Endorsements, Donations Power Prop 19’s Momentum

There are just 21 days left until California voters decide whether their state becomes the first in the nation to make marijuana legal for all adults. And as the campaign enters its final stretch, support for ending marijuana prohibition in California continues to pour in from all kinds of sources.

Late last week, the League of United Latin American Citizens of California (LULAC) – part of the nation’s oldest Latino civil rights group – became the latest statewide organization to endorse Prop 19. "The current prohibition laws are not working for Latinos, nor for society as a whole," said Argentina Dávila-Luévano, California LULAC State Director, in a statement. "Far too many of our brothers and sisters are getting caught in the cross-fire of gang wars here in California and the cartel wars south of our border.  It's time to end prohibition, put violent, organized criminals out of business and bring marijuana under the control of the law."

LULAC’s endorsement came on the heels of major financial contributions to the Yes on 19 effort from Napster co-founder Sean Parker ($100,000), Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz ($70,000), and David Bronner, the president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap Company ($75,000). Though the Prop 19 campaign has not yet received the multimillion-dollar funds required to launch a full-scale TV ad campaign, these donations will be a tremendous boost to get-out-the-vote efforts among California’s electorate.

To assist in that effort, MPP is directing our supporters to an online tool set up by the Just Say Now campaign that enables users to reach out to likely supporters of marijuana initiatives in California, Oregon, Arizona, and South Dakota. If you have any free time, this is a great opportunity to contribute to the cause.

For a more detailed look at the battle lines being drawn over Prop 19 in California, check out some of Phil Smith’s reporting over at the Drug War Chronicle.