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Opposition to marijuana legalization increases

July 10, 2010

More voters who intend to vote in November now oppose Proposition 19, the ballot measure that would legalize marijuana, by a slight margin. [LA Times]

A new statewide survey now shows 48 percent of Californians oppose Proposition 19, while 44 percent support the measure. Last May, public opinion was in favor of legalization.

The poll found a very high level of awareness of the initiative with more than three-quarters of likely voters saying that they have heard about it. Those voters back it 48 percent to 44 percent. But likely voters who had not heard about the measure until they were told about it by the poll takers oppose it by 2 to 1.

Political observers believe Proposition 19 could be in trouble in November. They claim that ballot measures that start off behind in the polls rarely end up passing.

Dale Sky Clare, a spokeswoman for the Proposition 19 campaign, said the poll shows that the challenge will be to educate voters about the regulations the measure imposes and the tax revenues it could produce.

“The folks that are familiar with the proposition itself, that have educated themselves on the proposition, find that they like it,” she said. “This is going to be a nail-biter to the very end.”


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In case you were wondering, the medical marijuana thing is a total joke. On one hand you have doctors selling perscriptions to just about anyone for just about any condition. On the other hand, I begged two different doctors to give me a perscription and they were not willing. Both of these doctors were oncologists (Ganpule for chemo & Gilroy for radiation). Both doctors stated that they were being watched closely by the federal government and that if they wrote perscriptions, the feds would “harass” them and eventually cause them to close their businesses. I did gather some enjoyment in stating to both of these people that they cared more about their businesses than they did about their patients. In the end, the wrong people are getting rich from the current rules and the people who could really use the help are not getting it. This is not fair; this needs to change.


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no one sells prescriptions for marijuana, a recommendation is not a prescription.When narcotics were first prohibited some 2000 doctors went to prison for treating their patients as they saw fit, Dr.s are still touchy about it.


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Cab Calloway


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I voted to legalize MJ for medical reasons and I know that it gets abused but who am I to judge. I never liked marijuana and don’t use it but there was a short time when I used it for medical reason’s and it worked. I didn’t use it as a first resort but as a last resort after I became allergic to the medication that had been alleviating a condition that was causing me extreme pain including a lesion in my esophagus. Like I said it worked over a matter of weeks, the condition resolved itself and I haven’t needed it again. It’s been 7 years but if I ever need it again, I’ll be using it at the first sign of a recurring onset.

I’m mentioning the above because I know that it doesn’t harm people. I never got addicted to it, not even close. When I didn’t need it anymore, I didn’t use it anymore and never even thought about it, I gave away what was left of it. I didn’t want other drugs or stronger drugs, I was just happy to be myself and feel well again. I laughed a lot when I smoked it and thought things were very funny. I slept like a baby pain free and without symptoms that used to cause me to sleep sitting up for 4 days at a time! I was very relaxed and took time to read books that had piled up over a few years. The last thing I wanted to do was get angry about anything, it was a peaceful time for me when I was getting well and I got well fast.

So yes, while I doubt that I will be smoking it, I will vote to just make it legal. It doesn’t hurt anybody.


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People are going to find ways to purchase marijuana, whether you legalize it or not. If you legalize, and impose strict regulations on it like we have on alcohol, that would decrease the risk of people selling and obtaining and using it illegally. Plus it could generate very healthy revenues for our state.

I would also like to point out that there are VERY few violent crimes associated with pot-smoking, whereas there are an infinite number of crimes and disturbances associated with drunkenness.

Also, marijuana is a naturally-occuring substance that does not have to be chemically altered or distilled and processed the way alcohol does. It is the same as any other plant that grows in nature, yet we are told that alcohol is okay while marijuana is “dangerous”.

The funny thing is, I’m not even a pot-smoker.


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So your the one. I mean really, SLO is already weed central. I’m still blown away we’re voting on it though.

But maybe bad timing? Don’t the politicians need confident, energetic, sharp, able people to find jobs so the economy turns around? Opps! Employers will havecome to the job hunters houses for the interviews, if they answer the door that is.


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Is this website ‘Cal Coast Cannabis News’? You wanna legalize it – fine. If it passes, I’ll support its lawful use – just as long as all the other ordinances that pertain to the legal use of tobacco are also applied to marijuana use (i.e. no use in ‘places of public accommodation’), second-hand marijuana smoke should be controlled and restricted just the same as tobacco. Its cultivation and harvest must be licensed, just like tobacco. Growers will have to be inspected, taxed, regulated into the ground or face strict fines and/or jail time. Abusers will still face ‘DUI’ arrests as before, and civil disturbance complaints – which will likely increase as Marijuana use impairs judgment – will no doubt cause a drain on local law enforcement, and with no revenue from drug-related ‘fire sales’ of personal property used in the pursuit of illegal marijuana distribution, there will be fewer police to take care of it.


Ahh, freedom! Am I the only one who sees the irony?


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Looks like Pennsylvania is going to approve Medical pot and Maine just licensed some dispensaries, legal pot in Maine! now there has to be some irony in that somehow!


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Ignorance is a sad attribute to have. Anyone can grow tobacco for their own use just like hops or grapes so that makes no sense. Their are ways to ingest marijuana without causing second hand smoke aka. vaporizer, edibles. Civil disturbance complaints? Marijuana makes you relax not want to go out and thump some heads. Sales of drug related property does not have a direct relationship to number of officers on the street. One thing you forgot to put in your statement was the fact that by legalizing marijuana, people will be let out of jail and prison meaning less guards to watch them, less judges to prosecute them, less officers on the street to bust them. Maybe, just maybe our thankless state can use this money to help out schools and educate our youth. No that would be too easy. I don’t think it should be legalized until the fed legalizes medical use. Thank God for 215 and 420.


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LOL! You mean like “vote for me and vote often”? I guess there is that side of the argument too;-/


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Oops that was a reply to BTDT. Button goof.


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One thing done extremely well in the United States is the successful application of the ‘bogeyman’.

How else can pompous twits repeatedly get elected from all parties, & at all levels?

How else can they herd a supposedly ‘advanced’ population into idiocy?


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it was a bad idea to make it illegal in the first place.


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“But likely voters who had not heard about the measure until they were told about it by the poll takers oppose it by 2 to 1.”

And there you have it, the uninformed voter that has the attention span of a flea deciding what gets done in California.

Sad.


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I love your take on this and how right you are. I wish I could have hit the like button for you a dozen times!


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If you beat a child enough for a certain activity and make them believe in frightening lies and myths, don’t be surprised when they are cautious/shy about anything related to that activity for a long long time.


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