Proposition 19 failed to pass, though 44% support isn't something to be embarrassed about. I can't figure out whether there are truly more people in California who don't want to legalize pot, or it's that not enough people who do support legalization show up at the polls. All I know is that up until the very end there was still so much confusion surrounding the issue and so many opinions, the conversation became SO LOUD. I kind of tuned out and I bet other people did too.
My personal use of marijuana has not changed at all since Tuesday. In fact, I had a bowl packed and ready to go for that night, either to celebrate a victory or to console a loss. I will safely assume that many Californians did the same thing, though this is only based on Twitter updates and common sense. Smoking on Tuesday night was such a strong reminder that California is in this weird, suspended state where marijuana is almost legal. For those with ailments, an appointment with a medicinal marijuana doctor effectively makes marijuana yours to use. All you need to do is show up to your appointment, pay the fee, and you walk out with an identification card that let's you enter any dispensary to buy weed over the counter. If you don't have an ailment, stretching the truth works too.
Whether or not California legalizes the recreational use of marijuana, those who smoke it now (legally or illegally) will continue to light up. It makes me think whether the personal incentive to legalize is gone, because one way or another marijuana is easily available. It's funny that those who oppose marijuana legalization are eager to vote because they believe that once marijuana is legalized the state will fall apart. At the same time, supporters of marijuana legalization may be less enthusiastic to vote because they don't think much would change if it did pass - at least on a personal level.
As everyone keeps pointing out, Prop. 19 remains a monumental success because marijuana is now a mainstream political issue. A least we can say that starting in 2010, people started to stop and listen to weed-loving liberal hippies. Did I just kill the renewed sentiment with that stereotype?'
xoxo, rose
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