Sensi: Marijuana Ballot Measures

“If all of the states pass it, that would be a quarter of American adults (who) would have access to legal marijuana, if that doesn’t tip the scale, I don’t know what will.”

There are 5 states that have some type of cannabis ballot measures facing voters this November.

Leland Rucker, senior editor at Sensi Magazine says that if California passes its Amendment 64, it could have significant implications for the ongoing federal prohibition of marijuana.

“There are only about 18 million people in the four states that have legalized so far, California would add another 38 million…if all of the states pass it, that would be a quarter of American adults (who) would have access to legal marijuana, if that doesn’t tip the scale, I don’t know what will.”

In Arizona, Proposition 205 is a similar measure that has seen some Colorado figures appearing in adverts against the measure including former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, former Colorado Governor Bill Owens and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, “they’re all talking about how awful marijuana legalization has been in Colorado.”

Responding to the adverts, Colorado State Sen. Pat Steadman and Reps. Jonathan Singer and Millie Hamner, all Democrats, sent a letter to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, which opposes Proposition 205 in Arizona, saying information in the ads was inaccurate and misleading.

The legislators cited several ads that claim Colorado schools have not seen any money from marijuana tax revenues, saying they were inaccurate. They also cited studies that dispute the group’s claims in ads that teen marijuana use in Colorado is at an all-time high.

Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine also have marijuana legalization ballot measures.