Cannabis '15: The Long Wait Until 2016

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Unfortunately, I doubt the Colorado initiative will win. It lost by 20 points in 2006.  Washington and California have the best chance of legalizing it.

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In case you missed it: The Los Angeles City Council voted to shut down all pot dispensaries in the city within 45 days.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/26/what-will-los-angeles-ban-on-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-mean.html

My favorite dispensary is in LA.

Complete idiots. At least San Jose had the sense to back down on their ban but I fear this may embolden them. Deliveries are the way to go I guess. I also wonder how the idiots are planning on replacing the sales tax revenue they get from these shops. I guess the LA city council wants to give more money to the Mexican Mafia.

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So what the hell is the point of this?

Maybe what Los Angeles needs is a separate sales tax on Marijuana. I think that is one of the reasons the dispensaries survived in San Jose, because there is an additional 7% tax slapped on by the city on top of the regular sales tax.

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I actually don't mind them cracking down on the shady places, provided they do just that.

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That Colorado poll only has 50% saying yes though. I remember how the polls were showing California would legalize Marijuana a month before the election, and then it all fell apart.

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That Colorado poll only has 50% saying yes though. I remember how the polls were showing California would legalize Marijuana a month before the election, and then it all fell apart.

Yeah but don't you think the California initiative would have done better had it been in 2012 instead of 2010 (higher total turnout, proportionally more younger people voting, etc)?

Based on the polling and shifts against in the end, I'd guess Colorado is a tossup while Washington is lean pass and Oregon is likely fail.

Yeah, but it would have failed this year as well. I think Washington might pass it, but I would very surprised if Colorado passes it.

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Washington could pass it but Colorado is highly unlikely. Even in Washington I would guess there is about a 40% chance of it being defeated.

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I voted against marijuana legalization, and I quite hope it fails. However, seeing the Feds crack down on those who think it's ok to smoke marijuana might be amusing too.

How could you possibly find it amusing that people's lives a ruined daily because of the governments war on a harmless plant? Being around Houston I can say the victims of the war are disproportionately minorities, many of whom are doing nothing else wrong. Working with NORML I have also seen many people who have legitimate illnesses and the medicine they are prescribed is worse than the illness itself. One such fellow in north Houston chose to self medicate becuase while it may not have cured his spinal issue it at least took the pain away and didn't have the wicked side effects the prescription crap. He was busted and is now facing 25 to life and with his health problems will more than likely die in prison. I see nothing amusing about it.

It's ridiculous that it is somehow ok to take Oxycodone for pain, but not Marijuana. Especially considering that the chance of overdosing goes way up for strong opiates such as Oxycodone. On the other hand, it is virtually impossible to overdose on Marijuana. And of course opiates are much more addictive than Marijuana.

Even leaving aside pain pills, let us look at one of the primary reasons people choose to use Medical Marijuana in states like California, anxiety. There is a tremendous amount of legal benzodiazepine use in America for anxiety. Why shouldn't people be allowed to use Marijuana extract capsules for that very same indication?

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Man, good for Washington. Gay marriage and legalization will make the state a haven for creatives and modernist tech workers. I'm looking forward to having my big gay stoner wedding there!

If it passes there will be legal Marijuana and no state income tax. Very attractive place to live....

In any case, some of you are way too optimistic. There are a lot of Realisticidealist types out there. Especially women who stay undecided till the end and then overwhelmingly vote no. 

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Also a blood test is much better than a urine test and the level needed to prove intoxication is fairly high. Although it could wrongly convict some people who have high tolerance.

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I think 2014 should be fine in California since Republicans will not be motivated to come out and vote. They really felt they had a chance against Boxer in 2010 and a lot of Republicans did come out to vote, especially the low information ones who would also be more likely to be socially conservative.