California's weed legalization goes up in smoke

[~~whimsy~~]

Sobs and a chorus of boos mixed with the whiff of weed Tuesday night as supporters of California's marijuana-legalization initiative went down in defeat.

As of 10 p.m. Pacific time, results showed 56 per cent of voters rejecting Proposition 19 and 44 per cent supporting it with 16 per cent of precincts reporting.

But the pro-legalization forces vowed that the fight wasn't over and promised to come back in coming years with renewed vigour, not only in California but in other states as well.

"There's no way to reverse this. The momentum is on our side," said Vancouver resident Jodie Emery, wife of activist and self-styled "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery, who is serving time in a U.S. prison for selling marijuana seeds online.

Jodie Emery travelled to Oakland, the epicentre of the Yes to Prop. 19 campaign, to help make last-minute calls to voters and to deliver live webcam updates to viewers back home.

"Shame on the anti-(Prop.) 19 people," Emery yelled, momentarily livening a mostly subdued crowd. "We're Canadian and we're angry."

Emery joined throngs of legalization supporters — some of whom mugged for cameras by taking slow drags of marijuana — in the parking lot of Oaksterdam University, a trade school in downtown Oakland that teaches marijuana cultivation and commerce.

She and other legalization supporters blamed a surge of negative advertising and misinformation from the opposition camp in recent weeks for turning the tide.

But Dan Rush, a campaign supporter and representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, said the "yes" forces could also have done a better job of touting the tax-generation and job-creation benefits of legalization.

The defeat didn't come as a complete surprise. Polls had showed support for the marijuana initiative waning in recent days.

A yes vote would have meant that anyone 21 years and older could possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to 2.25 square metres of marijuana.

Local governments would also have been given the authority to tax and regulate the drug's cultivation and retail sale.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/California+legalization+hopes+smoke/3767281/story.html

 

[CurtJa]

Thank God the liberal state of California is protecting individual citizens' rights to do what they want in the privacy of their homes.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

The real serious part of the thread is now we have angry Canadians...

:helpme:

 

[Rekrul]

Hardly surprising, though. The ones supporting the bill were probably all too stoned to get off their butts and go to the voting stations!

 

[pete rose]

A little disappointed, but it doesn't really affect me in a negative way. Business as usual.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Hardly surprising, though. The ones supporting the bill were probably all too stoned to get off their butts and go to the voting stations!

Or stuck in a fast food joint minutes before the voting polls closed. Damn the munchies! They screwed me up once again!

 

[Spleen]

Damn, that's close! I'm sure they'll get it next time.

 

[D-rock]

In my experience I've learned people as a whole are dumb. You too often can't expect them to think right when fear mongering and brainwashing can effect them so much. It's sad and I hate to say it, but it's true.

 

[Spreeuw]

Too bad the people who voted against aren't familiair with the holland-effect.
Pot is legalized here, but the youth uses it actually less then in states where it is forbidden.
Why? Because it is a lot more boring when it isn't forbidden.
Besides that, it's also easier to control and brings down the black market when it's legalized.
Furthermore I think in some respects European countries are more liberal then the more anti-statist americans. Which is odd, because you'd expect from people who make a big deal about private choices and responsibility to be less conservative in their morality.... Guess not....

 

[Supafly]

Damn, I had hoped for the Californians of starting a wave that might change the country.

Well, next time, better luck!

 

[BlueBalls]

 

[pete rose]

I blame central and southern California.

 

[Hot Mega]

Too bad the people who voted against aren't familiair with the holland-effect.
Pot is legalized here, but the youth uses it actually less then in states where it is forbidden.
Why? Because it is a lot more boring when it isn't forbidden.
Besides that, it's also easier to control and brings down the black market when it's legalized.
Furthermore I think in some respects European countries are more liberal then the more anti-statist americans. Which is odd, because you'd expect from people who make a big deal about private choices and responsibility to be less conservative in their morality.... Guess not....

Oh for fuck's sake man!!! Are you actually expecting a modicum of consistency in belief or a practical rendering of reality from us inconsistent ass Americans???
:nono:

WE WILL NEVER SUCCUMB TO THE EVILS OF COMMON SENSE!!

Now put that in your bong and smoke it!!:horse:

 

[kevinsloane81]

i think proposition 19 should have passed, hopefully in the near future.

 

[vodkazvictim]

Damn straight! Don't they know that weed is evil, Communist and unamerican? Weed killed my grandfather and caused the Pearl Harbour attack!!!!!!!!

 

[Sicario]

I guess I wont be moving to California after all.

 

[Roald]

I blame weed. That's probably the reason all stoners forgot to go voting.

 

[Vanilla Bear]

I blame weed. That's probably the reason all stoners forgot to go voting.

That was on the Simpsons wasn't it?

 

[Hot Mega]

That was on the Simpsons wasn't it?

Waits to see if a self respecting fan of "Happy Days" and Fonz devotee acknowledges he watches "The Simpsons".

 

[Roald]

Waits to see if a self respecting fan of "Happy Days" and Fonz devotee acknowledges he watches "The Simpsons".

Confirmed!

:anonymous

Ps it wasn't from the simpsons, I speak of experience