Drug policy initiatives score big successes in US vote

Below is a summary table of drug policy ballot initiatives that took place alongside last nights US presidential vote (provided by the Marijuana Policy Project). All except California's ambitious Prop 5 (and the retrograde drug war prop 6) were concerned with cannabis/marijuana, and most are basically expanding local and state level medical cannabis access. More significantly perhaps de facto cannabis decriminalisation measures were passed in the state of Massachusetts - expanding the number of decrim states to 13 - and Fayetteville Arkansas.

The failure of Prop 5 was a big set back (although the failure of prop 6 provides some consolation), but the scale of the successes elsewhere - with the cannabis measures all notably winning by far bigger margins of support that did Obama himself - points towards something more important. Even though the actual changes achieved are modest and not hugely relevant to more pressing debates in the UK, the fact remains that they have won large majorities due to grass roots NGO campaigning winning over popular support despite being fiercely opposed by the US drug agencies (who have fought against them with considerable propaganda resources). It suggests the public no longer unquestionably accept the Governments drug war posturing, and the scale of the wins bodes well for more ambitious reform in the future.

State	Initiative	Sponsored by	MPP supports?	Results
Massachusetts	Question 2: Remove the threat of arrest or jail for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana, replacing it with a $100 fine, which could be paid through the mail without lawyers or court appearances, just like a speeding ticket.	MPP's campaign committee, Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy	Yes	WIN 65%-35%
Michigan	Proposal 1: Permit terminally and seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana with their doctors' approval.	MPP's campaign committee, Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care	Yes	WIN 63%-37%
California	Proposition 5: Expand the number of drug offenders diverted from prison into treatment and decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, among other things.	Yes on 5	Yes	LOSS 60%-40%
California	Proposition 6: Among other things (such as increasing spending on prisons and law enforcement and increasing penalties for gang crimes and methamphetamine distribution), require the expulsion from public housing of anyone convicted of a recent drug offense.	Safe Neighborhoods Act	No	DEFEATED (A WIN) 30%-70%
Berkeley, California	Measure JJ: Expand the non-residential zones where dispensaries can locate, create an oversight commission to create standards and determine whether relocating or future operators are in compliance, issue zoning certificates, and bring Berkeley marijuana possession limits in line with recent court rulings determining that such limits are unconstitutional in the state.	Citizens for Sensible Medical Cannabis Regulation	Yes	WIN 62%-38%
Fayetteville, Arkansas	Require adult marijuana possession laws to be the lowest priority for local law enforcement.	Sensible Fayetteville	Yes	WIN 66%-34%
Hawaii County, Hawaii	Ballot Question 1: Require adult marijuana possession laws to be the lowest priority for local law enforcement.	Project Peaceful Sky	Yes	WIN 53%-39%
Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend, Massachusetts	Question 4: Direct the district's state representative to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use.	DPFMA and MassCann/NORML	Yes	WIN 74%-26%
Medfield, Needham, and precincts 1 and 2 of Dover, Massachusetts	Question 4: Direct the district's state representative to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use.	DPFMA and MassCann/NORML	Yes	WIN 73%-27%
Bedford, Burlington, precinct 3 of Wilmington, Massachusetts	Question 4: Direct the district's state representative to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use.	DPFMA and MassCann/NORML	Yes	WIN 71%-29%
Hanson, Pembroke, precincts 2,3,4,5 of Duxbury, precinct 2 of Halifax, Massachusetts	Question 4: Direct the district's state representative to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use.	DPFMA and MassCann/NORML	Yes	WIN 71%-29%