(AlterNet) The Tax & Regulate Cannabis 2010 campaign has just achieved a major victory in its efforts to legalize marijuana for all adults in California — they have gathered the signatures necessary for inclusion on the state’s November ballot.
This win means that Californians will be the first in the nation to decide whether they believe marijuana ought be taxed and regulated for all adults over 21, much the same way alcohol is.
Well, no. Nevadans and Alaskans have been asked to vote on legalization of marijuana in 2002, 2004, and 2006. (Here’s a good place to see all marijuana initiatives since 1990.)
The drug reform movement’s eyes will be on California next year, because many advocates believe that if the initiative passes, many other states could follow.
Support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high, with polls ranging from 44 to 52 percent national support. In California, where marijuana has been legalized for medical use since 1996, 56 percent support legalization.
This may be why the campaign’s organizers were able to gather so many signatures — nearly 700,000 — so quickly.
By the last week of November, Tax Cannabis had handily exceeded the 433,971 required signatures it needed for ballot qualification and ended the petitioning stage of its campaign.
They’ll officially submit the signatures sometime in February, so that they qualify for the November ballot instead of the one in June, which is expected to have a less favorable voter turnout.
Once they submit the signatures, the state will have 90 days to verify the signatures. As long as the minimum amount of them are valid, the ballot is a go.
One thing I can tell you: once California re-legalizes marijuana, it will be hard for Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada not to. Can you imagine how tough it will be to get across the California border if marijuana is legal there and not in the neighboring states?
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To you anti-marijuana people you are stupid if you think keeping marijuana illegal is stopping me from smoking it. I am going to smoke it when I want too. I am a 13 your old gir live in Albany KYl and I smoke marijuana just about every day and I can get it easier than I can alcohol. my mother and daddy has dried to stop me until they just gave up I would get it at school in the day time and if they grounded me at home in the summer time I just call some body and it would just show up at my window at night so what could they do about it they could not witch me 24/7 so I don’t want see it be come legal till I become 21 keep up the good work. The people the I get it from off the streets do not care how old I am as long as they make a sale I have sold it to kids as young as 10 or 11 I don’t care as long as I make money to smoke it my self you can’t stop me
The people in KY are to stupid and up tight to think about legalizing marijuana.
All thay want to do is set on their up tight buts and tell other people what to do.
I am going to smoke it even if it is illegal I do not care what they think about it when Ca. legalize I go out there and mail some back to my self so I want get cought with it on my back.
Your post made me cry! This is why it is so important that NORML and all the other pro-cannabis advocacy groups (and there are many, and the numbers are growing) have some kind of voice in all 50 states. If a dozen or so states legalize, sooner or later, the vote will go to all 50 states and hopefully ALL our brothers and sisters who enjoy cannabis for whatever reason will get to cast their vote in favor of freedom. Don’t worry….as someone who has moved from a very conservative state to Oregon, I can promise you, your friends and family will enjoy an affordable place to vacation, and you can proudly wear KY on your sleeve and your new friends will love you for it!
[...] Californians will vote on marijuana legalization in 2010 [...]
Its great to see, and in the next few years hopfully it will spread like fire.
But I also know where I live in KY that I will not see any effects from all of this. First, I cant even get the 5 people together here for a Norml Chapter, we have no activists and no bills pending or will have any pending. Second we are still dealing with alcohol prohibitiion in my state, about half if not more of the counties in KY are still dry counties, they dont sell alcohol, let alone allowing marijuana! Third, I fear like now, I know I have to move, I know I need to move, but I dont want to have to move!
So I praise everone in there efforts, but I still fear I will be living in one of the minor few states that will be the last few to hold out and could be for some time, since its 2009 and I cant even buy a beer here, I dont think I will be able to buy cannabis any time soon.
For me and many others in this same boat it will be hard times when we finaly have to make the move to a state that has laws in place to protect cannabis users. It will be bitter sweet since moving will bring freedom but moving also means leaving family and friends, homes, land and jobs or should I say everything we know and love about our states.
But I hope when the time comes at least there will be fellow stashers out there to make our move/migration, fun, easy and a sicky icky high time too.
It will make my annual trip to Cali much more enjoyable.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, Massachusetts and maybe a few other of the New England states legalize soon after them.
Let the dominos fall… .
Hopefully the petitioners follow up with a get out and vote campaign leading up to that november ballot
the “snow ball effect”
or more likey, the bandwagon party.
A proud moment for all. Especially those of us that live in this wonderful state. I hope everyone turns out to vote for it.
Then what about the states that boarder Oregon, Nevada and Arizona?
Is there a name for this theoretical chain-effect?