Marijuana Wins in Massachusetts and Michigan

[User]

Voters in both Massachusetts and Michigan have approved measures easing the laws against the use of marijuana -- at least under certain circumstances. That's according to information from the Marijuana Policy Project.

Massachusetts voters gave the nod to Question 2, under which marijuana would be effectively decriminalized in the Bay State. Criminal penalties for possession would be replaced by a $100 fine, although growers and sellers would still face the full force of the drug warriors.

Michigan voters approved Proposal 1, which approves medical use of marijuana by terminally ill and seriously ill patients. Qualifying patients would have to have doctors' approval and carry ID cards authorizing the use of marijuana.

That's two of the three proposals on state ballots with the potential to ease some of the damage inflicted on this country by drug prohibition. California's Proposition 5 remains to be heard from.


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[pvphoenix]

Celebration!!!

(I live in MI)

[RoyBoyzBuzzin]

Well Its A Start ,, Im Glad It Passed

The Laws Change 30 Days From Now

[Dr. 215]

any news on prop 5 yet for california?

[SmokeSumthin]

Originally Posted by Dr. 215

any news on prop 5 yet for california?

All I've seen is that the early returns show that it will not pass.

[jeeper]

I'm glad for MI gettin that passed . Too bad Oh"high"Oh didn't get ours up for vote . Last I heard , it was gonna be there . But it didn't make it ...............

[Ganjarden]

Sadly I just found this. : (

Proposition 5 failed with 61 percent voting in opposition and 39 percent in favor with 35 percent of precincts reporting

But I'm so happy for Michigan and Massachusetts!! OH YEAH!!

[rastaherbman]

This is a good move for the people of michigan.

[michiganrules]

hey so now that this thing has passed now what how do i get access? i am so pumped at the prospect of not fearin prossicution anymore

[flyfishinrock]

one step closer to being the land of the free

[Cherma]

“I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast.”--Ronald Reagan

Well Mr Reagan: My father was closest to ground Zero in " Operation Crossroads" or Bikini Atoll Hydrogen Bomb Blasts:" ABLE & BAKER" and watching him suffer for many years from the cancer that grew from within his body atrributed to long term radiation exposure at Bikini>
yes during his Chemo and ironically " Radiation Treatments" did he ingest cannabis. YES>
One thing that helped him in his relief of those terrible symptoms from Chemo and radiation. So Right on to Michigan: Go Guys go!!!!! Job well done!!!

A Hui Hou

[hood1]

All steps in the right direction. But they need to lift the 100 fine and ticket do you get a ticket and pay 100 fine for buying a six pack? The beer companies won on that one! If Obama does like he said (even if biden is a drug war N...) BACK OFF THE FEDS WHERE THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN BY VOTING THIS MADNESS END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[wordsworm]

Originally Posted by hood1

All steps in the right direction. But they need to lift the 100 fine and ticket do you get a ticket and pay 100 fine for buying a six pack? The beer companies won on that one! If Obama does like he said (even if biden is a drug war N...) BACK OFF THE FEDS WHERE THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN BY VOTING THIS MADNESS END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

I'm curious - even if Obama removed the illegality of the herb on the federal level, would that automatically repeal state legislation? I think that the states themselves would have to go on to make further legislation for all of us to breath a herb sigh of relief. Certainly, it would require the states to do their own hunting, and there would be no federal persecution. I just can't help but think there would still be some hurdles to overcome.

[Tie-Dyed Soul]

There would probably be some, but I'd imagine much like a medical user can be left alone by the state but screwed by the federal government, if it were reversed and the federal government was less harsh you could make some kind of appeal based on that? Not sure though...

[wordsworm]

Honestly, the USA is kind of wacky. You call parts of the country states, even though - technically - the USA is a state. Kentucky (don't know why it was the first on the top of my noggin) is not a state in the strict sense of the word, that is to say it's not a country. You guys should really rename them 'provinces' or something more logical. I guess it goes along with the founding fathers not really knowing how to spell 'capital' or the guys who thought you were supposed to hold and throw a 'football' as opposed to kicking it along the ground as is proper and far more logical. (How often does American football games involve the foot and the ball? At least calling it 'rugby' would've made more sense.) Hope you don't mind me wandering off the topic a touch. Point was, a part of the idea behind the USA, afaik, is that each state was supposed to stay relatively independent from the whole. Now, if in Canada the federal government were to legalize marijuana for the use of consenting adults, everyone of age would be allowed to smoke. I believe the provinces, however, would be able to use the 'notwithstanding' clause that's in the constitution.

Anyways, you can solicit sex in Nevada and get plenty of years and nasty consequences throughout the other states. So, to say that a lack of federal persecution would result automatically in the other 'states' having the herb legal would likely be incorrect.