cannabisnews.com: Defeat of Pot Measure Leaves Supporters Pondering



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Defeat of Pot Measure Leaves Supporters Pondering 
Posted by CN Staff on November 03, 2010 at 06:15:08 PT
By Peter Korn
Source: Portland Tribune
Oregon -- Ballot Measure 74, which would have greatly expanded Oregon’s medical marijuana program, appeared late Tuesday night to be on its way to a solid defeat that a few months ago some thought unlikely. With over one million votes counted statewide, the measure was on the short end of a 58 percent to 42 percent tally. Multnomah County was the only county in the state to vote in favor of the measure.Measure 74 would have allowed privately run marijuana dispensaries to sell cannabis to medical marijuana cardholders across the state. It also would have allowed for-profit state-licensed marijuana growers to supply those dispensaries.
Nearly as important to the marijuana movement was the apparent defeat Tuesday of California’s Proposition 19, which would have more dramatically remade the national marijuana landscape if it had passed. Proposition 19 would have fully legalized marijuana for adults, making California the first state to do so.California led the way with the country’s first medical marijuana program in 1996 and Oregon followed California’s lead in establishing its medical marijuana program two years later. Oregon marijuana advocates had talked, prior to Tuesday night, of a possible 2012 legalization measure in this state if California’s Proposition 19 had passed.Tuesday night, those advocates weren’t quite so certain what the future might bring. Anthony Johnson, co-author of Measure 74, said that the tea party climate of this year’s election was a factor in 74’s defeat.“In a political climate like that it’s tough for a marijuana reform measure,” Johnson said.Johnson also said that the campaign for Measure 74, which benefited by a late infusion of cash and had virtually no organized opposition but was opposed by many law enforcement officials, did increase public awareness of medical marijuana, but that more had to be done next time.“This is a measure that takes time to explain to the public,” Johnson said.Sandee Burbank, executive director of Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse, a medical marijuana support organization and clinic, said she thought the defeat of Measure 74 would serve to further confuse an already uncertain medical marijuana landscape. Burbank said she knows of at least two illegal marijuana dispensaries already operating in Oregon, and that law enforcement officials appear loathe to deal with the operations.“There’s obviously a need for patients to have access to this kind of medicine,” Burbank said. “As far as I’m concerned we should just legalize it and get on to health issues that are real. Prohibition doesn’t work, never worked, never will work.”Stormy Ray, president of the Stormy Ray Cardholders’ Association, and a driving force behind Oregon’s original medical marijuana ballot measure, said she thought Measure 74’s defeat signaled a victory for medical marijuana cardholders. Ray said she believed the dispensary system would have led to “profiteering” and higher prices for cannabis sought by cardholders.Rays said for now, the future supply of cannabis for cardholders would be better handled by cardholder cooperatives, which would allow patients to share their cannabis supplies.Rays also was pleased with the defeat of California’s Proposition 19.“I have seen so much corruption associated with the word legalization that when I hear the word it makes me cringe,” she said.Source: Portland Tribune (OR)Author: Peter KornPublished: November 3, 2010Copyright: 2010 Portland TribuneContact: letters portlandtribune.comWebsite: http://www.portlandtribune.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/xOR71mv2CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #7 posted by boballen131313 on November 03, 2010 at 13:47:39 PT
Here's the punchline to this terrible joke
Rays also was pleased with the defeat of California’s Proposition 19.“I have seen so much corruption associated with the word legalization that when I hear the word it makes me cringe,” she said.Of Course leaving cannabis to the black market would eliminate Corruption? Someone's physician needs to check this gal's med interactions.
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Comment #6 posted by runruff on November 03, 2010 at 10:31:27 PT
For me...
...freedom is the goal. Freedom is the prize. Freedom is the issue.Everyting else is just rhetoric!
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Comment #5 posted by rancher on November 03, 2010 at 09:40:52 PT:
why m 74 failed
First, thank you to all the volunteers and patients who worked so hard on M 74. We ran a decent campaign with little resources. M 74 lost for a few different reasons. Obviously this was a good year for Republicans and a bad year for marijuana because young new voters were not motivated enough to vote. Part of the motivation problem comes from trying to improve an existing medical marijuana law that many think makes marijuana defacto legal anyway. The Measure 74 campaign found itself in a strange limbo. Some people didn't support it because it wasn't legalization - because it didn't go far enough. Meanwhile our opponenets claimed it was legalization in disguise - because it went too far (anybody could get a producer license they said). Lots of newspapers editorialized that we should just do legalization, quit dinking around with the smokescreen of medical. Other critics said the measure was vague even though it called for regulation including licensing, background checks, inspections, auditing and zoning. But the reality on the ground is that most marijuana users in Oregon act as though marijuana is already "legal enough" for them. About 80,000 people already have cards that exempt them from arrest. Thousands were too busy harvesting their crops to bother to volunteer or contribute to the campaign or even to vote. On the ground, the police really can't dent the marijuana culture and actually did less this year than ever. Sandee Burbank, quoted in the article talking about existing underground dispensaries, understated it. There are at least a dozen illegal unregulated dispensaries operating in Oregon and police are not busting them. We will see what happens now. But it is clear that it will be challenging to legalize marijuana when the average marijuana user does not care enough (because they do not fear prohibition enough) to actually do anything. If you are reading this, you are probably part of the 1 percent of the marijuana culture who actually even care what the law is. How do we convince the other 99% of marijuana lovers to stand up?
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Comment #4 posted by museman on November 03, 2010 at 07:32:26 PT
#1 
Is the number one reason why it didn't pass, and the number one reason why it is needed.But don't believe this line; "...and that law enforcement officials appear loathe to deal with the operations." -not from what we've seen. The New Deal on busting cannabis users -specifically medical cannabis growers, has just begun.I guess the cop gravy train is still on the tracks.NO other solution but toLEGALIZE FREEDOM!!
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 03, 2010 at 06:57:00 PT
SD Voters Say No To Medical Marijuana
I never thought South Dakota or Arizona would pass since they are strong Republican states.URL: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9J8CFSO0.htm
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 03, 2010 at 06:54:24 PT
Prop 203 Fails In Arizona
URL: http://drugsense.org/url/YidJwopb
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on November 03, 2010 at 06:53:20 PT
Oregon's dirty little secret...Shhhh!
Cops, DA's, growers, vedors, brokers, trimmers, patch tenders, garden and nursery suppliers, all are afraid 74 would ruin pot profits in the state. 
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