Big Victories for Legal Pot, But Path Ahead is Uncertain

According to Fox News, voters of marijuana legalization had declared themselves as winners and predicted that marijuana would be legal around Christmas.

If the measure passes, the state will create the Cannabis Control Commission to oversee marijuana legalization.

Marijuana-themed tours and hotels have been established in Colorado and Washington state.

“I’ll tell you the amusing thing is the most positive thing about it” says Lincoln Fish, CEO of OUTCO, “I think is the fact that it puts something, it puts regulations around something that needs regulations, it puts structure around something that needs structure”. Medical marijuana is exempt from sales tax. They’ll be added to the list of 25 states that had voted earlier to allow using pot for medical reasons.

The executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, Ethan Nadelmann, said that “It’s great to see that the power and money of Sheldon Adelson were not sufficient to dissuade Nevadans from doing the right thing”. David Boyer, campaign manager for Yes On 1, said the people who advocated for legal marijuana will also play a role in its implementation.

Proposition 64 allows any Californian above the age of 21 to be in the possession of, carry and purchase up to 28.5 grams of marijuana to be used for recreational purposes. Distributing and selling marijuana is set to be taxed at 10% and must be considered for local restriction.

Other states, too, will also look with envy at the taxes generated by California and other states where marijuana is legal, analyst predicted.

The proposal will allow ME residents to cultivate, manufacture, distribute, test and sell marijuana and marijuana products. Revenue will go toward research and looking into the environmental consequences of cultivation as well as drug education programs for youth.

With 91 percent of precincts reporting, legalization was ahead 348,652 votes to 344,250 – a margin of 4,402 votes. Results so far show voters for the proposal holding an edge of less than 1 percent with more than 95 percent of votes counted. The measure passed, making Portland the first city on the East Coast to take that stance. And as of Wednesday morning, results for a similar initiative in ME were too close to call.

Mainers did not support a measure that would require background checks or sales by non-licensed dealers, with 52 percent of voters voting ‘no, ‘ and 48 percent voting ‘yes’. Some states would allow people grow their own cannabis.