About fifteen minutes ago it was finalized after nearly two weeks of counting votes that proposition 203 in Arizona to allow medical marijuana is approved. Arizona is the 15th state in the U.S. to approve the use of medical marijuana.
California was the first to approve medical marijuana in 1996 followed by 14 other states over the years which include: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Also, Washington DC has allowed the use of medical marijuana.
The ballot barely won by 4,341 votes out of more than 1.6 million ballots counted, according to the final tallies announced Saturday.
The approval was definitely a surprise for me since prop19 failed out in California. I thought no one wanted or was ready for any more legalization of any type of marijuana. But that theory was proven wrong to me as people are ready for some use of marijuana in today’s society but still not quite ready for complete legalization.
At one point during election day the ballot was down nearly 7,200 votes until this past Friday where it pulled ahead in the final counting. The final tallies of all votes was 841,346 in favor and 837,005 who opposed.
This passing of prop203 will allow patients from Arizona with HIV or AIDS hepatitis C or any other “chronic or debilitating” disease to have a guideline on growing plants and buy up to an ounce or two every two weeks. Arizona will also allow only 124 marijuana dispensaries in the state for right now at least.
Politicians are worried that this will help lead to National legalization and people aren’t aware of the dire consequences from this.
The article from the New York Times has interviews and a little more explanation but overall the movement is still strong in our country and voters in Arizona really moved forward with prop203.
NORML is moving forward and is in better shape in it’s long long history!
Just another foundation for legalization.
Let's be NORML 