That's the question everyone's asking this week thanks to this piece from Joshua Green at The Atlantic. The idea is that putting marijuana reform initiatives on the ballot could bring greater numbers of young, left-leaning voters out to the polls in November. With marijuana initiatives up for a vote in six states this year, we'll have an interesting opportunity to evaluate how other campaigns are impacted by the pot vote.
[image:1 align:left]Whether the theory amounts to much is hard to predict and will be difficult to measure even after the polls close in November. But the fact that we're even talking about this is significant. Our political culture is fascinated with the idea that niche demographics can be mobilized in a cynical effort to shape the balance of power in Washington. Karl Rove's successful use of gay marriage bans to bring out conservative voters in 2004 is still widely regarded as an ingenious ploy that may have clinched the election for Bush.
The mere notion that state-level marijuana reform efforts can impact national politics is a healthy dose of leverage and legitimacy for our movement. When political pundits begin speculating about our ability to bring out voters, that sends a message to politicians in a language they understand. For decades, the Democratic Party has remained shamefully silent on marijuana policy -- despite overwhelming support for reform within its base – all because party leaders persist in clinging foolishly to the 1980's mentality that any departure from the "tough on drugs" doctrine is political suicide. What now?
Will the Democrats continue defending the arrest of their own supporters, even when doing so threatens to compromise their candidates in close races? Will the Republicans make a show of fighting back against legalization, even when doing so threatens to alienate the party's growing libertarian wing? What happens next is anyone's guess, but it's becoming clear that the surging marijuana legalization debate is pinching political nerves and creating opportunities for anyone clever enough to capitalize on it.
[image:1 align:right caption:true]Via NORML, check out these comments from a medical marijuana businessman who opposes Prop 19:
"I'll give you two reasons," Craig said. "One is big tobacco. Did you know that Phillip Morris just bought 400 acres of land up in Northern California? The minute marijuana becomes legal, they'll mass produce and flood the market. And of course, they'll add the same toxins they put in regular cigarettes to get you addicted, and very little THC, so you'll have to buy more... In short, they're going to ruin weed." He gestured around his beloved shop, with every flavor of every strain, in its purist form, selling for at-cost prices. "I like the way things are now."
I'll bet he does. But while you're making money and having a great time, thousands and thousands of people are being arrested. Conspiracy theories about Phillip Morris don't even begin to justify the war on marijuana, and anyone who advances such mindless speculation – while simultaneously lining their own pockets – is a first-rate jackass.
He even tries to bring children into the debate:
"Two, legalization will mean more fifteen-year-old kids smoking pot. Smoking pot mellows you out, makes you lazy. When you're twenty-one, twenty-five, you can make your own decisions. But California doesn't need its fifteen-year-olds lazier than they already are."
Seriously? Well, let me ask you something, sir. Does your dispensary sell marijuana to 15-year-olds? Do your customers resell your product to young teenagers? I imagine you would insist that this isn't the case, and I can't fathom why you think things would be any different if regulated marijuana retailers were allowed to serve all adults instead of just those with a doctor's recommendation.
Let's not forget: Prop 19 is about so much more than just how marijuana will be grown and distributed. It's about stopping the arrest and persecution of marijuana consumers and reducing the violence and chaos of prohibition. Concerns about how it might affect the market are understandable, but people were nervous about Prop 215 as well, and it's clearly become a miracle for patients and a huge step forward for reform in general.
The bottom line is that anyone who currently sells marijuana in California, medical or otherwise, should be thrilled with the prospect of dramatically reducing arrests for marijuana possession and the vicious consequences that go along with it. All other concerns are secondary to ensuring the freedom of adults to enjoy cannabis without fear of arrest, and Prop 19 will do exactly that. Those who object, those who would fight to continue the war, are enemies of justice. Patients should never purchase medicine from anyone who lobbies to continue the disease of prohibition.
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APRIL 14, 2010
Medical Marijuana Expected to Qualify for Arizona Ballot
Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project will turn in more than 250,000 signatures today to place initiative on November ballot
CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]
PHOENIX, ARIZONA â Today, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project will submit more than 250,000 signatures to the Arizona Secretary of Stateâs office in order to place medical marijuana on the November ballot in Arizona. The initiative requires 153,365 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Once the initiative qualifies, Arizona voters will be asked on November 2 to vote yes on the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, which would allow terminally and seriously ill patients who find relief from marijuana to use it with their doctorâs approval.
        âWe are proud to turn in these signatures today on behalf of the thousands of patients in Arizona who will benefit from this law once it is enacted,â said Andrew Myers, campaign manager for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project. âPeople suffering from multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS, and other serious illnesses should not be forced to seek on the streets the medicine they and their doctors know they need. This initiative proposes instead a dispensary system that will give patients safe and reliable access to medical marijuana if they possess a doctorâs recommendation to use it. We look forward to qualifying for the ballot and bringing our message to voters over the coming months.âÂ
        Upon its passage, medical marijuana will be regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services and will permit qualifying patients or their caregivers to legally purchase their medicine from tightly regulated clinics, as they would any other medicine â they need not purchase it from the criminal market. It will protect seriously ill patients from arrest and prosecution for the simple act of taking doctor-recommended medicine.
        If the initiative qualifies, Arizona will join South Dakota in having medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot this November. Currently 14 states have effective medical marijuana laws, and more than a dozen other states, including New York, Illinois, and Delaware, are considering medical marijuana laws this year.
        AMMPP receives significant support and funding from the Marijuana Policy Project. With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.
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MARCH 24, 2010
Historic Marijuana Reform Measure Qualifies for Californiaâs November 2010 Ballot
Voters Will Decide If California Becomes First State in the Nation to End Marijuana Prohibition
CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 707-291-0076 or [email protected]
SACRAMENTO, CA â Today, a proposal that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in the state of California secured a place on the November 2010 ballot. Organizers of the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 had submitted nearly 700,000 signatures to state authorities in January, far exceeding the 433,971 required to place the question on this yearâs election ballot. Election officials validated the signatures today.
        The ballot initiative would make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and allow cities and counties to impose a tax on the sale of marijuana. Â
        âIf passed, this initiative would offer a welcome change to Californiaâs miserable status quo marijuana policy,â said Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project, which recently endorsed the initiative. âOur current marijuana laws are failing California. Year after year, prohibition forces police to spend time chasing down non-violent marijuana offenders while tens of thousands of violent crimes go unsolved â all while marijuana use and availability remain unchanged.â
        An April 2009 Field Poll showed that 56% of California support taxing and regulating marijuana. A 2009 report published by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice showed that arrests for every criminal offense decreased between 1990 and 2008 in California except for simple marijuana possession, which skyrocketed by 127%. In 2008, more than 78,000 Californians were arrested on marijuana charges â more than for any other offense. During the same year, the FBI reported that almost 60,000 violent crimes went unsolved.
        With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.
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MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                                                                               MARCH 24, 2010California Ballot Measure to Tax and Regulate Marijuana Expected to Qualify for Ballot TodayMPP Spokespeople Will Be Available to the Media to Discuss Initiative CONTACT: Mike Meno, assistant director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]
SACRAMENTO, CA â Today, a proposal that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in the state of California is expected to secure a place on the November 2010 ballot.         The Marijuana Policy Project, which has endorsed the initiative, has spokespeople available in California and Washington, D.C. to discuss this historic breakthrough in the campaign to end marijuana prohibition. In California: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director, 707-291-0076. In Washington: Steve Fox, MPP director of state campaigns, 202-905-2042.        Organizers of the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 had submitted nearly 700,000 signatures to state authorities in January, far exceeding the 433,971 required to place the question on this yearâs election ballot. Election officials are expected to validate the signatures today. The ballot initiative would make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and allow cities and counties to impose a tax on the sale of marijuana.      Â
        With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.####
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MARCH 17, 2010
Medical Marijuana Qualifies for November Ballot in South Dakota
âMeasure 13â Would Allow Seriously Ill Patients to Use Medical Marijuana With a Doctorâs Recommendation
CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP assistant director of communications â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]
Emmett Reistroffer, South Dakota Coalition for Compassion ⦠605-370-1108, [email protected]
        PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA â In November 2010, South Dakotans will once again have the opportunity to make the medical use of marijuana legal in the state. The South Dakota Coalition for Compassion, a nonprofit group composed of physicians, patients, law enforcement officials and private citizens, received word from the Secretary of State this week that âMeasure 13â had qualified for the ballot. The campaign submitted close to 32,000 signatures last month. They needed just 16,776 valid signatures to qualify.
        South Dakotans voted on a similar initiative in 2006, with the measure narrowly failing by a 52% to 48% margin. This yearâs âSouth Dakota Safe Access Actâ is sponsored by Patrick K. Lynch, former chairman of the board for the North Central States Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and was drafted with the assistance of the Marijuana Policy Project.
        âWe are excited that South Dakota voters will have another opportunity to make the medical use of marijuana legal for patients in the state,â said Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. âGiven the increasing level of support for medical marijuana across the country over the past few years, we are fully confident that a solid majority of voters in the state will support patientsâ rights this November.â
        The initiative, if passed into law, would allow medical marijuana cardholders to possess up to one ounce of marijuana if they have been diagnosed with or are undergoing treatment for certain cancers, glaucoma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimerâs disease, seizures or multiple sclerosis, along with other specifically diagnosable ailments. The initiative outlines specific disabilities that qualify patients for use, rules regarding registration cards, distribution, and rules for establishing a registry for medical marijuana users.
        The entire initiative can be read at http://www.sdcompassion.org/sdsaa.htm
        With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.
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January 4, 2010
Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws to Unveil 2012 Ballot Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana in Nevada on Wednesday
Press conference on steps of State Capitol building will discuss the most far-reaching proposal in history to regulate marijuana
CONTACT: Dave Schwartz, NSML Campaign Manager â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦702-727-1081 or [email protected]
CARSON CITY, NEVADA â On Wednesday, Jan. 6, on the steps of the Nevada State Capitol building in Carson City, Dave Schwartz, the campaign manager for Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, will discuss the details of a 2012 ballot initiative to establish a taxed and regulated marijuana market for adults 21 years of age and older in the state of Nevada. The press conference will occur immediately after Schwartz submits the initiative petition to the Secretary of State. Submission to the Secretary of State is a prerequisite to circulating the petition throughout the state. The campaign will need to collect 97.002 signatures by November 2010 in order to qualify for the November 2012 ballot. Schwartz will also unveil the campaignâs Web site, which will serve as a key educational and organizing tool over coming years.
        âWe are excited to be launching this historic campaign,â Schwartz said prior to the press conference. âWe have literally spent months drafting this initiative and believe it is the best marijuana-related initiative ever proposed. We are fully confident that we will qualify for the ballot and will garner majority support in 2012. As we embark on our signature drive, we are determined to use every interaction with Nevada residents to educate them about one simple fact: Marijuana, by every objective measure, is a safer substance than alcohol. We will encourage voters to consider this fact and decide for themselves whether it makes sense to allow adults to use alcohol freely, but punish them if they choose to use a less harmful substance, marijuana.â  Â
        WHO: Dave Schwartz, campaign manager, Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws
        WHAT: Press conference to discuss NSMLâs 2012 ballot initiative     Â
        WHERE: The steps of the Nevada State Capitol, 101 N. Carson Street, Carson City, NV
        WHEN: Wednesday, January 6, at 1:00 p.m.
Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws is a ballot advocacy group formed in Nevada to support a 2012 ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in the state.
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DECEMBER 9, 2009
MPP of Nevada Announces Formation of Ballot Advocacy Group â Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws
Following unsuccessful ballot initiatives to tax and regulate marijuana in 2002 and 2006, group prepares for victory in November 2012
CONTACT: Dave Schwartz, MPP-NV Managerâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦702-727-1081
LAS VEGAS â Today, Dave Schwartz, manager of the Marijuana Policy Project of Nevada (MPP-NV), announced that he has filed documents with the Nevada Secretary of State establishing a Ballot Advocacy Group to support a ballot initiative to create a legal, regulated market for marijuana for persons 21 years of age or older. The name of the committee is Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, and it has been organized with the goal of conducting a successful signature drive in 2010 that will place an initiative on the ballot in November 2012. The committee plans to file the language of the initiative with the state in January.
        âAs a long-time resident of Nevada, I am excited to be a part of this campaign,â said Schwartz, who will serve as chairman of Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws. âOver the next three years, we will be meeting with and talking to voters all across the state about the harms caused by our current marijuana laws. We will talk about lost revenues, wasted law enforcement resources, and the fact that keeping marijuana illegal actually steers kids into an illicit market where they are exposed to far more dangerous drugs. Most of all, we will ask Nevadans to think about how we are actually steering adults toward a far more harmful substance â alcohol â by threatening to punish them if they choose to use marijuana instead. In so many ways, our current laws simply donât make sense. We need sensible marijuana laws, and that is what our initiative will produce.â
        MPP of Nevada is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Nevadans about the true nature of marijuana and about the harms caused by marijuana prohibition in the state. For more information about MPP of Nevada, please visit http://www.mppnv.org.Â
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