State Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Sen. President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) are having to negotiate with Callender and House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), but the House claims to not be budging. It should be noted that Huffman and Stephens have a contentious-at-best relationship.

“Even for Cheech and Chong, that wouldn’t be for personal use,” Huffman said about growing 12 plants per household. “This would essentially create a black market for people to sell around their neighborhood or whatever it would be.”

McColley, the de-facto and seemingly bipartisan spokesperson for the Senate, assured his proposal wasn’t going against the will of the people, since he believes that the voters didn’t really know everything that they were voting on.

“I think what the voters really voted for would have been access to products,” the senator added.

Callender strongly disagreed.

“I want to make sure that here in this chamber, the People’s House, that we carry out the will of the people — and the people have spoken,” the Republican lawmaker added.

Callender has his own bill, H.B. 354, that is similar to current law. It adds some safeguards for advertising and children, and Callender likes the idea of including immediate dispensary access as well.

After this week, the House won’t be back until February.

“At some point, we will just have to break out the peace pipe,” Callender said, acknowledging the double entendre.

Even though Randle’s business would profit if dispensaries could open for recreational use now, he agrees with Callender.

“I think it’s the people’s rights that people have voted for it,” he said.