

Marijuana legalization will be on California ballot - fjabre
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62O08U20100325

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jrockway
This is also an important states' rights issue. The federal government
technically says that California can't actually legalize marijuana. But
they're going to do it anyway.

I hope this works out for them, if only because it will show the diminishing
power of the federal government... which is the way it should be.

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philwelch
The last time a state really pushed hard on states rights' and on
counteracting federal law, it didn't turn out well:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullification_Crisis>

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jrockway
Not bad at all. Just think: all the military equipment that California used to
use to harass the pot-smoking hippies can be put to use fighting another civil
war.

All over a mildly-psychoactive plant.

~~~
shpxnvz
Similar to the revolutionary war being fought over a bunch of dried up leaves
used to color and flavor hot water.

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jrockway
Turns out "Give me liberty or give me death" was catchier than "Give me tea or
give me death".

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j_baker
I like this news item. However, I'm curious how this falls under the HN
guidelines:

"Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, unless they're
evidence of some interesting new phenomenon."

California isn't the first state to have such an initiative on the ballot, so
I don't see how this is an interesting new phenomenon.

And for the record, I didn't flag this. I'm just playing devil's advocate.

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jerf
There are other flat-out legalization initiatives? Where?

I'm aware of numerous "for medical use" initiatives which have passed, which
of course we all know is _de facto_ legalization ("Hey, doc, my, uh, eyes, uh,
hurt a lot." "Oh, well, there's only one cure for that. Here, have a scrip.")
But who else has done flat-out no jokes legalization yet?

I'm not trying to ask a gotcha; I'm open to the possibility I haven't heard of
them. It's an honest question.

~~~
j_baker
There have been in the past that failed. In particular, I recall one in
Nevada. This isn't the best reference for it, but it was the easiest to find:
<http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/326/nevadaII.shtml>

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awt
This story may be off topic but I love hearing hn readers take on pretty much
anything.

