I have been saying for quite awhile that I think recreational will pass in November, but maybe not medical. BUT, it is important for medical to pass also so children with severe cases of epilepsy can get treatment without the high of THC. Recreational can only be sold to those 21 and older.
I have joked with people, Recreational will pass similar to Trump becoming president, people support it and will vote for it, but they won’t tell anyone. I think polling will be way off on the topic. I also think opposition to recreational is going to have a hard time arguing against these benefits;
But 2020 is a long way away from 2010 when it comes to marijuana policy. As we’ve noted, dozens of states have reformed their laws and the world didn’t come to an end. Some have tapped into the revenue source of legal, taxed marijuana. The measure that voters here will consider includes a requirement that marijuana be taxed at 15%, half of which is earmarked for public education.
Besides the tax, you also have to take into account that we will no longer be paying for crimes associated with marijuana. This could be upwards of $100 million dollar windfall to the state with the savings and additional tax money involved. We can bitch all we want about the negative of Rec Mary Jane, but the tax revenue will be significant, especially since Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming and Minnesota don’t have legal weed. Yes, they will be crossing the border to buy it.
When he ran the medical marijuana campaign a decade ago, Emmett Reistroffer recalls that he had scant resources. The campaign raised about $100,000 in cash, and Reistroffer had about $200,000 in in-kind contributions from supporters. It wasn’t enough to mount a serious statewide campaign, especially when the issue was drowned out by political spending in the U.S. House and governor’s races.
Today, the Sioux Falls native works as a consultant in the industry, based out of Las Vegas. Reistroffer said he hopes to play a role in this year’s election by raising funds for the legalization effort. If the campaign can raise $1 million by June, he thinks it might have a shot.
“This is not a slam dunk,†he said.
I helped Emmett with his efforts a decade ago. Promoting the campaign on the blog and assisting in graphic design. I knew in my heart it would fail, but we were all pretty surprised it only failed by a slim margin.
While I think SD has gotten more conservative in the neither lands outside of Sioux Falls, I think Sioux Falls is much more progressive and could carry this measure. I also believe that there is probably more Republicans that smoke pot than Democrats (well because there are more of them). I don’t think the public is naive on this topic. I think most agree that when it comes to mind altering drugs, marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol, not as harmful physically and natural. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure that out.
I once heard a comedian ask the question, “Please raise your hand if you think marijuana is more harmful than bacon?” No one raised their hands, and he quips, “What? No bacon defenders?” So if this passes, I might just start a new business selling marijuana infused bacon. We all need to live a little – right?
I too believe that both medical and recreational should pass, but I don’t think recreational will quite yet. Too many old guard voters.
I see the medical version passing and not the recreational in 2020. I am guessing voters will say yes to medical as a way to introduce legal marijuana to the state, but may not be ready for full on recreational pot. After the sky doesn’t fall when medical marijuana is here for a few years, another ballot initiative will then legalize full on recreational marijuana.
We boxed in the tobacco industry not because it was killing people, but because the killing was costing us too much money.
Vaping then soon emerged there after without much fanfare until it looked like it was killing people and could cost us some money.
Now, they want to legalize maryjane to save money, but wait until it starts killing people and costing money. It’s not about liberty my friends, it’s about saving money, or thinking you will save money.
Brendan is for legalization, so that makes it right, right? Glad to see that the Jensen people are cool on maryjane, too, but then again it’s election year and it’s about winning the hearts and minds, and elections, even if some advocacies can alter your lungs and minds overtime, and then cost us all some money.
Maryjane, they say, will give us more tax dollars to fund a political system, too, which is not credible enough to tax legitimately, so it taxes a trend, a weakness, or a sin, in order, to fund a government, which needs to be seen as legitimate through dependable levies and not weak due to its own trending sins.
Fewer people will be in jail because of legalization and more people will be in jail due to an influence. The trade-off will save us some money, however, they say. Although, the influence might kill you, or a love one, due to another’s abuse, which has become legal and further encouraged so as to save money for everyone else, and you, too, if you don’t mind the potential personal loss, which is ironically not financial.
If you ask me, the answer is that everyone just needs to stop drinking and smoking whatever and just ride the damn bike trail without a pedal pub’s help, do some push-ups, or maybe just play Twister naked.
When for marijuana brownies? Smoking is bad for you.
This will not pass and I don’t think it will be close. I am going 65 -35 split. I am against it for one simple reason, its increasing crime along with the unintended economic consequence. I think those who think it will pass are in the “wishful thinking” group. I actually think Medical passes first and I would support that but, I am going to pass on Recreational, we don’t need it and it will not add any value to our state
https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/430551-is-marijuana-legalization-driving-increases-in-violent-crime
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/20/us/colorado-marijuana-and-crime/index.html
do stoners get out and vote, or are they too stoned?
Well, they might get out the vote on their way to their dealers, however.
But there is a threshold, where smoking Maryjane might cause a collapsing interest in getting out the vote, too. It’s called the “….puff the magic dragon and living by the sea” factor, where you are actually smoking out and from the good old prairie instead, but unbeknownst to you, or any potential voter.