California Votes Against Legalized Marijuana After Legal, Safety Warnings

[MedicalNeed]

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. California voters declined to make their trendsetting state the first in the United States to legalize marijuana use and sales, heeding warnings of legal chaos and that pot smokers would get behind the wheel and show up to work while high.

The legalization effort was losing by nine percentage points with more than two-thirds of precincts reporting. Backers showed support for the measure by gathering outside the campaign's headquarters to watch returns come in – some of them lighting up joints to mark the occasion.

Supporters of Proposition 19 blamed Tuesday's outcome on the conservative leanings of older voters who participate in midterm elections. They also acknowledged that young voters had not turned out in sufficient numbers to secure victory, but said they were ready to try again in two years.

However, Tim Rosales, who managed the No on 19 campaign, scoffed at that attitude from the losing side.

"If they think they are going to be back in two years, they must be smoking something," he said. "This is a state that just bucked the national trend and went pretty hard on the Democratic side, but yet in the same vote opposed Prop 19. I think that says volumes as far as where California voters are on this issue."

In a sign of what a tough sell it was, an exit poll conducted for The Associated Press showed opposition cutting across gender and racial lines, as well as income and education levels.

The ballot measure even lost in the state's vaunted marijuana-growing region known as the "Emerald Triangle" of Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties. Many in the region feared the system they have created would be taken over by corporations or lose its purpose.


NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:thespec.com
Author: The Associated Press
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Website:TheSpec - California votes against legalized marijuana after...

 

[Jim Finnel]

“If they think they are going to be back in two years, they must be smoking something,” he said.

If you think we won't be back in two years you need to smoke something. We'll be back with a better prop.

 

[Hyphyhitter23]

shit i see it as this, fuck it back to how it is now. il b smokin in the same spot i usually light up at. no changes for me

 

[Odin]

I personally think the reason 19 failed was because more people opened their eyes to what a poorly written piece of legislation it was.

 

[freetheweed]

it is poorly written, I'll give it that. I have a theory...wanna hear it? here it go.....

I play poker....sometimes I will act like I have the nutts and get the pot bigger. I may or may not have it, and I may or may not hit the hand, but everyone looked at me that hand.

my point is that I think the ones who got this started wanted to have foreplay before 2012. just my two cents. I really think they had an ulterior motive, and watch weed prices in the next little bit.....they are going to go up i think

 

[sinbad]

Stop and think every time something the people want fails, why does it? Either money backing it failing or those who proposed it didn't want it to pass. This case, money was spent to keep it from passing- same as healthcare reform, Social Security and every other people issue. Those in charge will stay in charge and we pay for it through our taxes. Duhh (Homer Simpsons reply) ]

 

[SnowBender]

The Latino vote was way bigger than expected. Maybe they were paid (or scared) by the cartels into voting no. :sarcasm:

If any of you think a 2012 prop will be less restrictive than 19 and have any chance of passing, you really must be smoking something.

the only winners in 19 defeat are the cartels, gangsters and other large commercial growers.

 

[Jim Finnel]

It wasn't exactly a landslide against 19. I agree it could have been better and thus the Cannabis users would have been more united in favor of it. I would hope that those who shape the next version take that into account. But I think the large majority of users who voted probably voted yes. I think many voters looked at the medical Cannabis industry and saw many abuses and shady practices which created a fear in them. If I was your average non-using person I'd see the dispensaries that look more like head shops than medical facilities and think twice. We need to present a more mainstream image. The anti-Cannabis forces worked hard. Did they work harder than us? From my perspective 2000 miles away its hard to see what those of you in California saw. I don't have an accurate idea of the news coverage, tv/radio ads, signs etc.. I think we need to take responsibility for the loss. We need to let those who will actually be writing the next version know what we think. Let them know why some of us didn't vote yes this time around. We need to keep on educating and spreading positive awareness, building on the attention that 19 brought. I wish I had all the answers but I don't, but collectively we do. We can change the world. Really. We can.