The REC initiatives in Massachusetts and three other states include measures that
protect parents from losing custody of their children as a result of marijuana use. An Idaho mom has
lost custody of her kids and is facing criminal charges after giving her child cannabis butter to relieve seizure-like symptoms.
The Boston Archdiocese
gave $850,000 to oppose REC in Massachusetts, calling it a threat to the church community and its social programs. Supporters of the bill are still likely to outspend opponents.
Reisa Clardy, the
widow of a state trooper killed by an allegedly stoned driver and a mother of seven, has
taped a video urging Massachusetts to vote no on REC. “I don’t think we would gain anything from” legalizing, she says. The driver has plead not guilty to manslaughter and other charges.
Legalization opponent Kevin Sabet and pro-cannabis groups held an
awkward joint press conference in San Francisco to oppose REC in California. The pro-cannabis groups consider Prop 64 too friendly to big business.
NORML is suing after the MED question
didn’t appear on some absentee ballots in Broward County, Florida. An official said the faulty ballots were tests.
Sheldon Adelson, billionaire owner of The Venetian, has
contributed to anti-legalization campaigns in Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts. Vice looks at the
who else is bankrolling the anti-weed campaigns.
Tech investor Scott Banister
gave $200,000 to the pro-REC side in Arizona. East Valley Tribune delves into the
finer points of REC in Arizona.
The OC Register
does something similar
for California and asks who’s
for and against REC
in the state.
Arkansas will only vote on
one MED initiative, after a court ruling removed the other.
The San Diego Union Tribune
endorsed REC in California. The Boston Globe “
just says yes,” in Massachusetts.
WestWord goes through how members of
Colorado’s congressional delegation feel about weed.
California is
putting water use rules into place for growers. SFWeekly reports on
tensions between growers and environmentalists.
Columnist Joe Matthews says California needs a “
cannabis cartel,” which he defines as a legal corporate oligopoly with the size and resources necessary to control the distribution of cannabis so that our state can properly track, regulate, price and tax America’s largest marijuana market.
LAWeekly asks if legalization will
benefit people of color. The LA Times meets a conscientious grower,
who isn’t worried about a big business takeover.
Rolling Stone and the
New York Times agree that this election is a big deal, cannabiswise. But Joe Dolce, former editor of Details Magazine and author of the new book, “
Brave New Weed,” writes that the Times piece is “
poorly reported on so many levels.”
LiveScience published its
voting guide. Vox
explains the state votes.
Some Maine towns are moving to
block pot businesses, ahead of the REC vote.
Authorities in The Philippines say they
will put more effort into arresting public figures tied to drugs and focus less on slaughtering suspects. A mayor previously accused of ties to drugs was
murdered along with nine others at a highway checkpoint. About 2,000 people have been killed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Only a narrow plurality of Canadians
favor legalizing REC.
Alaska’s first
dispensary and
testing lab are opening. Cleveland created a
one-year moratorium on MED business permits.
