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2014: A Great Year for Marijuana Smokers
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2014 was truly a watershed year for the movement to legalize marijuana in this country. Two states joined the list of jurisdiction to switch from prohibition to regulated sales, and the District of Columbia, as well as a number of cities, adopted complete decriminalization for minor offenses. And scores of additional states saw their first serious legalization proposals introduced in their state legislatures, a fact that holds great promise for more victories to come in the near future.
While far too many marijuana arrests continue to occur in this country, and hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens still have their lives and careers turned upside-down each year because of their use of marijuana, it is also true that the number of marijuana arrests dropped for the fourth straight year, reversing a pattern of increasing numbers of arrests that had been expanding for several decades. With additional states moving from prohibition towards decriminalization or full legalization, those numbers should continue to decline for years to come. We did not get into this mess called marijuana prohibition overnight, and it will require both persistence and patience to put it fully behind us.
A lot of the progress we have seen over the last year occurred in ways that reflect the increasing public acceptance of marijuana, a necessary precursor to political change. 2014 was truly another banner year for legalizers.
Here is my list of the most significant milestones of the last twelve months.
1. Oregon and Alaska Fully Legalize Marijuana
On November 4, voters in both Oregon and Alaska approved voter initiatives that ended marijuana prohibition under their state laws, replacing prohibition with a regulate-and-tax system that licenses both growers and retail outlets. By joining Colorado and Washington, these two states assured the legalization bandwagon continues forward at full speed. This movement towards full legalization is more than just a couple of states breaking with tradition; this is now a national legalization movement with the real potential to end marijuana prohibition over the next few years all across the country.
Oregonians approved their legalization proposal with 56 percent of the vote, allowing those age 21 and older to possess up to eight ounces of “dried” marijuana and up to four plants. Alaskans approved their legalization proposal with 53 percent support, allowing people 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and to cultivate up to six plants. Both states will eventually have licensed growers and sellers, once the state regulations have been promulgated and implemented.
The stage is now set for another round of legalization victories in 2016.
2. Washington, D.C. Completely Decriminalizes Marijuana
In February, the DC City Council approved legislation making the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana a $25 civil fine, with a $100 civil fine for public possession or smoking in public. That provided residents of the District with one of the best decriminalization laws in the nation. And that is especially important because all 535 members of Congress get to experience decriminalization first-hand, and compare it to their (mostly) harsher marijuana laws back home.
Then in November the voters in DC went further, with 70 percent supporting a voter initiative fully legalizing the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana, and the private cultivation of up to six plants (no more than three may be mature); and further legalizing the transfer (without payment ; sales remain illegal) of up to one ounce of marijuana from one adult to another.
District law does not currently permit the retail sales of recreational marijuana, but the City Council has discussed the possibility of moving in that direction over the coming year.
Congress, as part of the Omnibus Budget bill enacted just before Congress adjourned for the year, then attempted to bar the implementation of the voter initiative, inserting language purporting to disallow the expenditure of any funds to implement the new law. However, local elected officials, including the City Council Chair, the incoming mayor and the District’s non-voting delegate to Congress, have all concluded the attempt by Congress is legally ineffective, and they are moving forward to implement the terms of the latest initiative. Stay tuned as this is all sorted out after the first of the year.
Source: http://truthisscary.com/2015/01/2014-a-great-year-for-marijuana-smokers/
