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Marijuana
The people of California are ready to follow the example set by Colorado and Washington State. A new Field Poll found that a majority of voters in the state now support legalizing the sale of marijuana, with age and other controls like those applicable to alcohol.
According to the poll, 54 percent of voters in California believe marijuana should be legalized, regulated, and taxed. Only 43 percent of voters oppose the change. A majority of all voters under the age of 65 support legalization. Senior citizens are the only age group that still opposes this reform. This big age divide basically assures that support for legalization will continue to grow in the coming years due to the nature turnover in demographics.
Support for legalization has grown considerably in the past few years. Just over two years ago Proposition 19, which would of legalized marijuana in the state, failed 46.5 percent yes to 53.5 percent no. Now support for legalization has effectively flipped.
Marijuana now polls as well or better in California than it did in Colorado and Washington State before those voters legalized it. When a well-crafted legalization initiative next appears on the ballot in California it will likely be approved. The Golden State should be one of the next states to end marijuana prohibition.
Photo by Scott Beale released under Creative commons License
3 Comments
Let’s hope pot for the people evolves into other areas. You may have to retire this category of news soon. :)
Due to the “drug war’s” function in maintaining a US military presence in South America, it’s highly unlikely that Atty. General Eric Holder will pass on Colorado’s attempt to regulate and tax the sale of marijuana.
Aye, there’s the rub, and one of the reasons Prop. 19 failed. It was a piss-poor piece of legislation which would have ended up corporatising marijuana as a product, with such convoluted regulations for growing that only huge companies (*ahem Altria, RJR/Nabisco, Monsanto etc*) could afford the army of lawyers needed to legally grow. The mom-and-pop growers would be run out of business. (Growing for personal use? Make me laugh. The state would welcome growing at home about as much as people operating their own stills.)
IMHO, prices would have probably risen under Prop. 19, for the same reason a pack of cigarettes is $6.00: California would put such high tariffs on marijuana that any hope of getting the criminal element out of the business would fall by the wayside. There’s too much money to be made by circumventing the state tax laws completely. Remember, there is no aspect of life too small the state of California won’t see fit to micromanage… And tax to death.
Quality would probably take a dive, too. No more “two hits and you’re lit” kush on the market. Why, that stuff could be dangerous!