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Among Colorado voters marijuana legalization is more popular than President Obama or Mitt Romney. This Tuesday the voters in the state approved Amendment 64, which legalizes marijuana under state law, by a remarkably large margin. With most of the vote now counted, Amendment 64 was approved 54.92 percent yes to 45.08 percent no.
As it currently stands 1,307,288 people in Colorado went to the polls and voted to legalize marijuana. By comparison, only 1,252,269 people in the state cast a ballot for Barack Obama for President and just 1,135,165 voted for Mitt Romney. More voters in Colorado want marijuana to be legalized than believe Obama should serve a second term.
This is not just an interesting factoid but could have real political implications at both a local and national level. Unlikely Washington State, which also legalized marijuana this year, Colorado is not some liberal bastion. In 2010 Colorado featured one of the most competitive Senate races, and for the past several presidential elections it has been one of the most heavily contested swing states. Colorado is a place both major parties are competitive statewide.
Amendment 64′s strong victory shows that marijuana legalization is not just a winning issue in heavily Democratic areas, but is a position that is now popular in the so-called purple states. If as a politician you oppose marijuana legalization in a place like Colorado you now risk alienating the majority of the electorate. Publicly endorsing marijuana legalization should now be viewed as a politically smart move in large segments of the country.
The fact that marijuana legalization has noticeably more support than Obama in Colorado may also have an impact on the law’s implementation in the state. If there are showdowns with federal agencies over marijuana being legal under state law the fact that it is more popular than the President could encourage local officials to side against the feds.
Photo by lookcatalog under Creative Commons license.
25 Comments
So if Obama had endorsed legal Pot then he would have won with a bigger margin? BWAhaha! What about Elizabeth Warren and her state I seem to remember pot being more popular than her in the polls.
With the election over and the need to appear tough on drugs over will Obama stop shutting down legal pot clinics?
Will Obama do anything to stop the disparity between minority and white jail sentences for pot?
Obama will do what Big Pharma tells him. How can they keep the growth curve going for Oxycontin and Vicodin if people can grow their own pain management system in the backyard?
Republicans smoke herb too.
I would love to see a showdown between Sheriffs in Colorado defending state law against Obama’s jackbooted thugs at the DEA coming to stop all this.
I’m still gobsmacked over this. So you are telling me that my annual pilgrimage from SLC, Utah east to Denver to watch the San Francisco Giants play in Denver, I will no longer have to sneak a stash across state lines?
I can just pull up to any 7-11 pick up a sixer of suds and a couple grams of my non-medicinal choosing? I don’t have to be a “citizen” to partake/purchase? I don’t have to pretend I suffer from glaucoma?
And let me tell you in Denver, the Compassion Clubs are as plentiful as Starbucks.
Too good to be true.
Only the smart ones Oxy is a quick trip to Junkyville.
Just watch out for them Feds.
I guess smoking weed makes them feel better than Obama.
Guv Hickenlooper (was against Amendment 64) seems to be deferring to whatever the fed response will be, while giving weak lip-service to the will of Coloradoans:
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21951887/colorado-officials-seek-clarity-after-passage-marijuana-measure
“My sense is that it is unlikely the federal government is going to allow states one by one to unilaterally decriminalize marijuana,” the governor said, adding, though, “You can’t argue with the will of the voters.”
Also http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/07/14994670-colorado-governor-to-potheads-dont-break-out-the-cheetos?lite
“The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) said after the vote. “This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or goldfish too quickly.”
I don’t recall anyone talking about this in the runup to the election, but I think this will be a significant positive for tourism. Sneaking a stash in your car is one thing, but I doubt it’s possible to sneak a stash on an aircraft anymore. If someone smokes and is planning a ski trip, after checking for snow conditions, wouldn’t they pick the spot where they can stop off at the store for some refreshments?
Significant margin of votes is significant. It it had passed by 50 votes after weeks of recounts, politicians would be happy to obstruct it.
There’s two distinct issues here – personal and commercial. I have a hard time seeing the Feds getting involved with personal issues and the local/county/state law enforcement will probably defer to state law and ignore it.
The commercial end is the only place I see the Feds getting involved.
The new law requires regulations to be in place by next summer (?). If I were the relevant officials, I would simply say that existing dispensaries and producers could expand into non-medical sales. Why force someone to open a new shop across the street with a different set of regulations? The dispensaries are already operating, they already are complying with regulations, they already have bank accounts and file taxes, they are already acceptably sited with regards to schools and such. Now you just walk in and show your driver’s license if you look under 21 instead of showing a medical card. The dispensaries are thriving despite Federal interventions, I see no reason that would change.
I was hoping it would be treated the same as beer and as prevalent.
Don’t think that’s true. It’s a year-old article, but I think the unwillingness of banks to have med-pot business accounts (fearing fed crackdown) is still a big problem.
It would appear that President Obama may take his “second-place” showing quite personally … with more than token resistance, apparently.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/marijuana-legalization_n_2090625.html
Ah well, the Lesser Weedvil … and all that.
People MUST come to realize that it does not matter what they, the people, “want” … President Obama, clearly, knows better … and he now has all the power necessary to have his way … just the “way” HE wants it. Which fact all good, and loyal, Democrats must regard as “good news” …
Enjoy.
DW
That issue is specifically why I mentioned it. They have either found a bank that will do business with them, or somehow managed to operate a business without a bank account.
Point being, businesses with exactly the same state legal/federal illegal status are managing to function. Who better to move forward under the new law.
Yes, but assuming the feds allow it, rec-pot biz would be at least 10x med-pot biz, and some form of legal banking (with no interstate biz interests lest the feds crack down) would need to be established. Maybe we can get our own ND-style state bank up and running.
Easiest way for Zero to immediately deal with the inevitable pro-pot demographics would be to de-list pot from whatever demon drug schedule it’s on, and let it work out on the state level (with the corps horning in).
One), you must know that most of us libs were probably high when we voted.
And B), maryjane got a whole lot more votes than Romney.
I would LOVE to see a state bank. Move my money there in an instant.
First thing he do is fire the hag left over from GWB’s term as head of the DEA. Michele Leonhart.
I’m sure you guys are right that Obama will betray us herbalists just like he will all the other lefties over the Grand Bargain/Sellout, Keystone greenlight and the rest of the hallmarks of Bush’s fourth term in office.
A pox on that hypocrite. Smoke dope and snort coke and then get to be president and think he’s better than the rest of us.
One way Holder/Obama put a kink in the Medical MJ “non profit” states is to get the IRS to deny business writeoffs that other non profits enjoy.
IIRC, the Medical MJ establishments can no longer deduct salary expenses on their federal returns
I’m more worried about the Highway Patrols in Wyoming and Utah. 2/3 of the Mormon Triangle and the last two states to ever legalize/decrminalize the seven leaf plant.
UHP’s official motto: “One seed is all we need to make you bleed”
I would love to boutique shop for various blends. But I wonder if the law will stay true to it’s meme of Tax and Regulate Marijuana Just like Alcohol.
I can buy beer, wine, cigarettes and spirits in Colorado with my Utah Driver’s License. I wonder if as a way to not piss off surrounding states and the whole “evil” of drugs tourism (see Amsterdam) if they confine the parameters to Collie-rado citizens only.
Never have understood why the basic economic advantages of legalization don’t come into play. Check this HuffPo 14 econonmic bennies of legalization.
America’s obstinance on this is on par with rejecting the Metric System.
14 Ways Legalization Is Good for the Economy