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Cali & Mass. votes to legalize weed; FL, N. Dakota & Arkansas approve medical weed

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G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
Link.

Californians voted to approve marijuana for recreational use on Tuesday, in what the legalization movement is hailing as its most significant accomplishment since the first states legalized it four years ago.

With the success of Proposition 64, nearly 40 million more people will soon be living in a state that has decided to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol rather than treat it like a criminal enterprise. California now joins Colorado and Washington state ― which voted to legalize weed in 2012 ― as well as later arrivals Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C.

Drug policy reformers say the approval of Proposition 64 will expand the legal marijuana industry and boost its political clout while they push for nationwide change.

“This vote will dramatically accelerate the end of federal marijuana prohibition,” Tom Angell, chairman of drug policy reform group Marijuana Majority, told The Huffington Post.

With California joining the growing ranks of legal marijuana states, marijuana policy is likely to become a much bigger issue on Capitol Hill, Angell said.

“California alone has just added 53 more U.S. House members to the list of federal lawmakers who represent places where marijuana is legal,” he said. “Last year, we came only nine votes shy of winning an amendment to stop federal interference with state marijuana laws. Do the math.”

California’s measure allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants at home. It will also allow state-licensed retailers to sell weed to adults. Although it will be at least a year before the state begins issuing licenses, the measure gives regulators the authority to issue temporary permits to some existing medical marijuana businesses, which will be able to sell weed for recreational use until the formal system comes online

Proposition 64 outlines a 15 percent excise tax on all retail marijuana sales to help fund the forthcoming regulatory scheme. It flags additional revenue for youth substance abuse education programs, law enforcement training and environmental cleanup and restoration of public lands that have been damaged by illegal marijuana cultivation.
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Beginning Nov. 9, it will no longer be a crime under state law for adults to possess, transport, purchase or use limited amounts of weed. Adults can also begin to grow marijuana plants at home, although personal cultivation is subject to local restrictions. And individuals with prior marijuana-related convictions that wouldn’t have been a crime under the new law or would have resulted in a lesser sentence can begin to petition the court to have their record cleared or changed to reflect the new law.
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Proposition 64 does not make it legal to openly display or use marijuana in public, though even under current law, Californians have long held liberal views of the plant. It’s not unusual to smell weed smoke in many of California’s cities, even as residents frown upon the use of tobacco products in public.
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Edit -

Link:

Massachusetts passed it as well.

Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have approved medical marijuana.

Of the five recreational marijuana initiatives on the ballot today, two have passed and two more -- in Nevada and Maine -- are currently leading in preliminary vote totals. A similar measure in Arizona is currently trailing with 53 percent of votes counted so far.

On the medical side, voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have approved medical marijuana initiatives. A separate measure in Montana that would loosen restrictions on an existing medical pot law is currently leading with only 9 percent of votes counted so far.
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Y

yanipheonu

Member
tumblr_nu762jzh6k1s2fn7xo2_500.gif
 
R

Rootbeer

Banned
At least Cali got ourselves a consolation prize.

Hope you have deep pockets if you want to move here. It's already expensive as fuck.
 
C

ClayKavalier

Banned
Still illegal at the federal level though right? I could see Trump's administration trying to look tough by increasing the number of raids done on dispensaries.
 
Y

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
Don't the feds have to agree not to mess with the industry? If I'm a marijuana dispensary owner in Colorado I'm nervous as hell about the Trump presidency.
 
U

Ultryx

Member
So no licenses and shops open for another year? But effective tomorrow it's legalized and OK to possess, transport, and use it?
 
W

Wildschwein

Member
I've had a lot of anxiety about it due to some family issues over the years, but it might have just hit me that the anxiety here was mostly based on the legal status.

This could be skewed by my regular anxiety being through the fucking roof right now.

But I still typed a coherent sentence so I'm probably okay.
 
F

Fulminator

Member
hopefully it turns out the same here in massachusetts

but it will be a hollow victory if trump wins the election

e: apparently it already passed

well at least i can look forward to cheaper weed in the future
 
F

FStop7

Banned
Medical weed passed in Florida with 71%. In some ways we've become so much more progressive and in other ways... we haven't. We're such walking contradictions. All you can do is just try to keep an open mind and keep on moving.
 
D

Dre3001

Member
With Trump being president and having a full republican congress and supreme court cant he/they just overturn all the decisions that states made to legalize weed for medicinal and recreational use?
 
S

SkyOdin

Member
Dre3001 said:
With Trump being president and having a full republican congress and supreme court cant he/they just overturn all the decisions that states made to legalize weed for medicinal and recreational use?
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Weed is technically already illegal under federal law. However, in recent years the Justice Department has declined to prosecute people for selling weed in states that legalize it and create protections against marketing it to children. A Trump presidency brings that status into question.
 
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
On the medical side, voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have approved medical marijuana initiatives. A separate measure in Montana that would loosen restrictions on an existing medical pot law is currently leading with only 9 percent of votes counted so far.
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professor_t said:
Any word on Nevada?
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Link.

Of the five recreational marijuana initiatives on the ballot today, two have passed and two more -- in Nevada and Maine -- are currently leading in preliminary vote totals. A similar measure in Arizona is currently trailing with 53 percent of votes counted so far.
Click to expand...
 
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