You might remember Nick Lachey from the band 98 Degrees, but it's even more likely you'll remember him as Jessica Simpson's ex-husband and a star on MTV's show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. What you might not know about Nick is that he is a huge proponent for the legalization of weed in his conservative home state of Ohio.
It turns out the former boyband singer co-owns a 29-acre weed farm just outside of Akron, along with a couple financial executives and a car dealership owner from Texas according to The Washington Post. He along with several other celebrities including designer Nanette Lepore, NBA legend Oscar Robertson, the NFL's Frostee Rucker, President William Howard Taft's great-great-grandnephews and several others collectively own Ohio's 10 farms designated for weed production. It is reported each ownership had to put up $4 million to underwrite the ballot campaign and an addition $10 million to purchase farmland and get their farms up and running.
Lachey, along with the rest of the co-owners, all stand to become very wealthy if a certain law passes today in the state of Ohio. Today, the state must vote on a ballot issue 3 which calls for the legalization of marijuana. However, the ballot specifies that a group of 10 farmers would have exclusive rights to weed farming. Basically, all official dispensaries would have to buy their weed from Lachey or one of the other nine farms. So, while pot legalization sounds great, the weed production would be left in the hands of a select few wealthy executive and celebrities which has so far left many torn. If the law passes, one study predicts that these 10 farms would be selling $1.1 billion of pot a year within four years.
Hope you’re heading to the polls this tomorrow! If you’re in #Ohio and want to end marijuana prohibition: #NoOn2 #YesOn3. @Yeson3Ohio
