Prop 64 just passed: Light up and trash your med card
This is not a drill
With California’s passage of Proposition 64, the state becomes the sixth in the union (not including the District of Columbia) to legalize recreational marijuana on private property. The proposition passed with a substantial majority of the vote within the first half hour of polls closing.
Economists and policy analysts have lauded the specific design of the proposition for its tax revenue potential, as it will accrue an estimated $1 billion annually in both production and consumption taxes. The legalization of recreational marijuana will lead to a gradual decline and stabilization of marijuana price and quality.
In addition, the tax revenue will likely be geared towards developing consistent methods for protecting our roads from drugged drivers. With nearly a majority of California residents having consumed marijuana before its medical legalization, developing a reliable method of regulating its public use is long overdue.
Florida became the first state of the night to legalize recreational marijuana, while Arizona’s ballot measure is projected to fail. Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada’s measures are still in limbo.
In any case, as the electoral college projection increasing swings in the direction of a Trump victory, Prop 64 might have come at the perfect moment.