Proposition 19

Marijuana Legalization Wouldn't Pass if California Voted On it Today

After Prop. 19, the effort to fully legalize marijuana in California, came ever so close to passing in 2010, some polls had cannabis slowly gaining approval months later, whetting the appetites for some supporters who wanted a remix of the initiative on the 2012 ballot. Well, 2012 is here, and ther ... More >>

Oaksterdam University Raid 'Payback' For California's Marijuana Legalization Effort?

The man who bankrolled California's closest shot yet at fully legalizing marijuana, Prop. 19, saw his Oaksterdam University cannabis college in Oakland raided by federal authorities yesterday. And pot advocates are fuming. The Drug Policy Alliance suggests the raid by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Adm ... More >>

Californians Love Pot As A Political Issue, Even If They Voted Against Legalizing It

Merry Christmas, haters.​Californians, you like your pot. Or rather, you like marijuana legalization as a political issue. Because, according to the latest, greatest Public Policy Institute of California Poll, the state's legalization effort, Prop. 19, got the most interest of any issue on th ... More >>

California's 2012 Pot-Legalization Effort Gets A (Lame) Website

Another marijuana legalization effort in California seems likely: There's even a website.​Stoners, yes you can. No, Prop. 19, California's marijuana legalization initiative, didn't pass earlier this month. But there's time. And really, 2012, a presidential election year, is the big dance. As ... More >>

(Video) Schwarzenegger Tells Californians It's Cool To Smoke A Joint

NBCSchwarzengger says smoke 'em if you got 'em; just be prepared for a ticket.​Speaking on Jay Leno's Tonight Show Monday Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gloated over the defeat of California's marijuana-legalization effort, saying his signing of a bill to turn pot smoking into something "like a sp ... More >>

Three Reasons California's Pot Legalization Effort Failed

California loves its pot, so why didn't we legalize it?​Last week we took a look at some of the factors behind the failure of California's pot legalization movement. This week the Christian Science Monitor considers Prop. 19 and comes up with three reasons why it didn't pass: The federal go ... More >>

Pot and Food: How Prop 19 Could Affect the Restaurant Business

N. GalutenA marijuana dispensary in a former Kentucky Fried Chicken​ UPDATE: Since Proposition 19's defeat on Tuesday, we checked in with Animal chef Jon Shook to get his take. Shook told us, "I personally feel like if we couldn't pass gay marriage, and we were able to pass Prop 19, then we ar ... More >>

Californians Support Legalizing Pot, Just Not When A Ballot Is In Front Of Them

We support legal pot, except at polling places.​Dear fellow Californians: What the hell is wrong with you? Just a few days after shooting down the state's historic attempt to legalize marijuana, you indicate that you're all for decriminalizing the drug? You know that thing they call a ballo ... More >>

What Killed Prop. 19?

Historic effort to legalize marijuana returns in 2012

Most Polls On Prop. 19, California's Marijuana Legalization Effort, Way Off

Polls were off when it came to Prop. 19.​What were some of these pollsters smoking? Prop. 19, the California initiative that would have legalized pot, ultimately failed 46 percent (in favor) to nearly 54 percent (opposed). But some polls had it much closer: SurveyUSA's data from last week had ... More >>

WTF? Exit Polls Show San Fernando Valley Suburbanites Voted 'Yes' On Prop. 19

ShowtimeHousewives in the Valley wanna legalize it​What is this, an episode of "Weeds"? Although L.A. County voted down Prop. 19 overall -- with 47.45 percent 'Yes' and 52.55 percent 'No' -- San Fernando Valley's little boxes on the hillside squeaked out a majority 'Yes' on the controversial ... More >>

Why Did Prop. 19, The Effort To Legalize Pot In California, Fail?

dey via Flickr.19 might have failed, but supporters say it sprouted a new evolution in pot politics.​Why did Prop. 19, after all the awareness it raised, after inspiring so many young people to turn out to vote, after turning the world on to California progressive politics -- why did it still ... More >>

No On Prop. 19 Campaign Already Practically Claiming Victory In Its Battle Against California Marijuana Legalization

Legalization opponents say they have this thing in the bag.​You pot legalization supporters better get serious, because the No on Prop. 19 campaign is dancing on the proposition's grave before it's even dead. They're that confident that 19, the initiative that would legalize marijuana possessi ... More >>

Marijuana Legalization Backers Claim California Youth Vote Is Turning Out To Back Prop. 19

Are young people turning up at the polls?​Updated after the jump with confirmation that some polling places near college campuses in San Diego did run out of provisional ballots. First posted at 2:17 p.m. Organizers of the campaign to legalize marijuana on Tuesday claimed that the youth vote ... More >>

Pro-Medical Pot Group: Defeating Steve Cooley More Important Than Prop. 19

Americans For Safe AccessAn anti-Cooley poster​With Prop. 19 way down in the polls, some pro-marijuana groups are turning their attention to the dead-even race for attorney general.Americans For Safe Access, which supports medical marijuana, has launched a "Not Cooley" campaign. The group is telli ... More >>

California Voter Guide for November 2, 2010, Los Angeles Weekly

Candid shot of a group writing California ballot measures​Confused about the propositions on Tuesday's ballot? Below are links to helpful information: Proposition 19: What Legal Marijuana Would Mean for California (full report) Proposition 19: Why It's Tanking In Polls Proposition 19: Obama A ... More >>

POT STICKLERS

We Can Get Legal Weed In California Now, People: Would Prop. 19 Really Change Things That Much?

Would Prop. 19 make things any better for pot retailing in California?​Prop. 19 sounds like a godsend for connoisseurs of the sticky stuff, but it's the fine print that has some folks concerned that if California legalizes pot, we still won't be living in a wintergreen wonderland. For one, t ... More >>

California's School Kids Vote To Legalize Pot In Mock Election

Fast TimesWe think Spicoli would have voted to legalize it.​The kids, they are wise to the ways of green politics. And we don't mean environmentalism. Early results from a statewide "student mock general election" organized by the California Secretary of State would have the Golden State's mar ... More >>

Cookbook Review: Baked Marijuana Munchies How Do You Take Your Prop 19 Brownie?

​Just in time for next Tuesday's Prop 19 vote, Baked! 35 Marijuana Munchies To Make and Bake by Chris Stone (yes, really his last name) and "Gordon Lewis" (a pseudonym) hit bookstores this week. Is this book gimmicky? Absolutely ("Let's head for the kitchen to get baking and get baked! Just ... More >>

Prop. 19, California's Marijuana Legalization Effort, Failing In Yet Another Poll

The Calvin Broadus effect seems to be failing marijuana legalization backers.​Worst news yet for pot-legalization backers: Prop. 19 is losing in a poll this week that had been commissioned by ABC7 and other news outlets. For the first time in such a "robo" poll, the cannabis effort was losing ... More >>

When Holding Pot Is Just A Ticket-Worthy Offense In California, Why Do We Need To Legalize It?

Listen, bud, do we really need to legalize you?​Ah, Prop. 19, the law that would let you carry an ounce of weed (if you're 21 or older) and tax cannabis for the benefit of all Californians. Sounds irie to us, mon. Except that ... Gov. Schwarzenegger just signed a law making it a misdemeanor t ... More >>

California's Marijuana Legalization Effort Going Down In Flames In Latest Poll

Prop. 19 appears to be going down in flames.​If you're a stoner and you want this legal-weed thing to happen in California, you better set your alarm clocks early two Tuesdays from now and get your ass to the voting booth. Yet another poll shows Prop. 19, the initiative that would allow folks ... More >>

Pot Legalization Backers Say Prop. 19 Is Winning In Their Own 'Internal Poll'

Pro-pot folks say Prop. 19 is winning.​Supporters of California's pot-legalization effort struck back against a wave of negative news about how Prop. 19 is losing ground -- badly in the latest poll -- among Golden State voters. The Yes on 19 campaign on Friday released the results of an "inte ... More >>

Proposition 19 Dreams of Legal Weed

Bruce Margolin has defended 25,000 pot cases and Timothy Leary. Now he's primed for ganja tourists and sensimilla spas

Does California's Pot Legalization Bid Leave Question Of Where All The Cannabis Would Come From Unanswered?

yeson19.comDoes Prop. 19 go too far?​The initiative that would legalize medical marijuana doesn't do much to change where cannabis comes from. And where it comes from is anybody's guess, except that it's clear that even in this era of medical marijuana, Mexican cartels, illicit grow houses an ... More >>

Holy MILF: Moms Stand Up For California Pot Legalization

ShowtimeChoosy moms choose spliff.​It's not exactly milk and cookies, but many doctors do say marijuana has its comforting qualities. Now a group of mothers came out to support Prop. 19, California's pot-legalization initiative. The Yes on 19 campaign states that "hundreds of ... moms" have s ... More >>

Obama Administration Tells California Not To Legalize Pot: What's Your Immediate Reaction To That?

themadpothead via FlickrWashington's telling California how to vote on marijuana?​So President Obama finally put his foot down. He's okay with medical marijuana and the kind of retail pot sales you see in L.A. (well, sort of). But this Prop. 19 business takes things too far. So his Attorney G ... More >>

Eric Holder: Feds Will Crack Down On Marijuana If Prop. 19 Passes

Eric Holder​Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that the U.S. government will "vigorously enforce" federal law against marijuana if California voters elect to legalize the drug next month.In a letter to former administrators of the DEA, Holder stated that the Department of Justice "strongly ... More >>

'LULAC,' Huge Latino Group, Endorses Prop. 19, California's Marijuana Legalization Initiative

A big Latino group on Friday endorsed the legalization of marijuana: Surprised?​Updated again after the jump with some debate about whether the endorsement is official. First posted Friday at 1:17 p.m. Surprise surprise. Latinos are getting behind the California ballot initiative to legalize ... More >>

Legalizing Pot Would Cut Mexican Cartel Revenues Only Slightly, Could Boost Violence, Study Finds

​Legalizing marijuana in California would cause only a modest drop in revenues for Mexican drug cartels, according to a Rand Corporation study released today.Proposition 19 could also lead to a short-term increase in Mexican drug violence, as warring cartels fight over a diminished market, the rep ... More >>

Will California Pot Smokers Be Motivated Enough To Make It Out To The Polls In November?

​There's a lot of high anxiety about whether Prop. 19, the initiative that will essentially legalize pot for good, will pass in California. We posted Wednesday about how some Democratic analysts are predicting a toasty good turnout for their party as a result of getting a boost from the pothe ... More >>

Marijuana Fans Thank Arnold: Smoking A Joint In California Will Only Get You A Ticket Under New Law Gov Signed

​Smoke a joint, get a ticket. That's the deal in California now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law making possession of an ounce or less of pot an infraction. SB 1449 was intended to make holding cannabis a $100 ticket instead of an offense that would send you to court and possibly ... More >>

As L.A. Still Struggles To Regulate Pot Shops That Opened After 2007, O.C. Prepares For The Next Challenge: Prop. 19 -- Full Marijuana Legalization

​Perhaps there's no greater metaphor for the differences between Orange County and L.A. proper than the way they deal with pot shops. The city of Los Angeles has been wrestling with regulating its out-of-control medical marijuana dispensaries since before a 2007 pot-shop ceiling that actually ... More >>

California Cannabis Association Is Against Proposition 19 Pot Legalization? Really? Yes.

​Counterintuitive news of the day: The California Cannabis Association is opposing the Proposition 19 pot legalization initiative on the November ballot. It's not as crazy as you think. This trade group of sorts represents medicinal marijuana dispensaries, and they fear Prop. 19 will make life h ... More >>

Should Medical Marijuana Patients Naturally Support Prop. 19, The Pot Legalization Initiative?

​Do you have a medical marijuana card? Are you voting for Prop. 19, or are you, as our comment of the day suggests, smugly satisfied with the status quo because you're already set as far as your cannabis supply goes? In a post about how the dispensary group California Cannabis Association opp ... More >>

Beer Lobby Gives $10,000 To 'No' On Proposition 19 Pot Legalization

Beer​Update: We got an email from Tom McCormick of the California Small Brewers Association -- they're the ones who make good beers. He says, whoa, we got nothing to do with this effort to beat Prop. 19. Text of the email appear at the end, after the jump. A political action committee of the ... More >>

SEIU Backs Proposition 19 Pot Legalization In Great Score For Legalizers

Yes for pot. ​Take your mouth off the bong and cheer, you legal pot advocates, because this is a good score: One of the state's biggest and most powerful unions, the Service Employees International Union, has endorsed Proposition 19, the November ballot initiative that would legalize pot and i ... More >>

Comment Of The Day: Prop. 19, The Marijuana Legalization Initiative, 'Socially Irresponsible'

​Kicking off a new "Comment Of The Day" feature at the Informer, we plug into the burning issue of pot legalization. Staff writer Patrick Coolican's recent piece about how the California beer lobby has put some big bucks behind the effort to defeat Prop. 19, the November ballot effort to legal ... More >>

Prop 19 Pot Legalization: The Money Chase

​The Times has a handy database for tracking money going to the forces of "yes" and "no" on Proposition 19, the voter initiative that would make it legal to possess, share or transport less than one ounce of marijuana if you're 21 or older, while also allowing limited cultivation. Local govern ... More >>

Prop. 19, Effort To Legalize Marijuana In California, Holds On To Lead In New Poll

​Prop. 19, the November ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana possession and use in California, was winning among likely voters according to a new ABC7/Survey USA poll. If the election were held now the proposition would win 47 to 43 percent. That's the good news for pot supporters. ... More >>

California Sees Its First Marijuana Dispensary TV Ad

​This week California saw it's first medical marijuana dispensary advertisement. The spot (after the jump) for Sacramento's CannaCare pot shop ran on that city's KTXL Fox affiliate, according to Time. The ad features testimonials from patients who suffered from the likes of AIDS, ruptured dis ... More >>

Sen. Diane Feintstein To Chair No On Prop 19

Nope. No on 19. ​Sen. Diane Feinstein, the Democratic former mayor of San Francisco, will co-chair the campaign to defeat Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot in November, according to a press release today. Her co-chair will be L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca. Th ... More >>

Proposition 19 Pot Legalization Supporters Launch Online Store

​Backers of Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization initiative, have launched an online store where cannabis lovers can purchase merchandise to benefit the campaign. The items for sale include t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, hats and buttons. No, you cannot purchase actual cannabis. For t ... More >>

Medical Marijuana Entrepreneurs Aren't All For Legalizing Weed Via Prop. 19: For One Thing, It Might Take Them Out Of The Game

​You would think that Prop. 19, the November ballot initiative that would fully legalize marijuana possession, would find some of its most ardent backers among the medical-pot trade, which relies on people coming to dispensaries and possessing weed, sometimes at their own peril when it comes t ... More >>

Prop 19 Pot Legalization: A Review Of Which Interest Groups Favor, Oppose

​Prop. 19 has created some interesting coalitions of groups in favor and opposed. Josh Richman of the Oakland Tribune provides a handy guide to who is for and against.

Prop 19 Pot Legalization: Politico Parachutes In, Offers Little

​Politico dropped into California to report on Prop. 19, California's pot legalization voter initiative, and here's what they offered: Cheesy, snarky headline (California Dreaming For Legal Pot Advocates); point-and-laugh lede about Oaksterdam; perfunctory paragraph about why legalization mi ... More >>

Group Claims That Prop. 19 Would Allow Smoking Weed At Work

​In a legal analysis released Thursday the California Chamber of Commerce claimed that Prop. 19 would force employers to allow workers to smoke pot on the job. According to the Associated Press, the analysis argues that the law would make California companies ineligible for federal contracts ... More >>

Proponents Of Pot Legalization Initiative Get Higher ... Cash Amounts In Fund-Raising Efforts

​It's comforting to know that even as the campaign to legalize marijuana in California seems to be struggling in the polls (or not), the backers of November's Prop. 19 are still getting higher when it comes to raising cash. According to Associated Press, the proposition's main supporters hav ... More >>

Pot Legalization Prop 19 Polls Are All Over The Map -- Why? The Broadus Effect

​ Of six polls released so far on Prop 19, the November ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older, three have the yeas winning easily, while three have it losing narrowly. What gives? As usual, if you have a polling conundrum, Nate Silver is your man. And in th ... More >>