For all the sadness and disappointment for many of us on election night there were some victories. While Democrats didn’t win control of the Senate or House, they did pick up two seats in the Senate. Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth won in Illinois over incumbent Republican Mark Kirk, who made racist comments on her background during the debates. New Hampshire governor Maggie Hassan won a narrow victory over Republican Kelly Ayotte. In the house the Dems picked up eight seats, which is well under the 30 needed to flip control but it’s something.
Plus, medical marijuana initiatives passed in four states and recreational marijuana was just legalized in California, Massachusetts and Nevada and most likely Maine (it’s close in Maine). Pot was already legal recreationally in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, and medicinal marijuana is now legal in 28 states and the District of Columbia. This is being called a watershed moment for marijuana legalization. The Washington Post has a video with President-elect Trump supporting medical marijuana but sounding skeptical of recreational pot use. He’s said he’d leave it up to the states, but you know the guy cannot be taken at his word anyway. Still, this is incredible. Here’s more:
Voters in California, Massachusetts and Nevada approved recreational marijuana initiatives Tuesday night, and several other states passed medical marijuana provisions, in what is turning out to be the biggest electoral victory for marijuana reform since 2012, when Colorado and Washington first approved the drug’s recreational use.
In addition to the states above, local outlets in Maine are declaring victory for that state’s legalization measure, but with 91 percent of precincts reporting just a few thousand votes separate the “Yes” and “No” columns.
A similar legalization measure in Arizona did not gain sufficient support to pass, with 52 percent of voters rejecting it.
On the medical side, voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have approved medical marijuana initiatives. Voters in in Montana also rolled back restrictions on an existing medical pot law.
Reformers were jubilant. “This represents a monumental victory for the marijuana reform movement,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, in a statement. “With California’s leadership now, the end of marijuana prohibition nationally, and even internationally, is fast approaching.”
I’m personally for the legalization of marijuana nationwide, but I do not enjoy using it and don’t like the way it makes me think. Cannabis needs to be an option for pain relief especially and this will hopefully put a dent in the opioid epidemic. Also I’m cautious about law enforcement being able to properly test for driving while high. There are field sobriety tests along with blood, urine and swab tests but these are all thought to be flawed for various reasons. Still this good news, especially for people who face jail time for minor pot charges, although a conservative Supreme Court could roll back these initiatives, along with so many more.
At least we could all agree that weed is great.
#MakeAmericaBakedAgain
Comacho-Trump 2016: He’s gonna make ’em grow again!
In California here. I plan on being stoned for the next four years!
🌱🍃😉
I don’t use it either, Celebitchy. Makes me fall asleep so any high gets snored through and is thus rendered pointless.
Just about everybody I know, old and young, does use it though. I wish we in the UK could catch up to you guys on the progress made in legalising it.
I don’t use it either, though admittedly I’ve not tried edibles. As for smoking it, the smell of it actually makes me nauseous so I actively avoid it. That said, I’m all for legalizing it as long as it’s not done haphazardly, and proper controls are in place and etc.
You tried the wrong kind. Like alcohol there are hundrends of different strains to try. You had a hybrid or indica. Try a sativa or a hybrid that leans sariva…they dont make you pass out, but energetic, happy, euphoric.
People dont know a lot about pot, but now they’re able to learn how ridiculous the stigma was.
Sativa makes me anxious.
As a migraine sufferer in CA, my first question is when does go into effect? And secondly, what strain should I be looking for?
Admittedly, last time I toked was, I think, before the Sixlets were born. In the days where resin was the thing rather than weed. And of course, it’s all still totally illegal here so you basically get what you get from whoever’s selling.
My dad – in his late 70s – vapes it for his arthritis. I can barely think of a friend who doesn’t have the odd joint.
I suppose at least, here in the UK, we don’t have quite so many people languishing behind bars for a law against a substance with minimal ill effects that is almost universally flouted. But that’s the best I can say for the situation in Britland.
So glad it finally passed in FL. Hopefully it will start the path to legalize it for recreational use.
Yes we finally got is passed in Florida for medical use. We got something right this election!
Whoo-hoo!!! 🙂
I have never smoked in my life (and don’t plan to), but I’m all for the legalization, so great news!
Amen!
It’s been legal in oregon for a few years, and we haven’t had any problems with it . In fact, the revenue has helped us . With they way our current situation is , it should be legal everywhere .
It should be legalized nationally and *taxed*- woowee- what a revenue source that would be.
Colorado is really taking in the tax revenue and I love it. I cant imagine why states are turning down such an opportunity (other than the nefarious reasons keeping the DoC, ATF, and WoD in business)
I always sit and think how a portion of the tax revenue could be diverted into a fund for hard drug services and so it would be a double bonus.
Watch Super High Me on Hulu. The US could pay off it’s national debt in a couple of years.
CB, the title of the article was misleading to me. It says recreational marijuana legalized in CA, ND, MA, and likely ME. I live in North Dakota (ND) and was like wooooo. Until I read the artical and it’s only medical, which I guess is still something. You got my hopes up though 🙁
I will fix it Mary thanks for the heads up.
For my fellow mass peeps. The law takes affect Dec 15th as legal, BUT you will
not be able to purchase cannabis till
at least January 2018. Various officials are already calling for that date to be pushed back. So if you are going to smoke or purchase before January 2018 you are in a weird legal gray area.
I have been thinking and researching for awhile about opening a dispensary. So I have been watching very closely.
To buy, you can drive up to Portland, Maine which is a single town that legalized it a few years ago. (The rest of Maine is trying to legalize)
Dunno how it works in other states but in DC it’s legal here to consume marijuana recreationally, just not ‘buy or sell’. But people get around it since it is okay to ‘gift’ it. So many businesses accept ‘donations’ and you receive a couple of grams as a result.
I’m in Maine and it’s about 3k votes off at this point with 99% reported. So, ridiculously close!
If it passes there’s months ahead of writing laws on how this will be regulated. It’s already somewhat legal to consume and sell within pockets of towns. Like you can’t be outside, operating machinery, or near a school/playground. This would just broaden that and loosen guidelines on reasons to smoke.
We’re all going to need (medicinal) marijuana to make it through the next four years with the new President that was elected. It won’t change the outcome of the election, but it will certainly make us feel better about it!
+1
Love that header photo with Snoop….made me smile 🙂
Y’all enjoy that weed while you can. I checked election results for my state yesterday and the Prohibition Party got 205 votes. Their gaining momentum and soon will be coming for your weed, people. I will say, they lost bigtime to the Nutrition Party, who got about 500 votes.
Not gonna lie. I didn’t even know the Prohibition Party was a thing. Then again, we had 22 candidates for President on our ballot and I had heard of maybe five of the parties.
I don’t understand why everybody is so happy about this. I googled marijuana side effects and I didn’t like what I read. Are there any independent studies done on long term (/frequent) consumers – including teenagers – which show that the use of marijuana / cannabis has no secondary effects, long term? Would you be happy with your teenage son / daughter using it? Frequently or occasionally? Do you think the revenue that this legalization may generate is worth the risks for a whole generation, until long term side effects start to show up? By then, it would be loo late to stop, the same way it is now too late to stop tobacco.
Who has an interest in promoting this legalization?
Are you joking? Please elaborate, what side effects are you talking about? I’m genuinely curious. You have to be careful which sites you use for that information because most of them are full of propaganda. Everything has side effects. The ones for marijuana are no worse than side effects for any number of legal substances, including prescription drugs and alcohol.
I am a Nurse Practitioner now and smoked heavily during my undergrad. And Marijuana was sort of the least damaging. Alcohol is far worse. There are no longer term effects to my knowledge from it to me. In fact, the worst thing it can do is damage your lungs. Not as bad as cigarettes though. And the lungs are an organ that will repair itself better and more completely than many others. It’s quite amazing.
It’s no joke to get your NP. And complete Pharma school.
I’m agreeing with the other poster. You really need to be sure where you’re getting your info. Because it’s on 1 of the 1st few Google pages does not mean it’s credible.
As a side note… the medicinal and preventative effects of Marijuana are wonderful. It’s easily abused, yes. But, many substances are and this will not destroy your body and mind like others both synthetic and natural.
My professional and personal 2 cents.
And I no longer smoke.
I respect your professional training and your opinion, but what you mentioned in your comment is just self-assessment, on one person. It does not equate a serious study conducted on many subjects, with medical tests, not self-evaluation (your ‘sort of the least damaging’ does not sound very enthusiastic to me).
I’ve read studies (from a respected American university) which indicate that the effects on teenagers are more damaging than those on young adults. Imagine being a parent and reading that.
Some people will be able to stop smoking or will be occasional users, but how many people won’t? Especially that it seems to affect people differently, for some reason. Think how many lives and families are ruined by alcohol abuse.
If I could magically go back in time 2000-3000 years ago and ban alcohol, for humanity, forever, I would. Many people would lose the pleasure of a glass of wine after work, but many other will have better lifes & better families. Think how many children had to grow up with abusive parents. I would gladly give up the pleasure of an occasional glass of wine if it would make a difference for them.
Instead of finding natural, intrinsec ways to be happy with our lifes and with each other, we find another artificial mechanism to escape reality. First world problems.
Did you see the movie Idiocracy (2006), with Luke Wilson? The society is dumbing down…
Hoping the legalization in MA will encourage RI to as well our Gov Gina Raimondo has already stated she’s open to it. She’s has multiple meetings with the Gov of Colorado to discuss the pros and cons and what has worked & not worked for them.
Lord knows our struggling state could greatly use the tax income.