The ballot title and submission clause numbered Amendment 64 to the Colorado Constitution asked:
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning marijuana, and, in connection therewith, providing for the regulation of marijuana;
permitting a person twenty-one years of age or older to consume or possess limited amounts of marijuana;
providing for the licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores;
permitting local governments to regulate or prohibit such facilities;
requiring the general assembly to enact an excise tax to be levied upon wholesale sales of marijuana;
requiring that the first $40 million in revenue raised annually by such tax be credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund;
and requiring the general assembly to enact legislation governing the cultivation, processing, and sale of industrial hemp?
Cleverly titled The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2012, the Amendment won by a ten point margin yesterday. Predictably, the politicians, in this case Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper, had some really clever things to say about the will of the people…
“The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” Hickenlooper said in a statement Tuesday night. “This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly.”
Yeah, OK. First things first. Only someone who has used marijuana, or at the very least knows it to be completely harmless, would make a “joke” like that, so take your hypocrisy and shove it in someone else’s face. The super majority of people, and even the majority of the voters, ain’t buying.
Secondly, a reminder. Tonight’s open meeting of Texas NORML is at 8 o’clock at Flamingo Cantina. Come join us for some news about the overall outstanding results that marijuana measures had nationwide. It wasn’t a clean sweep, but it’s major progress none the less.
And find out what you can do to help us with these sorts of measures in Texas. It’s an informative meeting, but with a fun group of people. See you there.
Legal Counsel for Texas NORML
Aka, yours truly, Jamie Spencer