More states to vote on marijuana legalization

Voters in nine states will see measures related to the legalization of marijuana on their ballots Nov. 8.

California, Nevada, Maine, Massachusetts and Arizona will be voting to legalize marijuana for recreational use, while North Dakota, Florida and Arkansas will vote on legalizing medical marijuana. Montana will vote to limit restrictions on its existing medical marijuana law.

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults support marijuana legalization, while 37 percent say it should be illegal, according to a 2016 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Dale Gieringer, director of the California branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said groups have been working to get the California measure, Proposition 64, on the ballot since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012.

“Pretty much everyone involved in cannabis reform had been planning to move in this direction for a while,” he said.

Bill Downing, member liaison for the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, said his organization has been working on public education campaigns about the benefits of cannabis since the 1990s.

NORML is working to educate people on the intricacies of the measure, Gieringer said.

“We’re reaching out to persuade them that it’s in the interest of California and the rest of the country to go ahead and pass this initiative,” he said.

Scott Chipman, Southern California co-chairperson of Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana, said in an email the ballot provision in California was funded by two billionaires.

“If the money hadn’t paid for the signature gatherers, the issue would not have qualified,” he said.

Chipman said CALM has joined with the “No On 64” campaign to educate voters on the dangers of legalization.

Gieringer said there has been misinterpretation of data in some circumstances, like with marijuana-related accidents in Colorado.

Colorado began the commercial sale of marijuana in 2014. The Colorado Department of Public Safety reported traffic fatalities with THC-only or THC-in-combination positive drivers increased by 44 percent from 55 fatalities in 2013 to 79 in 2014.

“They are detecting a higher percentage of people involved in accidents have used marijuana, but they aren’t seeing an increase in accidents,” he said. “What’s really happening is that you’re seeing an increase in testing.”

Russ Baer, spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Agency, said the DEA’s decisions are based on scientific evidence rather than public opinion.

Baer said the DEA will not interfere in states where marijuana is legal despite its federal ban, as long as regulations contain it to that state’s borders.

Gieringer said he thinks federal reform is coming soon.

“I think there will be moves in Washington following Nov. 8 to change federal law,” he said. “The people are well ahead of the government on this issue.”

state@dailytarheel.com