created and tax revenues would be expected to increase.

However, despite the potential benefits, Issue 3 should not be passed.

The one big problem with the initiative is that it restricts commercial marijuana production to just the 10 properties owned by the principal investors in the initiative. This is profoundly problematic because it would essentially create a constitutionally mandated oligopoly, which means that the restriction can only be modified by a subsequent amendment to the state constitution.

Government-approved monopolies may make sense with respect to public utilities and national security, but marijuana? A constitutionally mandated oligopoly for an agricultural product just seems absurd.

Furthermore, the issue’s mascot, a cartoon character named “Buddie” with a head shaped like a marijuana bud, does little more to advance the conversation of marijuana legalization. The use of this ironic mascot almost makes a joke of an issue that could have serious consequences and implications if passed.

The amendment would allow adults over the age of 21 to possess small amounts of marijuana for recreational use. However, marijuana could flood into Ohio not only through the 1,159 retail stores that would be open, but also in the form of marijuana-laced brownies and candy that would put children at risk.

Nick Lashutka, president of the Ohio Children’s Hospitals Association, said, “The evidence we have seen is that these edible versions of marijuana could appeal directly to children. They are likely to not be well-marked. It’s a danger to kids who come across them at home and ingest them.”

The passage of Issue 3 would fundamentally change Ohio, a historically conservative state. Although there are certainly elements of Issue 3 that would benefit Ohio, ultimately, the oligopoly that it would create would primarily serve the interests of a selection of 10 investors and let deep-pocketed campaigns secure future profits for themselves in the Ohio Constitution.