San Francisco (Obama.net)- The call to legalize marijuana in the state of California has been stronger than ever. The proposition had numerous celebrity endorsers promoting its passage. With more and more people demanding the regulation of the recreational drug, it would have been a very wise bet that Proposition 19 would have passed Tuesday by an enormous landslide.
However, at the end of Election Day, Prop 19 was voted down by California voters in a fairly close race. With 93% of precincts having reported, 54% of the population voted against the proposition while only 46% voted for its passage.
The passage of Prop 19 would have brought millions of dollars to the state of California on a yearly basis. Marijuana would have been regulated and thus taxed, which would provide money for many programs for the state, which is already struggling financially.
California, being one of the top seven economies in the world, has one of the biggest budgets in the world. It is not news that the state is low on funds and numerous programs, including education, face budget cuts on a regular basis. Marijuana tax dollars would not have fixed the problem, but they definitely would have alleviated the problem.
Prop 19, also known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act, would have been heavily regulated and controlled. Only individuals 21 years of age or older would be allowed to purchase, possess, and use marijuana. Furthermore, only one ounce would be permitted to be in ones possession at a time. The use of the drug would only be allowed in private and even then only is there were no children around.
Marijuana would have been commercialized and sold at any store that obtains a license to sell it. The regulations that would have been placed on marijuana are very similar to those of alcohol.
Despite being supported by top organizations such as the NAACP, the Californian voters decided that the drug should not be regulated.
While the youths of California supported the passage of Prop 19, exit polls showed that most people over 40 years old were against it.
Clearly, the views on marijuana differ between the generations.
But the supporters of Prop 19 are still pressing hard for success in the future. 2012 is the new goal for supporters of marijuana legalization and regulation.
One has to wonder though, is two years enough time to change the minds of millions of Americans?
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