Global Ganja Report

Proposition 19 mastermind Richard Lee spoke to supporters in Oakland after the initiative lost by some 540,000 votes, 46-53%, the night of Nov. 2. "The fact that millions of Californians voted to legalize marijuana is a tremendous victory," Lee said, noting that the measure won 3.3 million votes. "We have broken the glass ceiling. Prop. 19 has changed the terms of the debate. And that was a major strategic goal."

Numerous local measures to tax and regulate cannabis did pass around the state, including in San Jose and Sacramento. Berkeley's measure includes historic cultivation licenses. Bans on dispensaries in Santa Barbara and Morro Bay went down in defeat. Richmond, Albany, Stockton, Rancho Cordova, La Puente, and Long Beach also passed tax-and-regulate measures, albeit on medical cannabis. Some of the taxation measures will likely face court challenges. Rancho Cordova passed taxes as high as $900 per square-foot on cultivation, which could effectively block access to medicinal cannabis for many.

Medical cannabis did not do well on the national stage. Oregon's Measure 74 lost and South Dakota's fourth attempt at launching a medical marijuana program failed resoundingly. Anti-cannabis candidates for governor in New Mexico and Connecticut also won. Arizona's Prop 203 failed by a small margin. Gov. Jan Brewer, who was easily re-elected to another term, was against this measure. (Legalization Nation, CMR, Nov. 3)