It is 4/20 again and time for my annual review of the progress the marijuana reform movement has made in the past 365 days. Without a doubt this was the best year for the movement so far, in the future it may be looked back on as the single most significant year in the long process of ending marijuana prohibition.

Legalization in Colorado and Washington State – Obviously the big accomplishment was voters in not one, but two states deciding to legalize marijuana. In Colorado, Amendment 64 was approved with 55.3 percent of the vote, and in Washington State Initiative 502 won with 55.7 percent of the vote. In both states now marijuana is legal for adults over 21 and in the near future retail marijuana stores should soon open.

The victories where huge on multiple levels. They proved voters are ready to support legalization and both states will serve as laboratories of democracy. They will show the rest of the country that legalization is a smart policy and how it should be done.

Public Opinion – The other big development this year is that two of the biggest national pollsters found for the first time more than half the country thinks marijuana should be legal. In December Quinnipiac found 51 percent think marijuana should be legal, and earlier this month Pew Research found 52 percent support for legalization. Combined with the recent victories at the ballot box there is a growing sense that the tipping point has been reached.

Medical Marijuana – In addition to the the big victories, there have been numerous smaller advances. The Maryland legislature approved a very tightly regulate medical marijuana law, and last November Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a medical marijuana initiative. Given how well marijuana reform has done on the ballot in the state, it is likely to be a top target for a full legalization initiative in 2014 or 2016.

Decriminalization – Since the last 4/20 the Connecticut legislature has decriminalize  possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.

The Bad News – The most significant setback for the movement over the past 365 days was the narrow failure of Measure 80, which would have legalized marijuana in Oregon. It lost 46.6 percent yes to 53.4 percent no. Even though it suffered from real concerns about how it was drafted and an underfunded campaign, it still did surprisingly well. The silver lining is that the relatively close election results spurred the Oregon legislature to take a more serious look at legalizing marijuana.

Image by u s o t s u k i u s a g i under Creative Commons license

As of today marijuana is now legal in Washington State! Adults age 21 and over are now allowed to possess and use up to an ounce of marijuana under state law. Last month voters in the state approved Initiative 502, but it didn’t officially go into effect until 30 days after the election. It is very likely that today will be looked back on as the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition in the United States.

Washington will forever be known as the first state to legalize marijuana. Colorado was technically the first state voting to legalize marijuana, being in an early timezone, but Amendment 64 will not go into effect in Colorado for a few more weeks.

While recreational marijuana is now legal for adults in the state, there is still not a legal system for them to obtain it. Initiative 502 will eventually result in the state creating a system of highly regulated growers and retail marijuana stores, but it will take roughly another year for the Washington State Liquor Control Board to craft those regulations. You can follow the progress at the LCB I-502 implementation site.

For now though, if you live in Washington State; smoke’em if you got’em, if you are 21 years of age or older and don’t intend to drive right afterwards. Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Editor’s Note: Celebrate Washington State legalizing #Marijuana today with a #JustSayNow Avatar.

Photo by Torben Bjørn Hansen under Creative COmmons license.

Washington State – Initiative 502
Washington Poll (10/18-31)
55.4% – Total – Yes on 502
36.7% – Total – No on 502
6.8% – Undecided
0.3% – Will not vote on this issue

This represents a significant improvement compared to their early polling. The previous Washington Poll from the first half of October found I-502 only leading 47.1 percent yes to to 40.1 percent no.

This new Washington Poll brings their result much more in line with the recent polling from SurveyUSA and Strategies 360. The latest SurveyUSA poll found the initiative leading 56% to 37% while the Strategies 360 poll had it up 54% to 38%.

The consensuses of the recent polling is that I-502 has more than the 50 percent support needed to win and there are no signs that the initiative is losing support in the final days of the campaign. With just five days until the election its chances of winning are extremely good.

I-502 logo in Washington

With less than a week until election day, Initiative 502, which would legalize and regulation marijuana in Washington state for adults, maintains a solid lead in the latest polling. The new SurveyUSA/KING 5 poll finds that a large majority plan to, or already have, voted in support of legalizing marijuana.

Washington State – Initiative 502
SurveyUSA (10/28-31)
Yes 56%
No 37%
Not Sure 7%

Support for the I-502 has remained remarkably consistent in SurveyUSA’s polling throughout this election cycle. This new poll is basically unchanged from their poll two weeks ago which found it lead 55 percent to 36 percent.

While some pollsters have found I-502 with a smaller single-digit advantage, every public poll released in the past month has found the yes side in the lead.

With just five days until the election, Initiative 502′s chance of winning approval looks extremely good.

Strong majority in Washington still support marijuana initiative

With just two weeks until the election Washington State remains on track to make history this November. Initiative 502, which would legalize marijuana for adults and create a regulate system for its sale, continues to hold a solid lead in the latest polling. A new survey of likely voters from Strategies 360 finds the ballot measure leading 54 percent to 38 percent. Via Strategies 360:

Here is the last one. This initiative is called Measure 502 and concerns marijuana. Here is the text of what will be on the ballot.
This measure would license and regulate marijuana production, distribution, and possession for persons over twenty-one; remove state-law criminal and civil penalties for activities that it authorizes; tax marijuana sales; and earmark marijuana-related revenues.
If the election were held today and you were filling out your ballot right now, would you vote in support or against this proposal? (PROBE) Do you feel strongly about that or not so strongly?

Strongly support …………………………………………….. 34%
Somewhat support …………………………………………. 20
Somewhat oppose …………………………………………. 11
Strongly oppose …………………………………………….. 28
–
Would not vote (DNR) …………………………………….. 1
DK/NA/REFUSED ………………………………………….. 6

This new survey is right in line with earlier polling of the state. A King 5/SurveyUSA poll for last week found a near identical result, with 55 percent of voters planning to support I-502 and 36 percent planning to vote against it. If the initiative simply holds on to this consistent lead for a few more weeks it should be approved by the voters next month.

Besides the actual ballot measure question the Strategies 360 poll also asked voters if in general they think the use of marijuana should made legal or remain illegal. According to the poll 56 percent of voters in Washington think using marijuana should be legal while 36 percent think using marijuana should be illegal.

As if often the case there is slightly more support for a general concept than an actual ballot initiative. Any piece of actual legislation will often contain specific provisions which many turn off some potential supporters. In this case there is a gap, but it is very small. The New Approach Washington campaign appears to have done a fairly successful job of conceiving the vast majority of potentially persuadable voters to support their initiative. All the campaign now needs to do is hold onto that support for another 15 days.

Photo: ElTekolote via Flicker

(photo: Federacion de asociaciones cannabicas / flickr)

Of the three marijuana legalization measures on the ballot this November, Initiative 502 in Washington State continues to do the best in the polls. With less than three weeks until election day and ballots already being mailed out to voters, I-502 still holds a big lead in the latest King 5/SurveyUSA poll.

According to the SurveyUSA poll, 55 percent of likely voters plan to vote for the I-502, which would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for adults and create a regulatory system for its sale. Only 36 percent of likely voters say they oppose the initiative, with an additional 8 percent still undecided.

Support for the initiative has remained mostly unchanged throughout the cycle. Early in the month the same pollster found it winning 57 percent yes to 33 percent no, which was nearly identical to the result from their September polling.

The one potential warning sign is that there is a second poll of the state out today from the University of Washington. It also shows I-502 leading but by a much smaller margin. The Washington Poll found the I-502 at 47.1 percent yes to 40.1 percent no.

If the voters of Washington approve I-502 not only would it be a remarkable development for the state, but it would likely have serious far reaching implications for the entire country. Having one or more states legalize marijuana this November could likely spark a national conversation about our current marijuana policies.

The latest SurveyUSA poll for King 5 News found that 57 percent of likely voters in the state plan to back the ballot measure while only 33 percent oppose it and another 10 percent remain undecided.

This is effectively unchanged since a month ago when SurveyUSA previously polled Washington. In September, the pollster found I-502 leading by a margin of 57 percent to 34 percent.

Ballot measures tend to lose support as it gets closer to election day, so the fact that support for I-502 has not dropped at all over the past month is a very good sign for the campaign. It seems most voters have already made up their minds about the initiative and aren’t changing them.

Given the current lack of a well funded organized opposition there is a very good chance the campaign will be able to continue holding on to its strong support.

I-502 logo in Washington

Initiative 502, which would legalize marijuana in Washington State, has recently been endorsed by the Sheriff of King Country. From the Seattle Times:

[King County Sheriff Steve] Strachan, who is running for election, said Monday he would vote for I-502, which would “bring clarity” to the conflicting state and federal laws regarding marijuana. “I think the current situation is bad for the rule of law, bad for the criminal justice system and and it sends a bad message to our kids.”

Strachan said he used to be a school resource officer, and knows that marijuana is easier for kids to get than alcohol. [...]

Strachan’s opponent, longtime Sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart, previously endorsed I-502.

Steve Strachan is one of the most important law enforcement officials in the entire state. King County is Washington’s most populous county and is home to roughly 30 percent of the state’s residents.

The initiative currently holds a decent lead in the polling. The campaign doesn’t really need to expand support, it simply needs to make sure those currently leaning towards supporting the I-502 feel comfortable about actually casting a yes vote for it. Endorsements like this should help do that.

It reinforces the message that marijuana legalization isn’t just about personal freedom, it is about not wasting limited criminal justice resources on a failed policy. Having a prominent law enforcement official say that marijuana legalization is the right policy and that it shouldn’t be a real problem for law enforcement to deal with could be reassuring to some voters.

A strong majority in Washington State support marijuana legalization initiative (photo: El Tekolote via Flickr)

This weekend the Seattle Times endorsed Initiative 502. If the initiative is approved by the voters of Washington State it would legalize marijuana for adult 21 and old. It would also tax and regulate the sale of marijuana. From the Seattle Times endorsement:

The question for voters is not whether marijuana is good. It is whether prohibition is good. It is whether the people who use marijuana shall be subject to arrest, and whether the people who supply them shall be sent to prison. The question is whether the war on marijuana is worth what it costs.

Initiative 502 says no.

[...]

Marijuana prohibition does not work. The better policy is to legalize it, license it, regulate it and tax it.

The Times editorial board supports Initiative 502 as a big step in that direction. We present some of our other reasons on this page.

The Seattle Times is the largest daily newspaper in the state. This big endorsement is a significant victory for the campaign.

People are often reluctant to change things even when they think the status quo is not working. Fear of the unknown can be a powerful force in politics. While I doubt this endorsement will convert many voters who oppose marijuana legalization, it could importantly make people who were leaning towards supporting I-502 feel more comfortable about that decision. It could provide valuable validation to potential supporters and make change seem less scary.

Recent polling by SurveyUSA shows I-502 holds a large lead. To pass, the I-502 doesn’t need to win over more voters, it simply needs to hold onto most of its current support. Merely preventing the lose of support as the election day approaches is often the main goal for initiative campaigns. A forceful endorsement from an important institution in the state can be very helpful in doing that.

With just 53 days until the November election most state ballots across the country are now set and it is clear that this year should be a historic one for marijuana reform. In addition to there being two state initiative for medical marijuana this November, incredibly three states will be voting on whether or not to fully legalize marijuana for adults. That is the largest number of legalization initiative to ever appear on the ballot in any given election, and more importantly, there is a very good chance one or more of them will win approval.

Marijuana Legalization – Washington, Colorado, Oregon

Washington – Initiative 502 is the legalization measure on the ballot in Washington State promoted by the New Approach Washington campaign. It would legalize up to an ounce of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. In addition, it would create a regulator system for the production, retail sale and taxation of marijuana. The law would create a new DUI standard. Of the three legalization initiatives on the ballot, it currently stand the best chance of passing. The most recent polling shows the initiative holds a large lead of 57% yes to 34% no. In addition, the campaign has raised over $3 million dollars and currently faces very little organized opposition in the state.

Colorado – In the centennial state voters will be deciding on Amendment 64. This initiative would also legalize up to an ounce of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. It would also create a regulator system for its tax, production and sale. Unlike I-502, it would allow for limited home growing and it does not change the law regarding DUI. While marijuana legalization is not polling as well in Colorado as it is in Washington state, Amendment 64 does have a solid lead. The most recent PPP shows it winning 47% yes to 38% no. The campaign has strong fundraising having brought in roughly $1 million to spend on their efforts to legalize it.

Oregon – Measure 80, the Oregon Tax Cannabis Act, is on the ballot here. This would legalize marijuana for adults over 21, allow for personal home growing, and create a regulated system for its sale. There has been very little recent polling on it, however. The last PPP poll from July found 43% of voters in the state think marijuana should be legal and 46% think it should be illegal.

Medical Marijuana – Massachusetts and Arkansas

Massachusetts – Question 3 on the ballot in Massachusetts would permit the medical use of marijuana for people with a doctor’s recommendation and create a limited number of dispensaries in the state to supply patients. All indications are that it will win approval this November making Massachusetts the 18th medical marijuana state. Massachusetts is a very liberal state and its voters have a history of strongly supporting marijuana reform. In 2008, a ballot measure to decriminalize marijuana passed with over 62 percent voting in favor of it. A PPP poll from last month found Question 3 is winning 58% yes to 27% no. The measure’s official opposition is comically disorganized.

Arkansas – If voters approve the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act it would be the first state in the South to have a medical marijuana system. The law would allow patients with a doctor’s recommendation to use marijuana medically and create a system of non-profit dispensaries. The initiative has qualified for the ballot but a conservative coalition is suing to have it removed. Medical marijuana winning approval by voters in Arkansas would be a powerful signal that it has broad support all across the country.

Image: pashabo / Shutterstock.com