Electoral measures for marijuana legalization
Introduction
Among the presidential elections, the elections for governors and negative votes, this year’s election presents many important options. Among them, five -states voters will have the opportunity to legalize marijuana for recreational or medical uses. In Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota, voters could legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. In Mississippi and Dakota del Sur (in a separate voting initiative of the total legalization measure), voters could also legalize medicinal marijuana. If all these measures are approved, the United States would go from having 11 states in which marijuana is legal at 15.
Developing
More than a third of Americans would live in a state with legalized marijuana, compared to more than a quarter today. Electoral initiatives represent a massive change in drug policy. A decade ago, zero states had legalized marijuana. Then, in 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize cannabis for recreational use and sale. Despite the success of state measures, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. But from the administration of President Barack Obama, the Federal Government in general has adopted a non -intervention approach in the states’ marijuana initiatives.
There are still obstacles, banking is a challenge for marijuana businesses under the federal prohibition, but for the most part, the federal government has not interfered in state laws since 2013. This policy can reflect a change in public opinion, one that would make a federal repression against the legalization of marijuana very unpopular: as it is, public opinion surveys show that even most Republicans, who tend to adopt more pointsof view against marijuana that its democrats and independent peers support legalization. In that context, the defenders of legalization are optimistic about their perspectives this year.
Even in historically red states such as Arizona, Montana and Dakota del Sur. Legalization of marijuana in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota. In November, four states will vote to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. All will allow sales, which will lead to the type of tax and regulations that have taken shape in other legalization states. Arizona: The proposal 207 would legalize the possession and use of marijuana for adults over 21 years, and allow people to grow up to six cannabis plants. It would commission the Department of Health Services of Arizona for the granting of licenses and the regulation of marijuana businesses.
From retailers to growers, and would impose a 16 percent tax on marijuana sales. Local governments could prohibit marijuana businesses within their borders. It would also allow people with a criminal record related to marijuana to request their elimination. It is similar to an election measure of 2016 that failed by little, but activists believe that support for legalization has grown since then. Montana: A constitutional amendment, CI-118, would allow the legislature or an electoral initiative to establish a legal age for marijuana. A legal measure, the I-190.
It would allow the possession and use of adults over 21 years, allowing them to cultivate up to four marijuana plants and four seedlings for personal use. The I-190 would entrust the Department of Income to establish and regulate a commercial system to cultivate and sell cannabis, while imposing a 20 percent tax and would allow local governments to ban cannabis businesses within their borders. And the I-190 would allow people convicted of crimes of marijuana in the past to seek a new sentence or elimination. New Jersey: Public question 1 would legalize the possession and use of marijuana for adults over 21 years.
And I would order the State Cannabis Regulatory Commission that regulates the legal system for the production and sale of marijuana. The measure is open on several fronts, including regulations, taxes and housing cultivation, instead, let the state legislature solve the details. The legislature placed the measure on the electoral ballot after it did not approve its own legalization bill. South Dakota: the constitutional amendment to legalize the possession and use of marijuana for adults over 21 years. It would allow people to cultivate up to three cannabis plants if they live in a jurisdiction without authorized marijuana retailers.
Would allow distribution and sales, with a 15 percent tax. Local governments could prohibit marijuana businesses within their borders. The measures of the four states follow the same model marketed for legalization, but that is not the only model for legalization. Washington, DC, for example, allows possession, use, cultivation and gifts, but not sales (although the disposition of ‘gifts’ has been legally doubtful, to ‘give away’ marijuana with the purchase ofjuices and stickers at an excessive price). Some drug policy experts have promoted a legalization model.
That does not allow a large marijuana industry to root, for fear that such an industry, similar to alcohol and tobacco companies, irresponsibly market their product and allow improper use or addiction. A 2015 RAND report listed a dozen alternatives to the standard prohibition of marijuana, from putting state agencies in charge of sales until only personal possession and cultivation allow: although marijuana is much safer than theAlcohol, tobacco and other illegal drugs is not totally safe. Misuse and addiction are genuine problems.
And millions of Americans report that they want to quit smoking but cannot despite the negative consequences. A review of the investigation of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine linked cannabis consumption with other possible disadvantages, including respiratory problems (if smoke), schizophrenia and psychosis, car accidents, lagged academic and social achievements lagborn. (If he smoked during pregnancy). These risks that have even led some supporters of legalization to ask for alternatives to the market marketed even . Opponents of legalization have also joined concerns that Big Marijuana can market the drug irresponsibly, causing bad results in public health.
However, the defenders of legalization generally argue that the possible disadvantages of marijuana are so slight that the benefits of legalization largely exceed the problems of the prohibition, including the hundreds of thousands of arrests in the USA. UU., The racial disparities behind those arrests and the billions of dollars that flow from the black market of illicit marijuana to the drug cartels that then use money for violent operations worldwide. Supporters are winning the discussion in more and more states, and usually do so in a way that establishes a commercialized tax and regulation system.
Preparing the USA. UU. For a large marijuana industry in the coming years. Medicinal marijuana in Mississippi and Dakota del Sur. In two states, voters will have the opportunity to legalize medicinal marijuana, joining the 33 states that have already done so. The measures of the two states generally follow the same path as the laws of the other states, allowing patients with certain conditions to obtain the recommendation of a doctor for marijuana and obtain it in the dispensaries. Here are the measures of the 2020 Electoral Ballot: Mississippi: measure 1 of the Balota is actually divided into two alternative Balota initiatives.
Initiative 65 details the specific details of the qualification conditions (22, including cancer and post -traumatic stress disorder), possession limits (up to 2.5 ounces), a sales tax (7 percent), the cost of a medicinal marijuana card (up to $ 50) and who would establish regulations for distribution (the Mississippi Health Department). The 65A initiative does not offer details on all these fronts;The Mississippi Legislature put it on the electoral ballot as an alternative to initiative 65 and will fill the blank spaces later if the voters approve the initiative of the Legislature on the Citizen Initiative.
South Dakota: Started measure 26 would establish a medicinal marijuana system for people with weakening medical conditions. Patients could have up to three ounces of marijuana and grow three plants or more, depending on what a doctor recommends. The Health Department would establish rules and regulations for distribution. A review of the evidence of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found little evidence of the ability of grass to treat health conditions in addition to chronic pain, nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy and the symptoms of spasticity of multiple sclerosisinformed by patients.
But most states, based largely on anecdotal tests, have allowed medicinal marijuana for many other conditions. Supporters argue that there is no time to obtain approval and carry out scientific studies, which can take years, to demonstrate the benefits of a medicine that is not very harmful anyway. And they point out that the federal government has repressed research on marijuana for years, which makes it impossible to obtain good evidence. Therefore, they prefer that states allow sick patients to have access to marijuana now instead of waiting for a broader federal reform and research.
The opponents, however, point out the lack of rigorous evidence. They argue that it should correspond to public health agencies, such as food and medication administration, approve the use of medicinal marijuana, as with other medications. They have been particularly critical of the most lax approaches to medicinal marijuana, with states, such as California, promulgating laws that in the past were equivalent to total legalization in practice. The legalization of marijuana is very popular in the US. UU. There are very good reasons to believe that an increasing number of states will legalize marijuana in the coming years.
Legalization is very popular and its support has been growing for decades. According to Gallup surveys, support for legalization increased from 12 percent by 1969 to 31 percent in 2000 and 66 percent in 2019. The surveys of Civic Science, General Social Survey and Pew Research Center have found similar levels of support. Support for legalization is even bipartisan. Both Gallup and Pew have discovered that a small majority of Republicans, with a much greater majority of Democrats and independent, supports legalization. Medicinal marijuana is even more popular, with support in surveys that generally reaches 80 percent, 90 percent or more.
conclusion
The positions of American political leaders, however, do not align with public opinion. President Donald Trump opposes the legalization of marijuana at the federal level, previously suggesting that the issue should be left to the states. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presidency Democratic candidate, has requested the decriminalization of cannabis, repealing the criminal sanctions, particularly the prison, by possession but for not allowing the sale, but he has opposed the legalization at the federal level. Meanwhile, only Illinois and Vermont have legalized marijuana for recreational use through their legislatures.
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