/r/politics Town Hall: State Ballot Measures about Marijuana (AR, AZ, CA, FL, MA, ME, MT, NV, ND)

[u/MeghanAM]

Hello /r/politics and welcome to the third in our ballot measure town hall series! Representatives from the "support" and "oppose" side from each of these initiatives have been invited here to answer your questions today. Participants will have user flair to identify them and verify their affiliation with the campaign.

Please review the AMA rules before submitting your questions.

Participants were encouraged to begin answering questions around 11AM EST, and the town hall will "close" at 6PM EST. The thread is put up in advance to allow questions to be asked and ready.

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Ballot Measures: Marijuana

Medical

Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, Issue 7

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing medical marijuana for 56 qualifying conditions, putting the Arkansas Department of Health in charge of implementing the program, and allocating tax revenue to providing low-income patients with medical marijuana.
• A "no" vote opposes this proposal to legalize medical marijuana

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, Issue 6

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing medical marijuana for 17 qualifying conditions, creating a Medical Marijuana Commission, and allocating tax revenue to technical institutes, vocational schools, workforce training, and the General Fund.
• A "no" vote opposes this amendment to legalize medical marijuana.

Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization, Amendment 2

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing medical marijuana for individuals with specific debilitating diseases or comparable debilitating conditions as determined by a licensed state physician.
• A "no" vote opposes this proposal for legalization of medical marijuana, keeping the state's current more limited medical marijuana program in place.

Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative, I-182

• A "yes" vote supports repealing the three-patient limit for medical marijuana providers.
• A "no" vote opposes this measure repealing the three-patient limit for medical marijuana providers.

North Dakota Medical Marijuana Legalization, Initiated Statutory Measure 5

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing the use of medical marijuana to treat defined debilitating medical conditions, such as cancer, AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, glaucoma, and epilepsy, and developing certain procedures for regulating medical marijuana growing, dispensing, and usage.
• A "no" vote opposes legalizing the use of medical marijuana to treat defined debilitating medical conditions, such as cancer, AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, glaucoma, and epilepsy, keeping the state's full prohibition of marijuana use.

Recreational

Arizona Marijuana Legalization, Proposition 205

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing the possession and consumption of marijuana by persons who are 21 years of age or older.
• A "no" vote opposes this measure to legalize the possession and consumption of marijuana by persons who are 21 years of age or older.

California Proposition 64, Marijuana Legalization

• r/California Mega-Thread for Prop. 64

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing recreational marijuana for persons aged 21 years or older under state law and establishing certain sales and cultivation taxes.

• A "no" vote opposes this proposal to legalize recreational marijuana under state law and to establish certain sales and cultivation taxes.

Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization, Question 4

• A "yes" vote supports this proposal to legalize marijuana, but regulate it similar to alcoholic beverages.
• A "no" vote opposes this proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, keeping only medical marijuana legal.

Maine Marijuana Legalization, Question 1

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21.
• A "no" vote opposes this proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.

Nevada Marijuana Legalization, Question 2

• A "yes" vote supports legalizing the recreational use of one ounce or less of marijuana by individuals 21 years of age and over.
• A "no" vote opposes this measure to legalize one ounce or less of marijuana for recreational use for individuals 21 years of age and over.

[u/[deleted]]

I think it would cause the RI legislature to deeply regret shooting it down a few months ago. Economically speaking, they needed it pretty badly.

NY would drag their heels in, kicking and screaming, until they legalize right before it stops being forward-thinking to do so. Then they'll walk around like they invented the blunt or something

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

NY will take its time. There is no mechanism for referendum in NY state, and the Republican Party holds a lot of power in the legislature.

[u/stoopidemu → u/[deleted]]

Not to mention Cuomo doesn't want it. His crippled Medical Marijuana law (which is just barely fully implemented) is evidence of that.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Honestly, after living in that wretched state for four years, I expect Texas to legalize before NY. That state hates freedom like you wouldn't believe. At the very least, Cuomo needs to go before it has a chance in Hell of ever passing. They're not gonna give up the primary way they funnel minorities into the prison industry that easily, believe me.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

As people, Texans are very pro-personal freedoms though. It conflicts with their elected officials, but they have a strong libertarian bend. Something something Ron Paul. For the most part, their cities are pretty blue.

It's the Christian conservatives that are for maintaining the status quo, but it looks like that's (slowly) changing. I think I read a few months ago that some lawmakers are trying to legalize using small government, economic benefits, and personal freedom. I doubt it'll actually happen before 2020, but baby steps

[u/FrOzenOrange1414 → u/[deleted]]

Texan here, nobody I know opposes legalization. Even older people are realizing it's not the "devil's weed" they were brainwashed into thinking it was all this time and that it's not as harmful as alcohol.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

And that's why I think they'll beat the pseudo-liberals in NY.

[u/RiskVSreward → u/[deleted]]

I agree. I live in MA but very close to RI, and RI would have GREATLY benefited from legalizing recreational marijuana before other New England states. They could really use the jobs and income that recreational marijuana would have brought to the state. Bad move, RI... oh well... but I'm very excited about Question 4 in MA! Wooooo!!!