Portland Maine becomes first East Coast city to legalize marijuana

[-King-]

Portland, Maine, Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

By Robin Wilkey Posted: 11/05/2013 9:56 pm EST | Updated: 11/06/2013 12:06 pm EST


Portland, Maine, voters on Tuesday approved legalizing recreational marijuana for residents 21 and older. The measure, Question 1, passed with about 70 percent of the vote, making Portland the first East Coast city to legalize recreational pot.

Adult residents of Portland -- Maine's largest city -- may possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana under the referendum. The new measure does not permit the recreational purchase or sale of marijuana, nor does it permit its use in public spaces like parks.

"Most Portlanders, like most Americans, are fed up with our nation's failed marijuana prohibition laws," said David Boyer of the Marijuana Policy Project, a marijuana advocacy group. "We applaud Portland voters for adopting a smarter marijuana policy, and we look forward to working with city officials to ensure it is implemented."

Marijuana advocates anxiously awaited the city vote result:

Medical marijuana is already legal in Maine, and the Portland referendum is seen as largely symbolic, as it does not override state or federal laws. But the passage could spark further efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, as it was in Washington and Colorado in November 2012.

"I think there's national implications, keeping the momentum that Washington and Colorado started last November in ending marijuana prohibition," said Boyert in anticipation of the vote. "This is just the next domino."

While the measure did not face organized opposition, some did raise concern over the Marijuana Policy Project's Metro bus ad campaign. Some said the ads promoted the use of marijuana, not just the passage of Question 1.

"It's highly inappropriate to be promoting pro-marijuana message in a place that has a large audience of people under the age of 21," said drug prevention group 21 Reasons spokeswoman Kate Perkins to local news group WCHS.

Metro officials reviewed the transit agency's policy and said the ads fall in line with political advertisements.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4221919.html

[hometeam]

hooray~

[FlaChief58]

It'll be legal nation wide within the next 5 years

[Nzoner]

That's beautiful

[KCUnited]

Holy shit, I'd forgotten Maine was a state. Good for them.

[Mr. Laz]

Welp, since the east coast is doing it ...

[Simply Red]

[Cannibal]

KS and MO will be among the very last states to follow suit.

[FlaChief58]

Once the fed figures out how much revenue they're missing out on, the law will be changed

[SeeingRed]

Why is smoking weed illegal for athletes anyway? If you can perform and compete smoking weed who cares....its not a performance enhancer.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Slippery slope

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Flachief58

Once the fed figures out how much revenue they're missing out on, the law will be changed

The revenue was over $1.5 billion this year. Next year they say it will be over $2.3 billion making it the fastest growing industry in the nation. And that's just coming from 2.5 states (not all the way legal in California).

[FlaChief58]

Originally Posted by L.A. Chieffan

Slippery slope

Do tell

[FlaChief58]

Originally Posted by -King-

The revenue was over $1.5 billion this year. Next year they say it will be over $2.3 billion making it the fastest growing industry in the nation. And that's just coming from 2.5 states (not all the way legal in California).

Not to mention the money they will be saving by not having to criminalize people for having a joint on them

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by Flachief58

Do tell

Just go ahead and legalize crack and heroin. Sorry if i don't want my kids school bus driver to be Otto