cannabisnews.com: MJ Initiative Gets $1.25 Million in New Donations
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MJ Initiative Gets $1.25 Million in New Donations
Posted by CN Staff on July 23, 2012 at 05:22:20 PT
By Jonathan Martin, Seattle Times Staff Reporter
Source: Seattle Times
Seattle -- An initiative to legalize and tax marijuana was buoyed this weekend by $1.25 million in new donations, allowing the campaign to place a big TV ad buy for August.Initiative 502, the first marijuana-legalization initiative to make the state ballot, raised the money from just four donors, including $450,000 donations from Progressive Insurance founder Peter Lewis and an arm of the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance.
The donations will pay for a $1 million TV-ad blitz in August, before other campaigns saturate the airwaves, said I-502 campaign manager Alison Holcomb.I-502, on the November ballot, would legalize possession and sale of up to 1 ounce of marijuana. It would impose a steep excise tax on marijuana and cannabis-infused products at new state-licensed marijuana stores, and would allow state-regulated grow farms.The tax-and-regulate approach to marijuana legalization has drawn strong support from such longtime drug-reform advocates as Lewis, of Ohio. Before the weekend's contributions, I-502 had raised $1.7 million.A new statewide poll, paid for by KING 5, finds 55 percent support for I-502 versus 32 percent opposition.Previous polls found firmer opposition, but Holcomb said attitudes change when voters understand I-502's safeguards, including a ban on marijuana sales to people under 21."People are getting more comfortable when they take a closer look," she said.Holcomb said the new contributions, which will be officially reported by the campaign early next week, included $250,000 from Edmonds travel guru Rick Steves, who previously donated $100,000; and $100,000 from the ACLU of Washington.The campaign has racked up blue-chip endorsers, including former federal prosecutors, judges and drug-abuse experts, as well as the state labor council.The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs opposes the initiative. So do several prominent marijuana-legalization advocates and some in the medical-marijuana industry, who object to a proposed new limit on active THC in the bloodstream, arguing it would effectively criminalize driving by medical-marijuana patients.Philip Dawdy, who previously ran a campaign to decriminalize marijuana, said he was helping organize opposition to I-502. A new group, Safe Access Alliance, would file with state campaign regulators this week, and will be fundraising soon, he said.The excise taxes imposed by I-502 would dramatically increase costs on patients, said Dawdy."I-502 made a serious miscalculation," said Dawdy. "They calculated that getting the votes of soccer moms were more important than medical-marijuana patients."Source: Seattle Times (WA)Author: Jonathan Martin, Seattle Times Staff ReporterPublished: July 22, 2012Copyright: 2012 The Seattle Times CompanyContact: opinion seatimes.comWebsite: http://www.seattletimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/QiKjWkYKCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on July 24, 2012 at 15:58:40 PT
Sinsemilla Jones
It's OK to agree to disagree on topics. That's what makes the way our system works interesting. We don't always get what we want but hopefully we get what we need.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 24, 2012 at 13:55:16 PT
Thanks, FoM!
That's something we can both definitely agree on.It'd be great to have a candidate arguing for our cause before the entire nation!If he can't win, maybe he can convince Obama to really work for us in his 2nd term.And we both agree that Romney would be a disaster!
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Comment #12 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 24, 2012 at 13:47:27 PT
As for Libs being more like Reps than Dems
Unlike Libertarians - neither Rs nor Ds favor the legalization of cannabisneither Rs nor Ds would cut the Defense budget and bring our troops homeneither Rs nor Ds seem capable of even attempting to balance the budgetneither Rs nor Ds will make any significant tax reformboth Rs and Ds want to force me to buy health insurance from big corporationsSo, I think the Libertarians are pretty unique.And Gary was for gay marriage before Obama was!And, of course, neither Rs, Ds, Romney nor Obama will produce a commercial that is pro-legalization/anti-prohibition, like the one I posted in comment 5.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on July 24, 2012 at 13:14:33 PT
Sinsemilla Jones 
I think it would be great if Gary Johnson was allowed in the debates.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 24, 2012 at 13:11:44 PT
FoM
A few years ago, even after Obama won the Democratic nomination, many if not most people still didn't think a black man could be elected President.You're probably right, but if Gary makes the debates, that's a game changer.Gary Johnson Could Appear in Presidential Debateshttp://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/07/23/gary-johnson-could-appear-in-presidential-debatesWant to put a piranha in the political fish tank? Allow Gary Johnson in the Presidential Debateshttp://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/making-waves-hawaii-perspective-washington-politic/2012/jul/23/gotta-get-gary/Johnson wins election if based on issueshttp://garyjohnsongrassrootsblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/johnson-wins-election-based-on-issues.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 24, 2012 at 06:40:07 PT
afterburner
Good morning to you too!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by afterburner on July 24, 2012 at 06:10:43 PT
Why do they fight against the poor youth of today?
Good morning, FoM & everyone!Black Oak Arkansas - Keep The Faith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJpLj02hjB0Bob Marley and The Wailers - 400 Years 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4U22gowtf0"Why do they fight against the poor youth of today? 
And without these youths, they would be gone - 
All gone astray" Youth Of The Nation - P.O.D. [HQ] 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vq_WDf6NT0Black Oak Arkansas - Revolutionary All American Boys 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA790uPOuFURomney = more outsourcing, profits only for the 1%!What do we want?Jobs for youth!Liberty and justice for all!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 24, 2012 at 05:15:53 PT
Sinsemilla Jones 
It's ok if people like Gary Johnson but he can't win and a vote for Johnson is a vote taken away from Romney since Libertarians are more like Republicans then Democrats. I just don't want Romney as President or we will be in really big trouble.
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Comment #6 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 24, 2012 at 03:52:17 PT
And this one's for you, FoM -
An Indecent Proposal from Sarah Silverman (explicit)http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=2B5o6-qNk6QCause it's pro O, I swear!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 24, 2012 at 03:36:57 PT
GARY JOHNSON will END the War on Drugs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YdpcggfIt0U
GARY JOHNSON will END the War on Drugs
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 24, 2012 at 03:28:30 PT
You know those are GM seeds, runruff -
General Mills!"I tried to grow Cheerios"
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on July 23, 2012 at 23:22:05 PT
Sometimes I Feel...
“”The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs opposes the initiative. So do several prominent marijuana-legalization advocates and some in the medical-marijuana industry, who object to a proposed new limit on active THC in the bloodstream, arguing it would effectively criminalize driving by medical-marijuana patients. Philip Dawdy, who previously ran a campaign to decriminalize marijuana, said he was helping organize opposition to I-502. A new group, Safe Access Alliance, would file with state campaign regulators this week, and will be fundraising soon, he said. The excise taxes imposed by I-502 would dramatically increase costs on patients, said Dawdy. 
"I-502 made a serious miscalculation," said Dawdy. "They calculated that getting the votes of soccer moms were more important than medical-marijuana patients."”***I wish these people would stop this crap...Of course the authorities will oppose it...it cuts into their paycheck...But those that are allowed to do the medical thing too oppose it is just to hard to accept... Greedy... they remind me of something from the past...Narcs...longhaired people narcing out their brothers and sisters...because...???It’s okay for them to do it...until they got caught...then sold their soul to try to save their hide...I look at anyone who has ‘permission’ that opposes others to be free as hypocrites/narcs...I have very little airtime for their stuff...and view them as ones who have sold their soul/character...And enough with the ‘soccer mom’ thing too !!!These people do their best to keep us...“tied to the whipping post”************Allman Brothers - Whipping Post, 9/23/70 HQLive at the Fillmore East, September 23, 1970http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6up076lSH8
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Comment #2 posted by Richard Zuckerman on July 23, 2012 at 19:43:26 PT:
New Approach Washington & State Senator Dickerson
About four days ago, an announcement came over the radio here in Seattle, WA, that a lawsuit has been filed in Washington State to try to stop this Initiative 502 from being voted on this November 2012 Election Day because it would allegedly obliterate the medical "Marijuana" law. I telephone called the office of New Approach Washington, the organization of this Initiative 502, left an answering machine message asking them to post their response to this lawsuit onto their website. NORML Stash commentator "Radical Russ" Bellville said about four months ago that the best way to protect medical "Marijuana" patients now is to legalize "Marijuana" altogether. About 15 minutes ago, I left a voicemail on the answering machine of Washington State Senator Mary Lou Dickerson, who is a Sponsor of Initiative 502 with New Approach Washington and has submitted a "Marijuana" legalization Bill (though I doubt it'll pass into law, as Washingtonians seem just as creepy as New Jersey/New York residents), asking her to speak to New Approach Washington about that lawsuit. I'm a registered vote, am awaiting this November 2012 Election Day so I can vote for Initiative 502. I want this Initiative 502 to go forward for a vote!! 
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on July 23, 2012 at 18:06:20 PT
Great news!
Today i recieved my order of ACME Magic Holes. The ones endorsed by Wyle E. Coyote. Tomorrow will be a big planting day!Last year I tried to grow Cheerios so I planted a couple of boxes. All I got though was rows and rows of Cream-o-Wheat!
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