Editor's Note: This would have been a big boon to marijuana-legalization efforts nationwide--if it passed, it would have been the first measure to legalize recreational use by adults (and regulate marijuana like alcohol) introduced and approved by legislators (vs. a citizen-driven ballot initiative). Maine voters still have a say, however, in supporting the ballot initiative that was filed in March by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which issued the press release below.
Statement below from David Boyer of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which is supporting a 2016 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine *
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[Press Release] AUGUSTA — Maine state lawmakers decided Monday they will not place a measure on the ballot to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use. LD 1380, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell (D- Portland), was defeated in the House 45-98 and in the Senate without a recorded vote.
Statement from David Boyer, campaign manager for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which is in the process of placing a citizen initiative on the 2016 ballot that would end marijuana prohibition in Maine:
“The legislature’s failure to act should not be mistaken for waning public interest in marijuana policy reform. Elected officials have always followed the citizens’ lead on this issue. Maine voters will still have the final say, and we expect they will say it’s time to end marijuana prohibition.
“Marijuana prohibition is a counterproductive and antiquated policy. Most people are just fed up with it at this point. It’s time to regulate marijuana, tax it, and start treating it similarly to alcohol.”
The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is supporting a 2016 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. For more information, visit http://www.RegulateMaine.org
