Diane Carlson is a founder of an anti-legalization advocacy group called Smart Colorado. So if MA voters choose next week to legalize, he has some advice for regulators here: Start out by being restrictive. If large corporations push out smaller players, especially within the medical cannabis space, it could become increasingly hard, and costly, for pediatric patients to gain access to cannabis-based products prescribed by a physician. People like myself are going to smoke it whether or not it is legal, so we might as well regulate it so people are not buying from drug dealers. Bernie Sanders, who has endorsed the measure, and rallies up and down the state.
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If the ballot questions pass in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada, almost 25 percent of the country’s population will live in a state where the sale and possession of marijuana will be permitted under state law, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a national pro-legalization advocacy group. There are already 24 states, including MA, that have legalized the use of medical marijuana in some capacity and Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use so far. Virtually none of the players in this lucrative industry can legally obtain a bank account, process a credit card, or take a standard business deduction on their federal taxes. At the University of Colorado, Boulder, marijuana is banned on campus, even for students over the legal age of 21.
Some municipalities held citizen referendums.
In Washington State, recreational marijuana has contributed more than $65 million to state coffers since the program kicked off in July 2014. We urge patience so Californians can make a more informed and responsible decision. Most marijuana stocks trade over-the-counter so proceed with caution and never risk more than you are prepared to lose.
While Denver, about 100 miles to the north, is the hub of the state’s marijuana industry, Pueblo has become its second city.
Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who would be responsible for appointing all three members of the Cannabis Control Commission if the question passes, said it’s too soon to say whether the regulated marijuana market would look like the version presented by Question 4 opponents in a television ad. But like its older Big Business peers, nascent Big Pot is disproportionately profiting the wealthy. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson, who donated $2 million.
“The Department of Health and Human Services doesn’t really have the money or guidance to decides who does what”, Farley said.
With 53 percent of Nevadans in favor of the proposal, according to a October 26 KTNV-TV/Rasmussen Report poll, Question 2 will become law on January 1, 2018, if Yemenidjian and state legislators in favor of the proposal have their way.
Cannabis was viewed as one of several sectors that could help turn around Pueblo’s sluggish economy.
She added that marijuana can be useful for veterans to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
“We’ve come this far as a state and there’s no turning back now”, he said.
Rising homelessness has become a key campaign point.
“Every state should seek to protect its people from the trafficking of addictive, mind-altering drugs”, said Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
“We’re importing poverty”, said Anne Stattelman, the group’s executive director. “It’s easy to see why this is something that communities want to pursue”.
Though this election season has been contentious, both Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, and Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, have similar thinking on the issue of marijuana legalization. And its cost of living is among the lowest in the nation.
The campaign for Proposition 61, the prescription drug pricing measure on California’s ballot, is in a statistical dead heat, according to the latest Field-IGS poll results released Friday. In an ideal world, yes, I think having legal marijuana would be a good thing.
A large e-cigarette industry is now targeting youth, allowing teens to “vape” marijuana more easily in public without being detected.
Wolk also noted that marijuana use has not increased among young people since the legalization, which is a concern for critics.
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“They have led to an invaluable public dialogue about marijuana, the harms caused by its prohibition, and the benefits of adopting a more sensible approach”, Tvert said. A few of these pot stocks have skyrocketed to 3 year highs that are over 500X (500 times!) above their current stock prices.
