The Green Thread: Marijuana in the states

[NOVA Green]

Here's what I think the status of legal recreational marijuana could look like after November 2020, by either referendum or through the statewide legislative process ...



In theory Kentucky or West Virginia could gain a comparative advantage by being the first to Legalize recreational marijuana, where 20-25% of domestic US agricultural production is currently based....

I doubt it will happen with the Social Fundies running the joint in both states, but certainly Kentucky in particular is well positioned, with a better growing climate, historical large scale agricultural hemp production, as well as iconoclasts of both political parties over the past few decades that have been promoting KY doing its agricultural thang.....

Plus if Rand Paul is still in the US Senate, it will help give the State some protection from Federal Government overreach, even under a Trump/Sessions administration....

Regardless, the papers are drying as we speak, and I can see close to 50% of Americans living in full "Green States" come 2020.....

[NOVA Green]

Anyone have a good website on the status of Marijuana referendums/bills in the states?

This is a pretty good site to check out on a regular basis for all types of ballot measures...

https://ballotpedia.org/Marijuana_on_the_ballot

Here's another website from a Marijuana policy reform advocacy group....

https://www.mpp.org/states/key-marijuana-policy-reform/

[NOVA Green]

Also, since no one else has posted it, the 4th largest County in the US, Harris County Texas, is now effectively decriminalizing personal possession of < 4 Ounces of Marijuana effective the end of March...

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/New-policy-to-decriminalize-marijuana-in-Harris-10935947.php

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/02/16/texas-lawmakers-disagree-houston-moves-decriminalize-marijuana/

[NOVA Green]

Spicer says Justice Department will crack down on states that legalized.

It begins.

I would like to see the Feds try....

Damn.... I'm old enough to remember CAMP in California, and "Operation Ghost Dancer" in Oregon

https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Ghost-Dancer-Marijuana-Eradication/dp/B00EAZXZMQ

https://www.drugscience.org/Petition/C5J.html

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/06/23/Marijuana-booming-600-million-a-year-business-in-Oregon-Believed-to-be-states-largest-cash-crop/4215980764103/

Unless the Trump Administration wants to send the active duty of the US Military into the cities and rural areas of Oregon, Washington, and California and effectively declare war on the Western United States, I don't see any type of "crackdown" working.

Long gone are the days where our state governments will allow National Guard troops to run the helicopter overflights that we used to see for four months out of the year in our rural communities, and even small-towns and cities within our state.

We are done seeing neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members rounded up in paramilitary style raids, facing long-term prison sentences and felony records, with life-time impacts for Marijuana Cultivation, Distribution, Possession.

We are done with the massive costs arising from the criminalization of marijuana, including the massive diversion of law enforcement resources, legal costs, and costs of incarceration....

Any Federal Troops of the Trump Administration invading the Free States of the West (Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada) will only cause us to move forward in drafting our articles of secession....

Let's put it another way..... in many of the major weed growing counties/regions of Southern Oregon & Northern California, there are also a hell of a lot of Vietnam Vet Trump voters as well that aren't going to be too happy seeing the choppers flying over their 100 acre property out in the Mountains searching for their Legal outdoor patch....

Additionally, I would strongly recommend that anyone living in non-Freedom states where citizens can vote for legalization, to help push to get these items on the ballot in 2018, since this is a wedge issue that will significantly increase Millennial turnout, and potentially assist in down-ballot races, just as Republicans tried to use their Anti-Gay agenda in ballot initiatives in 2004 to increase turnout among their base....

I actually much more prefer alcohol to weed these past few decades for my post-work relaxation of choice, but hey different strokes, different folks, and I will vehemently defend the right of my fellow Oregonians to light one up if they feel so inclined.

[NOVA Green]

Representatives Tom Garrett (R-VA) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) have introduced bipartisan legislation to exclude marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, thus leaving states the authority to regulate the plant how best they see fit.

Should be interesting to see how many Republicans get behind this.  I'd expect it to get near-unanimous support from state delegations where it's been legalized and possible majority support from the Freedom Caucus.  I don't think every Democrat will vote for it, but I think this has a real chance at getting passed.  Fingers crossed.

I'm a bit curious how Greg Walden (R-02) would vote on something like this....

He went from being strongly opposed to medical marijuana, in direct contrast with many of the voters in his Republican House district to supporting medical marijuana rights in states where it is legal in 2014 as well as medical marijuana for veterans:

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/2133820-151/oregon-gop-like-nation-softening-on-medical-marijuana

http://marijuanapolitics.com/huge-win-veterans-medical-marijuana-oregon-congressman-earl-blumenauer/

His district opposed legalization, although it did win in the two largest population centers in his district, Jackson and Deschuttes Counties, as well as almost winning in heavily Republican Josephine County.

The Southern Oregon section of his district has a large illegal outdoor growing industry on public lands, much of it controlled by the drug cartels, which has a negative environmental and social impact.... this is a problem which has dramatically decreased now that recreational marijuana is legal in Oregon.

http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org/crops/pot/apublicmenace080810.htm

After observing one eradicated pot plantation after another during the flight, Walden concluded to no one in particular, "We used to grow timber."

Will Walden be one of the flip votes should there be any house will regarding supporting legalization in states where the voters have adopted this?

House members who voted for the Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment last year but against the McClintock full legalization amendment:



http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/10/state-marijuana-votes-could-end-federal-prohibition-in-2017/

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D]   CA
Rep. Thomas Rooney [R]   FL
Rep. Gwen Graham [D]   FL
Rep. Rob Woodall [R]   GA
Rep. Bob Dold [R]   IL
Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R]   IL
Rep. Stephen Lynch [D]   MA
Rep. Bruce Poliquin [R]   ME
Rep. Debbie Dingell [D]   MI
Rep. Collin Peterson [D]   MN
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer [R]   MO
Rep. Ryan Zinke [R]   MT
Rep. Kevin Cramer [R]   ND
Rep. Brad Ashford [D]   NE
Rep. Peter King [R]   NY
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D]   NY
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D]   NY
Rep. Paul Tonko [D]   NY
Rep. Tom Reed II [R]   NY
Rep. Christopher Gibson [R]   NY
Rep. Richard Hanna [R]   NY
Rep. Lee Zeldin [R]   NY
Rep. Elise Stefanik [R]   NY
Rep. Daniel Donovan Jr. [R]   NY
Rep. Joyce Beatty [D]   OH
Rep. Greg Walden [R]   OR
Rep. Jim Cooper [D]   TN
Rep. John Duncan Jr. [R]   TN
Rep. Gene Green [D]   TX
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa [D]   TX
Rep. Marc Veasey [D]   TX
Rep. Filemon Vela [D]   TX
Rep. Jason Chaffetz [R]   UT
Rep. Chris Stewart [R]   UT
Rep. Mia Love [R]   UT
Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr. [R]   WI
Rep. Glenn Grothman [R]   WI
Rep. Alex Mooney [R]   WV
Reps. Corrine Brown (D-FL) and Vern Buchan (R-FL) both voted for the McClintock amendment but against the Rohrabacher amendment.

[NOVA Green]

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/florida-medical-marijuana-bill-would-outlaw-smokable-and-edible-cannabis-9190847

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

This is so disappointing. This goes completely against the spirit of the amendment. They are turning Amendment 2 into basically another sham "Southern-style" medical marijuana bill, where the only thing allowed is low-thc oils. Why can't they just accept the will of the voters here?

Looking at the amendment text, unless I missed something, it may actually be constitutional to limit actual administration methods like this:

http://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/50438-3.pdf

However, one thing I did notice was that the amendment doesn't really permit the agency from making regulations on the way cannabis may be administered nor the form it can be sold in. So there may be some relief there.

Hopefully they modify this bill before passage to allow what the initiative intended to allow.

1.) So what is the chance of something like this making it through the state legislature? 

2.) If so, what are the potential consequences for Floridian Republicans in the State House & Senate for deliberately undermining the intent and will of the voters on this issue?

[NOVA Green]

1.) So what is the chance of something like this making it through the state legislature?  

2.) If so, what are the potential consequences for Floridian Republicans in the State House & Senate for deliberately undermining the intent and will of the voters on this issue?

This is probably what I would call a "compounding problem," where it isn't big enough to cause a backlash on its own, but it will nicely augment other issues people have with Republicans to help turn them against the GOP on election day. Amendment 2 hasn't been implemented yet, so there is a lot less political risk to doing something like this.

This should be a big fat warning to anyone pushing complex ballot initiatives on issues like MM - never leave important parts even slightly ambiguous. Never expect the legislature to acquiese and accept that the people wanted this, no matter how much it passes by. This could have passed with 100% of the vote and Republicans would still be doing this for the same reason they are now trying to make initiated amendments require 67% of the vote to be approved (up from 60%) - they don't care what voters want, and the politicians only care what the voters think when they think they may lose power. They believe that because they have a majority in the legislature, that they have a blank check because clearly they were so wise that the people picked them, and when the people voice their displeasure or try to go around them, the first response is to try and remove the voters' ability to do anything, whether it be voter suppression or making initiatives impossible to pass.

I have to say again - I'm really surprised and really disappointed that Morgan missed something as important as this. If this bill passes with these restrictions, then A2 will basically have been a complete waste of time and money.

Bolded for response...

This is part of the reason that the Oregon Marijuana Legalization initiative passed with such overwhelming support, and there have never been any legal challenges....

The 2014 Oregon Marijuana Legalization initiative was based on the "lessons learned" from both the positives and negatives from the Colorado and Washington initiatives.

Because it was such a carefully crafted piece of legislation, that allowed a significant degree of local (County/City) controls regarding the existence of medical & recreational facilities within local communities, mandatory testing of potential chemical contaminants from suppliers, etc it won in a landslide, even in many traditionally Conservative Republican parts of the state, not to mention the "soccer mom's" of places like Lake Oswego.

Unlike Florida, many Western States allow items to be placed on the ballot relatively easily, and can/will/have flip out in the "ballot box" if they feel that Politicians are unilaterally overturning direct democracy....

So, in the event that the Republican dominated State Government of Florida goes this route, is there a potential that it will dramatically increase turnout among Millennial voters in 2018, and potentially be the type of issue that will dramatically increase turnout among non-regular voters. (Look at how Republicans used the culture war issues of Abortion and Gay Rights in 2004 to turnout voters for example).

[NOVA Green]

I was at a county-level LP event last night and we had a speaker from LegalizeMI on the petition to get legalization of recreational marihuana on the ballot for 2018 here in Michigan. They are 'well on their way' in the signature drive.

It had a decent compromise on the number of plants (12), punishment for possession (fines and misdemeanors instead of felonies for under 21 possession or personally carrying more than 2.5 oz). Revenue wise it was in the middle with 10% excise tax plus 6% state sales tax. Again not perfect but perhaps they can get it to pass.

My one concern is it would be a midterm election and likely prohibition voters typically skew higher for the midterms than the presidential elections.

So far the numbers don't look bad.

Is this the ballot initiative?

https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2018)

So if I'm reading this correctly 252,523 valid signatures are required.... what's the number looking like thus far?

Year   Initiated amendment   Initiated statute   Veto referendum
2018   315,654   252,523   157,827

[NOVA Green]

Utah Patients Coalition working to get medical marijuana on the ballot in Utah:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

As a local, I think it'll pass. Enough people support medical marijuana (even with the Reefer Madness attitude among the halls of power in the state) that if they can get it to the ballot, it'll win. The most recent campaigns have even been headed by active Mormon moms who are a far cry from the stereotypical view of a medical marijuana user.

Hmmm... that's pretty interesting.

Any feedback yet from the LDS leadership on this potential ballot initiative yet?

Assuming based upon what you have posted that it would be a high CBD/ Low THC scene?

Based upon your experience and knowledge of Utah politics, how difficult would it be to get this initiative on the ballot to meet the signature requirements?

[NOVA Green]

As of midnight (Nevada time), marijuana is officially legal in the state.

There are (44) local retail shops something like (34) in Las Vegas (3) in Reno and (7) elsewhere?

Maybe my math is wrong, but its pretty dang close....

I suspect the major shortage of a local supply-chain, lack of local Subject Matter Experts (SME), not to mention the dearth of Knowledge, Skills, and Experience (KSE) will in the short-term benefit small family farmers in Oregon and Colorado to meet the demand in a market that might well exceeds Colorado within the next 5 years ("What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas")....

Although Herb isn't really my "bag" anymore, I still celebrate the expansion of freedom and end of prohibition in yet another state in the Union....

Tax, Regulate, reduce the economic and social costs of mass incarceration involved with non-violent drug related offenses (Traditionally targeting MJ), and take the revenue to focus on much more pressing societal problems including education and drug treatment programs, rather than how Nevada used to be.... (Real vintage sign image used below)

[NOVA Green]

Marijuana Prohibition in Michigan is done!

You must be logged in to read this quote.

What's the deadline to get enough sigs to make it to the ballot as a citizen's initiative?

I'm fairly confident that if it makes it to the voters in Michigan it will likely pass, but frequently even in states where citizen ballot initiatives are common, ballot thresholds can make it tight towards the endgame, especially if a chunk of supporters are relatively younger and more likely to move around and such, which can create a much higher % of "invalid" signatures when the SoS does the "spot checks", and I'm sure that Washtenaw and Ingham will be disproportionately audited on this particular initiative....

[NOVA Green]

Not sure if this is the best thread to post, or if it belongs more in the Gubernatorial FL category but Politico just profiled John Morgan as a contender for FL GOV '18...

Still, even simply running for Governor as a dark-horse Democrat will raise the profile of Legalized Marijuana in Florida, in a way that your establishment Dem candidate will not. Additionally, if he rolls the dice and makes a run, it will likely significantly increase Dem turnout in a midterm election, that would potentially have down-ballot impact as well in what might be a very interesting year for incumbent Republicans in the US House.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/01/can-weed-make-john-morgan-governor-of-florida-215446

[NOVA Green]

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-dakota/articles/2018-08-13/north-dakota-recreational-pot-measure-approved-for-ballot

Voters in North Dakota will vote this November whether to legalize recreational marijuana, alongside Michigan. Utah is also voting this November for medical marijuana, possibly joined by Missouri.

WOW!!!

Anybody want to bet on how well it will perform in November in ND?

My guess it will perform significantly better than the Oregon MJ Legalization Initiative back in in '86, where outright legalization garnered 26% of the Vote, but on the short end of the joint compared to legalization votes in recent years in most other states....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Oregon

My guess is that it goes down by something like 42-58% NO.

Still there are a lot of farmers in ND, and they are checking at agricultural commodity pricing in States where Herb is Legal, and realize that there is a much higher profit margin per acre than in many other ag commodities.

That being said, farmers aren't stupid at all, and those potentially inclined to invest in the "Green Rush", also realize that despite the potential windfall if they chose to go that route there are multiple risks and downsides:

1.) It is still illegal at the Federal level making it a cash only industry.

For farmers, this is a no-go zone, since like many other smaller businesses, having a stable supply of credit is key to successful cash-flow, especially considering the vicissitudes already inherent within an industry, where simply a bad harvest season caused by things like drought can cause successive negative balance sheets for multiple years in a row.

2.) The classification of Marijuana at the Federal level (Especially under the current AG) make it an extremely risky business proposition, where in theory, the Feds could swoop in at any time, and seize all assets of farmers that recently diversified their acreage to incorporate a limited share of the "Legal Bud" market. If I were running a successful small Corn Farm in Eastern North Dakota, running narrow margins with decreased commodity pricing, even if I were so inclined, that would make it an overall negative value proposition.

3.) Many farmers in the US are already facing severe margins in recent years as a result of a global collapse of agricultural commodity pricing.

States that have legalized recreational Marijuana are increasingly starting to see a massive collapse in the retail price of Marijuana as the Supply overwhelms the demand.

Just a Month ago, I went to a retail establishment a few Miles down the road from where I live, in a heavily agricultural producing region of Oregon, to pick up some Medicine for my Wife  from a major work-related injury some 20 Years back, and they have a discount deal for $60 for an Ounce of High CBD /Low THC Herb with a Sativa/Indica mix???

For the consumers that might sound like great news, but for the farmers that a 50% drop in pricing, compared to what I heard through the Grapevine an OZ would go for way back in 1990 in "Downstate Oregon" would go for that much, is obviously a major medium and longer term business proposition!!!

4.) An additional business concern for farmers interested in investing in the "Green Rush", is that agricultural production is a scientific business that requires many years of knowledge, skills, and experience (KSE) and ultimately farmers in North Dakota know they are well behind the curveball when it comes to regions of the US where the "Guerrilla MJ AG sector" has been running strong for decades.

https://www.wweek.com/cannabis/2017/04/11/the-rise-and-fall-of-sinsemilla-tips-corvallis-legendary-marijuana-magazine/

There are tons of Old Skool Pro's in the Biz going back to the late '70s and early '80s, that addressed a major shortage of MJ in the US compared to demand, after Jimmy Carter massively clamped down on MJ importation from Mexico/South America, as well as the Caribbean that created a default "Cottage Industry" in many parts of the US.

The growth of MJ AG production during that period was heavily driven by two regions of the US, both of which were facing extreme economic hardships during the height of both "Stagflation" and the "Reagan Recession".

1.) The Pacific Northwest--- Major increases in domestic MJ production were heavily concentrated in areas that had seen a dramatic decline in the Timber Production as a result of the US Economic Crisis from the Mid 1970s to the Mid 1980s.

The collapse of Housing Starts triggered by the Reagan Administration to "address" a hyper-inflation economic environment, triggered the Deepest and Longest Recession in Oregon History since the Great Depression, and in many heavily Timber dependent communities forced people to find work in the "Informal Sector"....

2.) I remember some 25 Years back in College in Ohio in a High Times article about how 25% of domestic American MJ production was taking place in Appalachia America....

Needless to say, is it any wonder that in a region where Military Service was essentially obligatory for a Young Male of draft Age, that many Americans from the region first experience MJ in 'Nam.

Now, the massive decline of the Coal and Steel producing centers of the region during that era, created a major unemployment situation, where if you were in your '30s back then, and you got laid off at the plant (Union Seniority--- First hired, First Fired), and you have a plot of family land out in the hills with 120 acres inherited, and suddenly you start looking at alternative means of revenue, especially once your unemployment check runs out, and you gotta figure out how to pay the property taxes on the land you inherited from your parents, and again you turn to the "informal sector".

5.) ALL Recreational MJ Producers from States that approved these initiatives in the early days are anxiously awaiting to see what happens once California Agricultural Marijuana starts hitting other States markets....  What happens if we see a "Marlboro Greens" start showing up from massive Agribusiness Farms in Cali?

6.) Honestly I doubt that Social Morality will be a deciding factor in North Dakota citizens choosing to allow Recreational Marijuana in their State....

Farming is an extremely complex and scientific endeavor, and the risks of shifting to REC MJ well outweigh the potential upsides, and although I suspect a large majority of voters in ND don't mind if adults smoke a joint in the privacy of their own homes, I don't think this state had enough reasons to support REC HERB in terms of local supply-chains.

Any Opinions?

[NOVA Green]

Kind of curious if this was done to try and help Heitkamp. North Dakota seems like a somewhat random choice otherwise.

Well certainly there was most likely outside funding to get enough signatures to get it on the ballot combined with sufficiently airtight legal statutory protections against any attempt to overturn the will of the voters.

Although obviously we can't speak to the intent of those that invested $$$ getting this ballot measure out there for November, it is still somewhat questionable to what extent putting "Social Issues" on the ballot actually significantly changes voting patterns in Federal Elections.

There are certainly strong arguments to be made that Anti-LGBT ballot initiatives significantly boosted Evangelical Turnout in the 2004 General Election, but we really don't have any significant evidence to support that this actually made a significant shift in overall Margins, even in a General Election Year when it came to Kerry vs Bush Jr.

So let's say hypothetically that it increases turnout among "Non-Traditional Off-Year Voters".... this may add +1-2% to Dem margins overall in the US in a GE.

Problem is that North Dakota is:

1.) Already a fairly high voter turnout state, even in off-year elections

2.) It is generally a fairly "Old" State compared to the National Average, without a major concentration of Younger Age demographics that *might* surge to the voting booth based upon Legalization of Weed.

3.) Sure in an extremely close US-SEN election there might be enough extra votes out there from 3rd Party Younger Voters in '16 that went Libertarian and Green, to take the ball over the line on a 3rd and Inches scenario, but still....

Now thing with ND is that investing $$$ to get stuff on the ballot is very inexpensive compared to many other States in the Union, so if I were still playing Semi-Pro Poker, it might well be a really good value bet....

[NOVA Green]

The FDA has approved the country's first medicine made from marijuana.  CBD rescheduling to come.

Scott--- Although I knew it happened, I didn't start to realize the significance until about Two Months ago in the smoking area of my work-place.

Anecdotal Story: But represented honestly and the best of my abilities involving an individual whom I have known for ~ 10 Yrs....

A Senior "In-House" employee of a Fortune 50 Company at the Mfg/ R&D Factory that I work at, was talking about a side gig as a Project Manager he was doing for a friend that involved converting some 40 acres of rural Mid- Willamette Valley designated Ag land (Oregon Land Use Planning Laws), into an alternative form of Agriculture.

Naturally a bunch of the line workers, Techs, and Engineering employees started cracking jokes about how he is doing a side gig in the Weed Business....

After a few days of relentless teasing he cops up, and his long time buddy that he was lining up the outdoor drip-systems for was growing CBD MJ as part of of an experimental gig to gain market access anticipating changes in FED laws....

High CBD / Low THC has become increasingly a recommendation for many Doctors in Legalization States to address certain types of patient ailments, and actually helped move one of my Daughters who would likely fall into the class of the 6-8% () of Marijuana smokers that tend to exhibit patterns of both physical and mental addiction. (Obviously addictive personality types are not confined to any one substance, for anyone who considers themselves to be a former or recovering addict of any type).   

Maybe I spent too much time talking to my Dad in my Teenage Years, or exhibited other types of addictive personality disorders.... AAS (Atlas Addiction Syndrome)   

Now my Daughter that had a massive prescription medication addiction, where the High THC MJ would counter-balance some of the "Brain Chemicals" that the Doctors used to give her like candy, is now clean and sober for over Two Years, and doesn't even smoke or consume MJ with THC anymore, after finally weaning her way off the pills, and then moving into Medi CBD products to address some other major Medical issues....

CBD > Medical MJ > Some States Rec

Still, I think Oregon will gain a couple Thousand jobs alone just on CBD research $$$ alone, once the Feds open the pipeline for Non-THC Medical MJ.

[NOVA Green]

So here's a map that I created of where Marijuana Policy might look like after the November 2018 elections...

The dark green states speak for themselves= Recreational Marijuana is currently legal

Light Green states= Recreational Marijuana is on the ballot in November 2018

The Yellow Green States= States where medical marijuana is relatively accessible for a wide range of medical conditions and can be consumed through smoking and with a level of THC contents

Pink States= States where access to medical marijuana is difficult, restrictions on THC levels, and smoking marijuana is not approved.

Light Blue States= States where medical marijuana is strictly limited to CBD only, and or basically impossible to obtain.

Dark Blue States= Places where medical marijuana is illegal under state law.

So as you can see from the map, in theory an individual with a medical marijuana card could drive from Maine to California with an Oz of herb in the trunk with relatively little risk, outside of a sliver of NH, PA, WI.... the tricky part would be crossing the Idaho Panhandle without ending up in jail...

[NOVA Green]

Most Republican politicians are right on issues like drugs and crime. They take the wrong view on issues like guns, the environment, and education. Oh, and then of course, you have Republicans like Rand Paul and Cory Gardner, who take the wrong view on drugs, but then again, Rand Paul takes the wrong view on practically every issue.

Hell, not even understanding your political perspective.....

Doesn't sound Libertarian, Republican, Democratic nor Green....

In Oregon back in the '80s at the height of the Reagan Recession, many out of work Loggers and Millworkers (Skilled craftmen all) learned to grow a certain strain of MJ to not only export out of state, but also to improve the spirits of Oregonians that were suffering the highest unemployment rate in the Country at the time....

"Most Republicans are Right on Issues Like Drugs and Crime"..... (Your Words)

Sounds like yet another rethread of the days where George Bush Sr was mobilizing Oregon National Guard Troops to conduct a quasi-military operation in my home state.

Can you imagine living in a setting where the sounds of Military Helicopters wake you up in the early morning hours, hovering over your 1.5 acre property on a river bank in the Mid-day?

Can you imagine a New Jersey where massive raids are committed against alleged Marijuana Growers, in a small town and rural state experiencing the most massive depression since the Great Depression?

These raids were not just committed against "Hippies" but against laid off and unemployed loggers that knew the forest and their rural counties and resisted by all means necessary against the Federal Raids of "King George HW Bush"...

Read your history Man before you open your mouth on this subject....

There were certain places where we knew not to go as teenagers, my wife from Josephine County and me from the Central Willamette Valley because "No Trespassing Signs" mean exactly that.... likely a Vietnam Vet just wants to be let alone, maybe would take a warning shot if you cross the property line during dear hunting season....

Sorry punk, you sound like a Liberal when you talk about Guns, Environment, & Education....

Give you that. but I still have many friends, family members, and co-workers that like their guns (mainly for hunting and target shooting), so even many "Liberal Oregon Democrats" are chill with 2nd Amendment Rights, although the vast majority of us disagree with the Gun Loophole and Federal Background Check BS.

Not all of us agree with banning procurement and purchase of semi-automatics, but hell we all agree with strengthening screening laws, and potentially even gradually prohibiting purchases of certain guns that are more a weapon of war than anything else....

Not sure where you are at man, but maybe take a toke listen to some tunes and realize that Prohibition is done gone and over.

No longer much of toker and smoker in my mid '40s, but hell America has much bigger issues to deal with in 2019 than a continuation of Prohibition and the "War on Drugs" which created permanent Felony records for parents of Oregonians that I went to HS with simply because they were growing weed....

[NOVA Green]

So is anywhere going to have ballot referenda on weed in 2020?

Seems about time for Ohio to take another crack at this, right? I think enough time has passed that it could pass there.

According to Ballotpedia: Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and South Dakota all have citizen initiatives in circulation for Marijuana Legalization....

How many if any of them will qualify and survive the court review process is another question, let alone if it would pass in any of these states (Other than NJ)....

It's been awhile since, I looked at the ballot thresholds to qualify for an initiative by State, but this is a good place to start, and I believe will likely update once signatures start to get collected and numbers updated, based upon state initiative law.

https://ballotpedia.org/Category:Marijuana,_2020

[NOVA Green]

According to Ballotpedia: Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and South Dakota all have citizen initiatives in circulation for Marijuana Legalization....

The only viable state there seems to be Arizona, given that it only requires a simple majority to succeed. The other states I'm not so sure about. Also New Jersey doesn't have an initiative process afaik, so they may be referring to a possible amendment referred to the people by the legislature, which would be the smart, reasonable thing to do if the lawmakers are too spineless or incompetent to enact reform themselves.

Arizona:  has been on radar for a bit when it comes to a public initiative, even if it does not occur in a Presidential Election Year (Might help might hurt).

Main reason being the shifting Demographics of Anglos in Arizona that comprise an overwhelmingly slice of the electorate compared to the overall ethnic population of AZ.

Increasingly Senior Citizen retirees to California tend to be much more "Liberal" on this issue than previous waves that settled in places like Sun City, Glendale, etc back in the days....

I believe (and someone can fact check me on this), but I do believe that Anglos in California had the highest % support for Legalization in the State, compared to Black and Latino, and Asian-American voters in Cali....

Now, it could well be that Midwest and Rocky Mountain State Anglo retirees might have different perspectives on the subject....

Generally, based upon what little we know about MJ legalization initiatives in heavily Multi-Ethnic states (Basically data points from California, haven't really checked precinct results from NV), it does appear that for whatever reason Minority voters were less receptive to legalization than Anglos.

Now, this doesn't mean that heavily Millennial Latino voters that are starting to become a significant segment of the Latino electorate in AZ won't vote in similar patterns as other Millennial communities on this issue, and might change the mind of some their parents who simply believe that Marijuana is a distraction, can get you into trouble with the law, interfere with your job prospects and education, and potentially even worse get you caught up with some harder scene.

New Jersey: Could simply and easily pass this in an overwhelmingly DEM House and Senate and would get signed into law the next day by the Governor.

We have seen multiple posts from our resident NJ posters on this subject, and quite frankly, if I were an NJ-DEM I would be looking at doing a Primary action against the DEMs that are still standing in the door, or challenging an old skool NJ PUB to take them down for this for NJ-House or NJ-Senate.

It's a long drive from NJ to buy some legal bud, and you gotta be paranoid about state highway patrols along the New Jersey Turnpike, and upon your entire return trip.

Easier to just do some handshakes on the corner from the safety of your car if you don't have a "hookup".....

Arkansas:    This could be a wildcard when it comes to Medical MJ....   Seriously, I seem to vaguely recall some articles in the Business Press at that time of the late '80s/ early '90s, that something like 25-30% of American Marijuana was grown in the Appalachian region.

Although I prefer a beer to a bong these days, there are a ton of folks in places like Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, that wouldn't mind getting into the market before they get swamped by the Legal Weed coming down from Illinois down the Mississippi River Valley.

4.) Yes I agree it's a pretty bleak list of states for 2020 where current MJ initiatives have already been filed when it comes to the movement (Not that other States still don't have plenty of time to create $$$ and draft initiative movements.

Although I extremely rarely smoke anymore, I still support the Freedom Movement for Federal Legalization of Marijuana, even if it needs to gradually move up state by state.

[NOVA Green]

Did the Ohio State Legislature just accidentally legalize marijuana?

Huffington Post:

"State contortions to legalize hemp in Ohio got so complicated that it now looks like misdemeanor marijuana charges won’t be prosecuted — in effect legalizing pot for the time being.

That’s pretty much the conclusion of legal experts and the state attorney general. Columbus officials have already declared they’re dropping prosecution of pot misdemeanors"

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ohio-marijuana-legal-accident-hemp_n_5d4e689de4b0fd2733f0b7df

[NOVA Green]

Is anything happening this Election Day?

Nothing statewide, but more local:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2019/11/01/wayne-county-vote-marijuana-schools-mayors/2501655001/
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/five-ohio-cities-will-vote-on-marijuana-decriminalization-next-week/

In regards to Ohio, a statewide measure initiative failed to get on the ballot.

Thanks for the update LCameronOR....

There are certainly several interesting points within these two links you posted, which certainly have been in the front-line topics even within States that have legalized Recreational and/or Medicinal Marijuana:

1.) Zoning of Marijuana related businesses is still a major issue even within states such as Oregon, where our legalization law effectively allowed municipal and county county control that had a choice regarding MJ related business activities, including retail shops, including recreational & Medicinal being allowed to operate in various communities.

2.) Other major issues include the smell from Marijuana Processing Facilities impacting the quality of pollution in the air within facilities located closer to populated areas.

Although the vast majority of the "Indoor Marijuana Production Agricultural Family Farms" and "Weed Processing Facilities" are generally located well outside of the Cities, or if not are located in Warehouse districts with no neighboring population, it is becoming an item of concern to various residents.

3.) One of the more serious critiques that we are seeing in Oregon is from the Agricultural Sector within Central and Eastern Oregon. The expansion of MJ Cultivation to Central and Eastern Oregon is sucking up precious water, that obviously completes with various other forms of Ag.... First read this in an Ag Farming Mag from the PacNW a few years back.

Meanwhile, we have the "Server Farms" sucking up Energy and Water in places such as Central and Eastern Oregon, and similar places within Washington State....

4.) Municipal and local control is real, even with states such as Michigan that have legalized MJ.... I could go through my precinct results from Oregon about which places back when voted for or against.... 

5.) OH---- Decrim is essentially something that sends a message to the Coppers to focus on something else....

OR was the first state to decrim, and even when I was in HS way back in '87 the coppers do an illegal search when a teenager might possibly have smoked a joint in public, it would be one of those gigs where you smash the pipe and the weed on the ground and walk away.

One of my fellow Supervisors at the Factory was a Clean Copper in the Small Mill Town next Door, and would never bust people on the Weed, but only on DUIs or distribution if the qty was over the limit....

6.) Back in the early '90s we had these hard Cali Coppers showing up in Oregon, likely to take a break from the heavy s**t going down in SoCal and Cali.... they would shake us down, and we would always stand up against them, but we always knew the clean coppers vs the dirty coppers back in the days....

7.) No idea about how the election results are going to play out within the communities that comrade LCameronOR mentioned, since municipal level stuff doesn't allow for much data points without doing an extremely deep dive....

8.) Currently our company has a policy that if an applicant pisses dirty for MJ, they will not be accepted but are more than welcome to reapply within (30) days, without any negative judgement.....  (Kind of like common sense crap back when I used to smoke (20) Years ago, but now employers are wise that it's better to screen out Meth/Coke/Heroin users than someone who took a rip off a bong 3 weeks back....

[NOVA Green]

Looks like we might see a major breakthrough coming through coming from the North-Eastern States (NY, NJ, PA, CT, and )

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/10/marijuana-northeast-governors-legal-068229

[NOVA Green]

Upgraded NOVA Green map of the State of Marijuana Freedom Policies within the various states of the US:

Dark Green = States where Marijuana is fully legal for recreational consumption.

Medium Green= States where Recreational Marijuana might be on the ballot in 2020.

Pea Puke Green= States where not only is Medicinal Marijuana Legal, but also where there is no jail time for recreational possession of Marijuana.

Pink= NC State that has eliminated jail time for possession of small amounts of Marijuana

Aqua Blue / Cop Cars = States where Marijuana is illegal but there are limited medical options.

Dark Blue / Prison Cells= States where if you get busted with Weed you are likely doing time in the County or Joint ....

[NOVA Green]

Wisconsin really stands out as a bizarre exception to the rule for the dark blue States. Probably comes from the lack of having voter initiative or referendum measures, IMHO.

Agreed, Wisconsin definitely stands out, especially considering it was practically the cradle of the Progressive Movement in the late 1890s and early 1900s, where Citizen Initiatives and Referendums were part and parcel of the movement....

We are after all talking about the home of a legendary Man, not only in Wisconsin, but nationally, where direct votes were part and parcel of the movement....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette

In practice, like many states, I suspect that state and local law enforcement tends to use a relatively broad range of discretion when it comes to MJ related arrests...

Even some 25 Years ago when me and three friends from college did a "drive-away car" gig to head out West and we got stopped right outside of Cheyenne on the Highway, and the driver got popped for speeding 80 MPH in a 65 MPH, and we got pulled over by Wyoming State Highway Patrol, and one of the gals had an Eighth of Weed on her, and we got illegally searched on the side of the road in 15 Degree weather, the cop basically took the Weed without paperwork, gave the driver a $300 speeding ticket, and sent us on our way....

Turned out there was a Rainbow Gathering going on in some National Forest outside of town, so they profiled some young college kids driving back West thinking they might have a real bust on their hands, but the paperwork for citing the gal wasn't worth the time for a small amount of weed, despite the potential legal impacts that might have caused her considering it was a Felony....

Black and Brown Brothers and Sisters driving through might have gotten hit with a much harder rap....

[NOVA Green]

I believe (and someone can fact check me on this), but I do believe that Anglos in California had the highest % support for Legalization in the State, compared to Black and Latino, and Asian-American voters in Cali....

Now, it could well be that Midwest and Rocky Mountain State Anglo retirees might have different perspectives on the subject....

Generally, based upon what little we know about MJ legalization initiatives in heavily Multi-Ethnic states (Basically data points from California, haven't really checked precinct results from NV), it does appear that for whatever reason Minority voters were less receptive to legalization than Anglos.

Yet people always say that marijuana was banned by racist whites.

Totally true and valid point....

Arguably the massive shift in public opinion on legalization has occurred in virtually all communities and regions of the country in recent years, so while on the one hand resistance to MJ legalization earlier on was more strongly opposed in many minority communities than in many Anglo Communities, despite much smaller rates of overall drug consumption than Anglos (including even MJ), this pattern way well have shifted as increasingly it is viewed more as a "criminal justice reform" issue, rather than I want to get high because of entertainment/recreation versus medicinal needs.

IDK.... we probably won't see that many MJ related votes on the ballot this November because of the difficulty collecting signatures in the COVID-19 era....