A random assortment of celebrities have the potential to make a lot of money if Ohio legalizes marijuana Tuesday.
If the sale of pot becomes legal in the Buckeye State, language in the ballot measure restricts almost all marijuana growth to 10 farms.
Those farms are owned by an assortment of big names, including former 98 Degrees band member and Jessica Simpson’s ex-husband Nick Lachey, designer Nanette Lepore, NBA great Oscar Robertson, Arizona Cardinals defensive end Frostee Rucker and two of former President William Howard Taft’s great-great-grandnephews.
All of them have helped bankroll the campaign for Ohio marijuana legalization. According to the Washington Post, they each had to put up $4 million initially to underwrite the ballot campaign, and then another $10 million for land and the cost of farm maintenance.
For a little context, Lachey owns 29 acres of farmland outside Akron, which he co-owns with a car dealership owner from Texas and a few financial executives. If the ballot initiative is successful, the 1,100 state-regulated marijuana dispensaries in Ohio would have no other option but to buy their product from his or one of the nine other farms.
According to a study called “Marijuana and Ohio: Past, Present, Potential” conducted by the Marijuana Policies of Ohio Taskforce, those 10 farms could end up selling $1.1 billion worth of marijuana annually.
“Ohio is my home, and as a resident and local business owner I am proud to be part of a movement that has the potential to create jobs, reinvigorate the local economy and improve the safety of our communities,” Lachey said in a statement to the Post. “Passage of this proposal will result in much-needed economic development opportunities across Ohio, and update the state’s position on marijuana in a smart and safe way.”
Rucker, who spent six seasons in Cincinnati with the Bengals before joining the Cardinals, echoed that talk of economic prosperity through marijuana cultivation during a July press conference.
“Our company will be the driver of economic growth in southwest Ohio and will be an example of why respecting workers’ rights is simply a good investment for our community,” he said.
Robertson has more personal reasons for backing marijuana legalization. He underwent surgery a few years ago after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and said in a statement from ResponsibleOhio in January that he wants anyone who needs pot for medical reasons to have access to it.
“It’s a terrible feeling when you can’t help someone suffering from cancer or another debilitating medical condition — I know from personal experience,” he said.
