Marijuana in Maine: the way life should be?
Despite what the media says NOT all Mainers agreed with legalization. In fact the 2016 "QUESTION 1" voting results revealed the overwhelming fact that many Maine citizens did not want recreational marijuana legalized.
Election results
Question 1
Result Votes Percentage: Yes- 381,768 (50.26%) NO- 377,773 (49.74%)
Counties with a majority of "yes" shown in green
Counties with a majority of "no" votes shown in red
The proponents prevailed by .52% - less than 1%!
This was won by such a slim margin it is clearly evident almost 50% of Mainers are not for legalization.
This should be an encouragement that REPEALING MARIJUANA IN MAINE is attainable.
Election results
Question 1
Result Votes Percentage: Yes- 381,768 (50.26%) NO- 377,773 (49.74%)
Counties with a majority of "yes" shown in green
Counties with a majority of "no" votes shown in red
The proponents prevailed by .52% - less than 1%!
This was won by such a slim margin it is clearly evident almost 50% of Mainers are not for legalization.
This should be an encouragement that REPEALING MARIJUANA IN MAINE is attainable.
marijuana, business & Workplace safetyMarijuana legalization also involves significant downsides to existing businesses. As marijuana use has increased in states that have legalized its use, so has use by employees, both on and off the job. Large businesses in Colorado now state that after legalization they have had to hire out-of-state residents in order to find employees that can pass a pre-employment drug screen. Moreover, the pot lobby has vowed to make employees’ “rights” to use pot a priority. |
marijuana and drivingMarijuana is directly linked to impaired driving. A meta-analysis published in the peer-reviewed 2012 edition of Epidemiological Reviews looked at nine studies conducted over the past two decades on marijuana and car-crash risk. It concluded, “drivers who test positive for marijuana or self-report using marijuana are more that twice as likely as other drivers to be involved in motor vehicle crashes." |
marijuana & Other drugs: a link we can't ignoreA 2017 STUDY OF over 30,000 American adults demonstrated that marijuana users were more than twice as likely to move on to abuse prescription opioids – even when controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, other substance use disorders, any mood or anxiety disorder, prior non-medical opioid use, and family history of drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder, depression, and antisocial personality disorder. (1) Similarly, the CDC also says that marijuana users are three times more likely to become addicted to heroin.(2) |
REPEAL MARIJUANA IN MAINE, is here to show that we care about our state, and we refuse to silently stand by while the commercialization efforts are intentionally distorting the true impact of how marijuana will hurt our communities. All of Maine does not love, enjoy, or even encourage the use of this undeniably harmful drug.
Repeal marijuana in Maine:
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History of Marijuana
in Maine In Maine, marijuana (cannabis) was prohibited in 1913. Possession of small amounts of the drug was decriminalized in 1976 under state legislation passed the previous year. The state’s first medical cannabis law was passed in 1999, allowing patients to grow their own plants. The cities of Portland and South Portland decriminalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The Marijuana Legalization Act, which was to take effect within 40 days of November 8, 2016 permits adults who are not participating in the state’s medical cannabis program to legally grow and to possess personal use quantities of cannabis while also licensing commercial cannabis production and retail sales. The law imposes a 10 percent tax on commercial marijuana sales. Under the law, localities have the authority to regulate, limit, or prohibit the operation of marijuana businesses. Onsite consumption is permitted under the law in establishments licensed for such activity. Retail sales will not begin until February 2018, in order to allow agencies to form regulations for the new industry.
In November 2017, Governor LePage vetoed a bill to tax and regulate recreational cannabis sales, citing conflicts with federal law. |
Okay its legal, but no harm done, right?
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Is it too late?
So what is the solution? What can one do against the prevailing "smoke" of legalization that spreads across our nation? Here in Maine municipalities are taking a stand against pot shops/storefronts. Here is a partial list of those towns who are putting the brakes on pot:
OOB, Westbrook, Richmond, MDI, Clinton, Skowhegan, Winslow, Oakland, South Berwick, Waterville, Hallowell, Augusta, Cape Elizabeth, Freeport, Gray, Standish, Biddeford, Blue Hill, Surry, Oxford, North Yarmouth, Topsham... |