09/29/2023

OSMA Statement on Ohio Issues 1 and 2

News Release
From September 28, 2023

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA), the state’s largest and oldest physician-led organization, issues the following statement on Ohio’s November ballot initiatives.

Issue 1

OSMA maintains its long-standing policy that it shall take no action which may be construed as an attempt to alter or influence the personal views of individual physicians regarding abortion procedures and therefore does not take a formal position on Issue 1.

However, based on updates to our policy approved earlier this year, OSMA supports an individual’s right to decide whether to have children, the number and spacing of children and the right to have the information, education, and access to evidence-based reproductive health care services to make these decisions. OSMA also opposes non-evidence-based limitations on access to evidence-based reproductive health care services including fertility treatments, contraception, and abortion.

Further, OSMA will continue to oppose initiatives that impose criminal and civil penalties or other retaliatory efforts against patients, patient advocates, physicians, other healthcare workers, and health systems for receiving, assisting in, referring patients to, or providing evidence-based reproductive health care services within the medical standard of care.

Issue 2

OSMA opposes the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. OSMA also opposes legalization of any presently illegal drugs including, but not limited to, cannabis and cocaine, except in the instance of appropriate evidence-based medical use approved by the FDA.

For these reasons, OSMA opposes Issue 2.

OSMA will continue to advocate for these policy positions and all policies moving forward that protect the safety of Ohioans, ensure evidence-based standards of care in medicine, and respect and preserve the physician/patient relationship.

We encourage our members and the public to vote this November.

Our Mission Statement / Who We Are

The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) is dedicated to empowering physicians, residents and medical students to advocate on behalf of their patients and profession. OSMA is the largest and oldest statewide physician-led association in Ohio. We are affiliated nationally with the American Medical Association and locally with county medical societies.