tet1953
Well-Known Member
The Maine Legislature has decided against sending a marijuana legalization bill to referendum this year. Here is a link to the story: http://www.pressherald.com/maine-house-rejects-bill-to-put-pot-legalization-to-statewide-vote_2013-06-07.html
[h=1]Maine House denies voters chance to legalize marijuana[/h][h=2]Supporters, however, plan to launch their own citizen initiative to put the question on the ballot in 2016.[/h]
Written by Tom Bell, Staff Writer
AUGUSTA A bill calling for a referendum to ask voters whether marijuana should be legal in Maine was rejected by the House on Friday.
Republicans and Democrats were on both sides of the issue in the 71-67 vote on the bill sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland
Supporters said they were pleased with the narrow margin because it gives them hope that they can gain support in the future, in the Legislature or at the ballot box. They tentatively plan a citizens initiative to put the question on the state ballot in 2016.
The vote was definitely a nail-biter, said David Boyer, Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. Its a sign that there is a lot of support in the Legislature and in Maine for ending marijuana prohibitions.
The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group backed last years initiative campaign in Colorado that legalized the possession, use and distribution of marijuana.
Although two-thirds votes are needed in the House and Senate to put a question on Maines ballot, a majority vote would have drawn national media attention and energized marijuana supporters in Maine, Boyer said.
The Senate has yet to vote on the bill.
Russells bill, originally 26 pages long, stipulated how marijuana would be taxed and regulated.
After a legislative committee decided not to support the bill, supporters stripped the bill of most of its language and replaced it with a proposal for a question on the state ballot asking voters if they favor allowing adults 21 and older to use marijuana and regulating commercial marijuana-related activities.
If voters approved the plan, the states Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations would be required to develop a plan to regulate and tax marijuana.
During Fridays floor debate, some lawmakers said a citizens referendum is inevitable so it would be better for the Legislature to develop the rules than proponents of marijuana legalization.
Rep. Timothy Marks, D-Pittston, a retired state trooper who is a member of the Criminal Justice Committee, voted against the bill in committee but voted for it on Friday.
Although he still opposes legalizing marijuana, he said, he supported the bill because the scaled-down version would only put the issue to voters. Lets let the people decide, he said.
Rep. Lance Harvell, R-Farmington, who supported the bill, said the United States has lost the war on drugs because efforts to suppress the illegal trade drive up profits, thus increasing incentives to sell drugs.
Although he opposes marijuana use, he said, it would be more effective to regulate marijuana as a legal drug.
The floodgates are open on this, he said. Thats not a good thing. Its over. How do we surrender in a way in which our dignity isnt gone and our loss is not greater?
Opponents of the bill said marijuana use poses health risk, serves as a gateway to harder drugs and stunts the cognitive development of teenagers.
I have seen lives destroyed by addiction, said Rep. Gay Grant, D-Gardiner. I raise my kids to say, no to drugs. I am saying, no to drugs. I am saying, no to this drug. I am not raising the white flag.
Rep. Joseph Brooks, an independent from Winterport, spoke at length about his life as a recovering alcoholic. He said alcohol and drug addictions cause great suffering.
I am not going to go home and say, I voted to legalize marijuana, not after all these years to keep my family off drugs, he said. Why cant we be high on life? Why cant we accept life, deal with the issues and problems, without some artificial means of being high?
[h=1]Maine House denies voters chance to legalize marijuana[/h][h=2]Supporters, however, plan to launch their own citizen initiative to put the question on the ballot in 2016.[/h]
Written by Tom Bell, Staff Writer
AUGUSTA A bill calling for a referendum to ask voters whether marijuana should be legal in Maine was rejected by the House on Friday.
Republicans and Democrats were on both sides of the issue in the 71-67 vote on the bill sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland
Supporters said they were pleased with the narrow margin because it gives them hope that they can gain support in the future, in the Legislature or at the ballot box. They tentatively plan a citizens initiative to put the question on the state ballot in 2016.
The vote was definitely a nail-biter, said David Boyer, Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. Its a sign that there is a lot of support in the Legislature and in Maine for ending marijuana prohibitions.
The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group backed last years initiative campaign in Colorado that legalized the possession, use and distribution of marijuana.
Although two-thirds votes are needed in the House and Senate to put a question on Maines ballot, a majority vote would have drawn national media attention and energized marijuana supporters in Maine, Boyer said.
The Senate has yet to vote on the bill.
Russells bill, originally 26 pages long, stipulated how marijuana would be taxed and regulated.
After a legislative committee decided not to support the bill, supporters stripped the bill of most of its language and replaced it with a proposal for a question on the state ballot asking voters if they favor allowing adults 21 and older to use marijuana and regulating commercial marijuana-related activities.
If voters approved the plan, the states Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations would be required to develop a plan to regulate and tax marijuana.
During Fridays floor debate, some lawmakers said a citizens referendum is inevitable so it would be better for the Legislature to develop the rules than proponents of marijuana legalization.
Rep. Timothy Marks, D-Pittston, a retired state trooper who is a member of the Criminal Justice Committee, voted against the bill in committee but voted for it on Friday.
Although he still opposes legalizing marijuana, he said, he supported the bill because the scaled-down version would only put the issue to voters. Lets let the people decide, he said.
Rep. Lance Harvell, R-Farmington, who supported the bill, said the United States has lost the war on drugs because efforts to suppress the illegal trade drive up profits, thus increasing incentives to sell drugs.
Although he opposes marijuana use, he said, it would be more effective to regulate marijuana as a legal drug.
The floodgates are open on this, he said. Thats not a good thing. Its over. How do we surrender in a way in which our dignity isnt gone and our loss is not greater?
Opponents of the bill said marijuana use poses health risk, serves as a gateway to harder drugs and stunts the cognitive development of teenagers.
I have seen lives destroyed by addiction, said Rep. Gay Grant, D-Gardiner. I raise my kids to say, no to drugs. I am saying, no to drugs. I am saying, no to this drug. I am not raising the white flag.
Rep. Joseph Brooks, an independent from Winterport, spoke at length about his life as a recovering alcoholic. He said alcohol and drug addictions cause great suffering.
I am not going to go home and say, I voted to legalize marijuana, not after all these years to keep my family off drugs, he said. Why cant we be high on life? Why cant we accept life, deal with the issues and problems, without some artificial means of being high?
