On November 5, voters will decide whether to approve a local ballot initiative that would remove all penalties for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana by adults 21 and older. Portland is the most populous city in Maine – where we intend to run a 2016 statewide initiative to regulate marijuana like alcohol – and a victory on November 5 would provide a dramatic boost to our efforts.

It's going to be a very close election, so we need your help. You do NOT need to live in Maine to lend your support in one of the following ways:

1. Call Portland voters using our online phone bank. Our allies at Just Say Now have created an easy-to-use system that provides voters' phone numbers, instructions, and a simple script.

2. Email anyone you know in Portland. We've created a page with a pre-written email to send to your friends and relatives. It also includes tools for sharing this message on Facebook and Twitter.

3. Make a donation to MPP. If you support our work to pass local initiatives in Portland and elsewhere, please donate today in order to move the ball forward in Maine and other states.

By taking just a little time out of your day to call some voters, send an email, or make a financial contribution, you can help us make history next week!

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Last Sunday’s Washington Post included an editorial supporting civil fines for marijuana use, particularly in D.C. The article comes after a similar proposal to the D.C. Council and support from Mayor Vincent Gray. The proposal would remove criminal penalties associated with possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine. After considering public opinion polls, a report by the ACLU, and criminal justice statistics, the Post agrees: possessing marijuana should not make you a criminal.

An all-around better policy, long championed by District lawyer Paul Zukerberg, would be to slap small-time users with a civil fine, which is a measured way to send a message that the government does not condone or tolerate marijuana use. No one’s life would be permanently marred by getting caught with a joint.

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Of all the official reactions to changing mores on marijuana, decriminalization is the best.

While we know that simple decriminalization will not solve the problems caused by keeping the marijuana market illegal, the fact that such a major newspaper is coming around is a sure sign of progress.

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MPP communications director Mason Tvert recently appeared on CNN to discuss the Gallup poll that found 58% of Americans now support legalizing marijuana.

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[caption id="attachment_7039" align="alignright" width="300"] Mayor Vincent Gray[/caption]

On Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray stated that he supports decriminalizing marijuana, or removing criminal penalties associated with possession of under one ounce. Currently, those caught with less than one ounce of marijuana in D.C. can be sent to jail for up to six months and fined up to $1,000, and evidence suggests that the laws have had harsh consequences for D.C. residents. According to a study published in June by the ACLU, black residents in D.C. are eight times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white neighbors.

Mayor Gray’s announcement gives more weight to a proposal made by Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) that seeks to remove the harsh criminal penalties associated with marijuana possession and replace them with a civil fine of $100. The proposed bill has the support of a supermajority on the council, and two hearings have been scheduled this week to discuss the measure further.

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Marijuana Policy Project's director of federal policies Dan Riffle appeared on MSNBC's Jansing & Co. this week to discuss the need to change our disastrous marijuana policies by taxing and regulating it in a manner similar to alcohol. He was opposed in the debate by Kevin Sabet, director of Project SAM, which supports continuing to arrest adults for using a substance that is objectively safer than alcohol and allowing the marijuana market to be controlled by criminals.

You can watch the debate below:

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A new Gallup poll shows that a record 58% of Americans think that marijuana should be made legal.

[caption id="attachment_7030" align="alignright" width="417"] Source: Gallup[/caption]

The poll shows a 10-point increase from just last year and reflects the growing political support nationwide. According to the poll, 62% of Independents, 65% of Democrats, and 35% of Republicans support legal marijuana, with growing Independent support largely responsible for the 10-point jump.

According to Business Insider, support for legal marijuana is higher than almost any other political movement. More people favor legal marijuana than think highly of the Republican or Democratic parties, and legal marijuana has more than five times the support that Congress has.

While causes with more support than Congress aren’t hard to come by, this poll marks a momentous event in the fight against marijuana prohibition. For the first time, a majority of Americans think that marijuana use should be legal. Hopefully, they won’t have to wait long.

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Earlier this month, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services issued proposed regulations for a single medical marijuana compassion center that could only cultivate 150 plants – far too few to meet patients’ needs. MPP submitted comments on behalf of Delaware’s patients and potential providers urging the department to revise the regulations to ensure a workable program.

The regulations unnecessarily restrict the compassion center program to a single pilot center that can possess no more than 150 plants and 1,500 ounces of medical marijuana. Gov. Jack Markell announced this approach at a time when the federal government indicated it was concerned about large-scale grows. However, since then, the Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors to stop considering “the size or commercial nature of a marijuana operation alone” as a reason to take legal action against it.

The plant limit will result in shortages, forcing patients to go without or driving them to the criminal market. Meanwhile, a single compassion center does little to help patients who happen to live miles from it. DHSS should register three centers as called for by law.

You can read MPP's proposed revisions here.

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Next week, the biannual International Drug Policy Reform Conference will take place in Denver, Colorado. This conference promises to bring together a wide range of drug policy and social justice activists to discuss the many issues surrounding current national and global drug policy. This year’s conference, from October 23-26, promises to be very productive and exciting, being located in one of the first states to make marijuana legal at a time when failed drug policies around the world are being questioned.

Tickets are still available!

Anyone attending the conference can see MPP staff at the following speeches and panels:

BOOK SIGNING

Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?

Thursday, October 24, 4:00pm – 4:30pm in the Plaza Foyer

Mason Tvert, director of communications

ROUNDTABLE

Which States Will Legalize Next?

Thursday, October 24, 4:30pm-6:00pm in Plaza E

Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies

ROUNDTABLE

What About the Kids: How Will Legalization Affect Those Under 21?

Saturday, October 26, 10:00am-10:30am in Plaza E

Mason Tvert, director of communications

ROUNDTABLE

What Happens Next With Marijuana?

Saturday, October 26, 3:00pm – 4:30pm in Plaza E

Rob Kampia, executive director

The full program of the conference can be seen here.

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Yesterday, Washington finalized the rules that will regulate the sale of recreational marijuana throughout the state. The Liquor Control Board outlined the regulations following a year of research, debate, and hearings. The result is a system very similar to Colorado’s. It requires seed to sale tracking, child resistant packaging, quality control testing done by a third party, and other safeguards. The regulations also require background checks for potential storeowners, a ban on out of state funding, and prohibit anyone from holding more than three store licenses. Beginning November 18, the Liquor Control Board will accept applications for the 334 licenses available throughout the state of Washington.

The pressure on the Liquor Control Board is high as many state legislatures view Washington and Colorado as tests for the possibility of a tax and regulate policy in their own states. Key players in finalizing the rules commented to USA Today:

"We feel very proud of what we're doing," said Sharon Foster, chairwoman of the Washington Liquor Control Board, as she and her two colleagues approved the rules. "We are making history."

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"What the Liquor Control Board has done is build a template for the responsible regulation of marijuana," said Alison Holcomb, the Seattle lawyer who drafted Washington's marijuana initiative. "This is a template that is going to be reviewed by other states, and already is being reviewed by other countries."

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On Tuesday, NBC and Esquire announced the results of a poll conducted by both Public Opinion Strategies and Benenson Strategy Group. The poll asked American voters a series of questions about social, economic, and political issues, and the results indicate a “new American center.” According to the poll, 51% of Americans fall into the new center: 28% of them are Republican, 36% are Democrat, and 36% Independent. The American center is also in favor of marijuana policy reform, with 52% supporting the legalization of marijuana and 34% strongly supporting the movement. You can see a breakdown of the various views of the American center here or view the full results of the poll here.

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