Marijuana 2016!

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

California, SurveyUSA
Oct. 13-15 (Last poll: Sept. 27-28)
732 likely voters, MoE: ±3.7%

"Will you vote YES on Proposition 64, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana by adults age 21 and older, and which would license, regulate and tax the marijuana industry? Or, will you vote NO on 64, which would keep state laws as they now are? "

Yes: 51% (-1)
No: 40% (-1)
Undecided: 8% (+2)


Barring any last minute ad blitz by the opposition, looks like California is gonna legalize pot by around the same margins as Washington & Colorado (55-45).

[Gass3268]

Marijuana is passing in Massachusetts 55-40 in new poll

[Figueira]

I need to research the MA question to decide how I'm voting, but I'll probably vote Yes.

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

Marijuana is passing in Massachusetts 55-40 in new poll

Very encouraging! I hope Massachusetts sees lots of new tourist dollars

[NerdyBohemian]

I think Massachusetts will pass it, but it will be much closer than what polls suggest.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I feel like Arizona's going to pass this by a lot more than Maine or Massachusetts do.  The latter two are fairly socially conservative by New England standards.

I also read an article a few days ago on a pro-marijuana website that's urging a no vote in California, criticizing it for monopolizing the weed industry in a similar way that the Ohio initiative would have.  I haven't read much about the initiative there, but it sounds like big business is trying to get its hands dirty on this again.  The problem with a lot of these initiatives is that they leave the state legislatures with almost no leeway to make sensible changes to them.

It's pretty ridiculous that the only way to legalize pot through referenda is to embed it in state constitutions.  It sounds like Colorado is the only state that's handling this issue the right way.

[hurricanehink]

It's pretty ridiculous that the only way to legalize pot through referenda is to embed it in state constitutions.  It sounds like Colorado is the only state that's handling this issue the right way.

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/health/2016/10/11/medical-pot-oversight-panel-meet/91888856/ - possibly not for long. It looks like Delaware could be the first state to legalize it through the legislature. If this November goes green on the ballot, then maybe we won't have to wait for 2018 for the next round of referenda, especially as polling nationwide for legalization has reached 60%. I could see New England, New York, Hawaii, and New Jersey legalizing via legislatures.

[Classic Conservative]

I feel like Arizona's going to pass this by a lot more than Maine or Massachusetts do.  The latter two are fairly socially conservative by New England standards.

I also read an article a few days ago on a pro-marijuana website that's urging a no vote in California, criticizing it for monopolizing the weed industry in a similar way that the Ohio initiative would have.  I haven't read much about the initiative there, but it sounds like big business is trying to get its hands dirty on this again.  The problem with a lot of these initiatives is that they leave the state legislatures with almost no leeway to make sensible changes to them.

It's pretty ridiculous that the only way to legalize pot through referenda is to embed it in state constitutions.  It sounds like Colorado is the only state that's handling this issue the right way.

Yeah, the Church is going all out to oppose this in MA.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I feel like Arizona's going to pass this by a lot more than Maine or Massachusetts do.  The latter two are fairly socially conservative by New England standards.

I also read an article a few days ago on a pro-marijuana website that's urging a no vote in California, criticizing it for monopolizing the weed industry in a similar way that the Ohio initiative would have.  I haven't read much about the initiative there, but it sounds like big business is trying to get its hands dirty on this again.  The problem with a lot of these initiatives is that they leave the state legislatures with almost no leeway to make sensible changes to them.

It's pretty ridiculous that the only way to legalize pot through referenda is to embed it in state constitutions.  It sounds like Colorado is the only state that's handling this issue the right way.

Yeah, the Church is going all out to oppose this in MA.

Tbh I don't quite understand why. I need to research the stated reasoning.

[Virginiá]

It's pretty ridiculous that the only way to legalize pot through referenda is to embed it in state constitutions.  It sounds like Colorado is the only state that's handling this issue the right way.

Many of these states also allow statute initiatives, but they are generally avoided because they don't want lawmakers weakening or repealing their stuff. It's a legitimate concern. Honestly, I don't think lawmakers yet deserve the benefit of the doubt to not do things like that, especially in Arizona. For the record though, in California, even a state statute enacted by initiative can't be modified by the legislature without approval from voters.

My thoughts are this: Lawmakers see a groundswell of legalization initiatives, some in their own states, and they don't act themselves. They could just legalize it themselves before initiatives gets approved and thus keep control over the process while negating the point of an initiative. But alas, they didn't because they are spineless and/or still clinging to Reefer Madness-based beliefs.

[Virginiá]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-ballot-mistake-marijuana-missing-20161019-story.html

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This better be an issue only affecting a small number of people, otherwise this is going to be a mess of a situation.

[publicunofficial]

Sheldon Adelson is spending big on defeating pro-marijuana reform.

Adelson alone has accounted for 95% of the spending against Nevada's initiative, and has also spent $1 Million each on Massachusetts and Florida's measures.

Adelson's wife runs a series of drug treatment clinics, which would lose a lot of revenue if marijuana users aren't forced there by courts.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Adelson's wife runs a series of drug treatment clinics, which would lose a lot of revenue if marijuana users aren't forced there by courts.

The War on Drugs in a nutshell.

[Torie]

It will pass everywhere, easily in California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine, comfortably in Arizona.

Awesome. Mass is about a 35 minute drive from me. Great Barrington here I come!

[Virginiá]

If a million bucks is all he is spending in some states, then he's 99% likely not going to sway enough votes to tank the initiative(s). Things have changed a lot over the past 6 years, and with a supermajority now believing in legalization, one can't change that many minds with what amounts to pocket change from Adelson's greasy pants.

This isn't like some relatively unknown candidate running in some obscure race. Opinions about marijuana have become more and more ingrained in the public consciousness and the lies perpetuated for decades have steadily unraveled since the turn of the century.

Given how much support comes from Millennials, this issue has almost become a symbol of the transfer of influence from one generation to the next.

[Virginiá]

Fla. election official sued over potential ‘cataclysmic’ medical-marijuana ballot error

http://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2016/10/norml-sues-over-missing-medical-marijuana-item-on-mailed-ballots-in-broward-county-106591

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This could be a big deal. Absentee ballots sent to residents in Broward County, one of Med. Marijuana's best counties, magically don't have the Amendment 2 question.

I'm now worried that when early voting starts, even the in-person ballots could have issues in Broward or possibly elsewhere. This county in particular seems to be completely incompetent in terms of handling elections.

At any rate, they need to send people new ballots, even if it just for Amendment 2. I can't see how this would be resolved any other way.

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

If a million bucks is all he is spending in some states, then he's 99% likely not going to sway enough votes to tank the initiative(s). Things have changed a lot over the past 6 years, and with a supermajority now believing in legalization, one can't change that many minds with what amounts to pocket change from Adelson's greasy pants.

And with polls showing support well into the 50s, an ad like this isn't going to sway voters this late in the game...especially in Nevada:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuP7-YEKHMs

The argument is also diminished when Colorado just implemented regulations on all edibles to be stamped 'THC' so that people can tell the difference

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

Public Policy Institute of California
Oct. 14-23 (Last poll: Sept. 9-18)
1,704 likely voters (English/Spanish), MoE: ±3.4%

PROP 64:

Yes: 55% (-5)
No: 38% (+2)
Undecided: 6% (+2)

Hanging in there in California. No doubt about this one. Broad support across the board except with Republicans (60% no) and Latinos (47-48 no)

[ProgressiveCanadian]

Public Policy Institute of California
Oct. 14-23 (Last poll: Sept. 9-18)
1,704 likely voters (English/Spanish), MoE: ±3.4%

PROP 64:

Yes: 55% (-5)
No: 38% (+2)
Undecided: 6% (+2)

Hanging in there in California. No doubt about this one. Broad support across the board except with Republicans (60% no) and Latinos (47-48 no)

Men: 64-32 Yes
Women 48-44 Yes

My god today's women of temperance. 18-34 year-olds support it 78-19.

[publicunofficial]

Public Policy Institute of California
Oct. 14-23 (Last poll: Sept. 9-18)
1,704 likely voters (English/Spanish), MoE: ±3.4%

PROP 64:

Yes: 55% (-5)
No: 38% (+2)
Undecided: 6% (+2)

Hanging in there in California. No doubt about this one. Broad support across the board except with Republicans (60% no) and Latinos (47-48 no)

Men: 64-32 Yes
Women 48-44 Yes

My god today's women of temperance. 18-34 year-olds support it 78-19.

Moms vote.

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

USC Dornsife/LA Times
Oct. 22-30 (Last poll: Sept. 1-8)
1,500 likely voters, MoE ±2.3

PROP 64

Yes: 58%
No: 37% (+3)
Undecided: 4% (-4)

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Pelosi will vote to legalize in her state.

I gotta hand it to California Dems.  They missed the mark bigly with the nanny statists they elected to the Senate, but they're on the track to redeem themselves in this and in the next cycle.

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

At 1:30 am pacific, here's how the statewide marijuana measures did:

Arizona: Prop 205 (Recreational marijuana); Fails 47.9-52.1
Arkansas: Issue 6 (Medical marijuana); Passes 53.2-46.8
California: Prop 64 (Recreational marijuana); Passes 55.8-44.2
Florida: Amendment 2 (Medical marijuana); Passes 71.3-28.7
Maine: Question 1 (Recreational marijuana; Tied 50-50 (Yes +4,986)
Massachusetts: Question 4 (Recreational marijuana); Passes 53.6-46.4
Nevada: Question 2 (Recreational marijuana); Passes 54.5-45.5
North Dakota: Measure 5 (Medical marijuana); Passes 63.7-36.3

Pretty solid year for pot. Also predicted Arizona almost exactly

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

FL finally Gets Medical Marijuana!

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

FL finally Gets Medical Marijuana!

And Arkansas! The South just gained a fruitful crop