Colorado and Washington Legalized Marijuana Tuesday, What Happens Now?

Tuesday night, the states of Colorado and Washington sent a loud and clear message to the federal government that they no longer wish to enforce the futile prohibition on cannabis. The symbolic impact of these victories are immediate, but what are the practical effects on the ground now that these two initiatives have been approved?

WASHINGTON

In Washington State, regulations for the marijuana retail outlets are going to start being drafted by the Washington State Liquor Control Board. This process is expected to last about a year. The immediate impact of passing I-502 is on the state laws regarding possession. Starting on December 6th, Section 20 of the initiative will take effect. This section effectively states that any person over the age of 21 is legally allowed to possess up to 1oz of dried marijuana, 16oz of marijuana solids (edibles), and 72oz of cannabis infused liquids (think oils and lotions). It is also no longer a crime to possess marijuana paraphernalia.

Law enforcement representatives in the state have already released some statements on this matter. Sergeant Sean Whitcomb, from the Seattle Police Department, said, “For us, the law has changed, and people can expect no enforcement for possession.”

“What you can expect,” Sgt. Whitcomb clarified, “is no enforcement on possession, that is a reasonable expectation.”

COLORADO

The vote in Colorado is awaiting final certification, a process that is expected to take about a month. After this approval, it will immediately become legal in Colorado for adults over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and for them to grow up to 6 plants in a secure indoor space.

The state is required to adopt a legal framework for retail sales by July of 2013, the first marijuana retail outlets could potentially open as early as the start of 2014.

Colorado’s law enforcement seems just as keen as Washington’s, for the time being, to honor the will of the people. “We’re not federal agents,” stated Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith, who opposed Amendment 64 during the campaign.

“We can arrest people if they’re wanted on warrants on federal crimes, but unless we’re involved in a specific case … where (a deputy is) cross-commissioned as a federal agent,” he said, “we don’t directly enforce federal law.”

While he ended his statement with a patronizing jab, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper seems willing to abide by the desire of his state’s citizens on this issue. “The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” Hickenlooper said Tuesday night.

“This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said,” he ended, “Federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly.”

These protections in both states, when certified and placed into effect, will apply to anyone physically in the state, no residency required. Public consumption would remain a violation in both states, but a civil, not criminal, one.

As always, NORML will keep you posted as these laws become certified and come into effect and will be tracking the process of implementing retail outlets every step of the way.

7 Simple Ways YOU Can Help Legalize Marijuana

We are entering the final week before Election Day and our efforts to educate Americans about marijuana law reform have never been more important. Polls show that victory is within grasp with Colorado’s Amendment 64, Washington’s I-502, and Massachusetts’ Question 3 all recently tracking towards a win, but it will still be a close race to the finish in all states.

Help us raise awareness for these important initiatives and Smoke the Vote next Tuesday by helping us take the message viral in the final stretch. Below you will find one simple action you can take each day before the election to help promote marijuana legalization. Let your friends and family know that you stand for rational reforms to marijuana policy and remind them to get out and vote!

1 – Wednesday, October 31st

Help Make Prohibition a Memory! To start off, set this as your Facebook cover image and encourage those following you to do the same.
(Click for full size)

2 – Thursday, November 1st

Share these images on your Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and more! (Use hashtags such as: #SmokeTheVote #LegalizeIt)

3 – Friday, November 2nd

Spend a Friday night in, preferably with friends and family, calling voters for Amendment 64 and Measure 80. You can either call voters in support of these initiatives by yourself, from anywhere in the country -or- you can pool your efforts and set up a phone banking party. At your disposal are SSDP and NORML’s phone bank to dial voters under 30 for Amendment 64 and JustSayNow‘s phone bank to call voters over 30 (also allows for dialing for Oregon’s Measure 80!)

CALL VOTERS OVER 30 FOR AMENDMENT 64
CALL VOTERS UNDER 30 FOR AMENDMENT 64
CALL VOTERS FOR MEASURE 80

4 – Saturday, November 3rd

Share the latest campaign ads! Post them to Facebook, tweet them at celebrities, email them to your grandparents, post one to your blog…just spread them as far and wide as you can. If you live in one of the states voting on an initiative or can directly target people you know who are, all the better.

5 – Sunday, November 4th

Share NORML’s Smoke the Vote Guide with your social networks. Remind everyone to confirm their voter registration and to check their current polling location, as it may have changed since they last cast a ballot. They can also get caught up on all the marijuana related voter initiatives and view the presidential candidates stances on cannabis.

Post something like:

Did you know the election is on Tuesday?! Check out this page to confirm your registration, find your polling place, and learn if you can vote on marijuana law reform on November 6th. Smoke the Vote!
www.norml.org/about/smoke-the-vote

6 – Monday, November 5th

Pledge to make some final “Get Out The Vote” calls! You can RSVP for a specific time slot here and get an email reminder when it is almost your scheduled time. These final calls are crucial to reminding our supporters to get to the polling booth and they are our final chance to persuade them to support our efforts! If you can’t make phone calls, can you at least pledge to personally email or facebook message 10 of your friends about the election? Anything you can do to help in the final hours of the campaigns take us another step towards legalization.

7 – Tuesday, November 6th ELECTION DAY!

Get out the vote! Share all the above images and videos. Tweet reminders to your friends to #SmokeTheVote (#YesOn64 #YesOn502 #YesOn80). If you live in a state with in-person election day voting, offer to drive your friends, family, and coworkers to the polls. Turn out is extremely important, we have to make sure everyone knows to get out and cast their ballot and to vote YES on the marijuana law reform initiatives.

After you’ve nagged everyone who will listen, dragged your last friend to the polling station, and cast a ballot yourself, come home and tune into www.blog.norml.org – we will be having live election night coverage giving you the latest from our contacts on the ground, exit polling, first results, and more!

Together, we can do this. Together, we WILL legalize marijuana. Let’s start on November 6th.

Smoke the Vote: Final Week Election Update

WASHINGTON

New Approach Washington, the campaign behind the state’s I-502 to regulate marijuana, has released a new television ad focusing on the ways regulation will help control youth use. In the ad, a Washington mother discusses the issues of the black market and how cannabis legalization can help protect our children. “Young people have easy access to marijuana, and of course drug dealers don’t check IDs,” she states of the current system of prohibition. Regulating marijuana would help solve these problems, she says, it is “just common sense.”

You can view this new advertisement below:



Polling data released last week by Strategies 360 had I-502 at 54% support with opposition trailing at 38%.

COLORADO

The campaign in Colorado supporting Amendment 64 has also released a new television ad, this one focusing on the issues facing our veterans suffering from PTSD. The commercial features a father and returning veteran who is unable to procure the cannabis he needs for his condition under Colorado’s medical marijuana laws. Under the current law, patients suffering with PTSD do not qualify for access, but Amendment 64 would remove criminal penalties for possession and would provide them places of safe retail venues at which to procure their medicine.

“Please vote YES on Amendment 64 so that other vets don’t have to suffer.”

In other news from Colorado, the latest polling from PPP had Amendment 64 leading by ten points, 53% support to 43% opposition. Help us take Colorado to victory by utilizing our online phone banking programs and begin calling Colorado voters from the comfort of your home today! Each dial results in a person that is more likely to vote, and more likely to vote YES. You can use SSDP and NORML’s phonebank to dial voters under 30, or the JustSayNow phonebank for voters over 30.

OREGON

New polling data out of Oregon shows the number of undecided voters is diminishing. Data just released by The Oregonian has support for Measure 80, which would end the state’s marijuana prohibition, at 42% with 49% opposed and 8% still undecided. Previous polling had Measure 80 with 37% support and 41% opposition with 22% undecided. You can help push Measure 80 to success by using JustSayNow’s online phone bank to call voters in Oregon by clicking here.

MASSACHUSETTS

The latest polling out of Massachusetts still has their medical marijuana initiative, Question 3, with a strong lead over its opposition. In data released this week by Suffolk University/7NEWS, Massachusetts voters support Question 3 by a margin of 55% to 36%. This is a slight drop in support from polls earlier in the year, but still very much on the track for passage.

ARKANSAS
The latest polling data coming out of Arkansas shows a rough fight ahead for their ballot initiative to legalize the medical use of marijuana. In a poll conducted Thursday, October 18th, by TalkBusiness and Hendrix College had support for Issue 5 at just 38%, with opposition at 54% and 8% are undecided.

For more information on the initiative and on how you can help legalize medical use of cannabis in Arkansas this November, please visit the campaign’s website at www.arcompassion.com

MICHIGAN
Learn more about the local initiatives up for vote in Michigan here.

Don’t forget to get out and vote! Find your polling place, check your registration status, and read about all the state and local initiatives by using NORML’s 2012 voter guide, Smoke the Vote.

12 Days to Go: Latest Poll Shows Colorado’s Amendment 64 to Regulate Marijuana Gaining Support

Public Policy Polling surveyed 904 likely voters in Colorado from October 23rd to 25th and found they support Amendment 64 by 53%. Only 43% were opposed and the number of undecideds has shrunk to 5%. The bump in support can be, in part, thanks to the closing of the gender gap, Women now support A64 by a margin of 50% to 46%.

Previous data, released last week by the Denver Post, had Amendment 64 holding onto a small lead, with 48% in support, 43% opposed, and 9% still undecided. It appears that the current campaign media blitz, including two television advertisements and a radio ad featuring Melissa Etheridge, may be having the desired effect. The number of undecided voters continues to dwindle and they look to be breaking in our favor.

Don’t take this victory for granted, this will still be a very close race come Election Day. Do your part to help us make Colorado the first state to re-legalize marijuana by participating in our online phone banking program. You can use the official Yes on 64 phone banking website from anywhere in the country and dial Colorado voters in support of Amendment 64. Each call can mean the difference between a ‘no’ or a ‘yes’ vote or the difference between staying home and going to the polls.

Smoke the Vote on November 6th. Vote YES on Colorado’s Amendment 64, because REGULATION WORKS!

Learn more about Amendment 64 and the other marijuana initiatives on the ballot this year by visiting NORML’s 2012 voter guide, Smoke the Vote.

We Can Legalize Marijuana This November in Colorado, But We Need Your Help!

Through much of the year, Colorado’s Amendment 64 has enjoyed a comfortable lead in the polls. As election day nears, as was to be expected, we are seeing the race tighten. Polling data just released by the Denver Post has Amendment 64 holding onto a small lead, with 48% in support, 43% opposed, and 9% still undecided.

We can close the gap needed for victory and win over undecided voters, but with only a few weeks left until Election Day on November 6th, we are going to need your help. The key to making sure our supporters get out to vote and to persuading those not sure on the measure, is an increased effort on the part of grassroots outreach. To further this mission, NORML is joining with SSDP and the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol to sponsor an online phone banking program.

Using this intuitive website, you can sign up and begin calling voters in support of Amendment 64 today! Everything you need is provided. You will be presented with the name and phone number of a registered Colorado voter and given a step by step script to follow. If every person reading this blog post made just ten phone calls a day from now until the election, our victory could all but be insured.

Even if you are not a resident of Colorado, this is the perfect and most effective way you can help us pass Amendment 64 and make Colorado the first state to legalize marijuana. To sign up for SSDP and NORML’s phone banking program, targeting voters under 35, please visit www.legalizecolorado.org and register today. You can begin making calls immediately. Remember: the best times to call are weeknights from 7pm – 8:30pm MT and weekends from 10am – 8:30pm MT (the phone bank will operate from 10am – 8:30p MT daily). Always speak slowly and clearly, and just be yourself. Get comfortable with the script by reading it over a couple times before you begin calling, and be very careful to accurately record voters’ responses.

REGISTER TO USE OUR ONLINE PHONE BANK: www.legalizecolorado.org

Consider hosting a phone banking party to multiply your efforts. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join you to call Colorado voters in support of Amendment 64. You can host a potluck, order pizza, or just provide space for people to make calls. Click here for the steps you can take to make your house party a success.

Our allies at FireDogLake have also established a phone banking program targeting Colorado voters over the age of 35, you can sign up for that program here.

The campaign is coming down to the wire. It’s time to really ramp up our outreach to Colorado voters, and now there is a way you can do that from anywhere in the country. Together we will end the war on cannabis consumers. Together we will legalize marijuana and we can do it this fall.