Posted on November 7, 2024 View all news
“Instead of legalizing marijuana, we should focus on prevention, education, and providing adequate resources for those who need help with substance use and mental health issues.”
~ Tim Blasl, President, North Dakota Hospital Association
The question of whether or not to legalize marijuana was on several state ballots this year, and the answer from most of those states was a resounding “NO.” This represents a major victory for those of us who oppose the dangerous and irresponsible expansion of the drug crisis.
But even more importantly, the failure of these measures clearly shows that marijuana legalization is not inevitable.
As more people become aware of the medical and scientific evidence highlighting the very real dangers this drug poses to individuals, families, and society, there is a growing pushback against the false narrative coming from the Big Cannabis industry and its bought-and-paid-for special interest lobbyists.
Let’s take a closer look at what happened in the individual states and the takeaways from each.
North Dakota REJECTS Recreational Marijuana
“Once again, the voters of North Dakota have wisely rejected an attempt to legalize recreational marijuana. They understand that today’s marijuana is not safe and legalization will only add to the addiction and mental health crisis already punishing North Dakota families.”
~ Patrick Finken, the Brighter Future Alliance
On Tuesday, 52.5% of North Dakota voters decided to keep recreational marijuana illegal in their state, defeating Initiative Measure 5. Similar attempts also failed in 2018 and 2022.
Before the vote, several state groups released a joint statement opposing Measure 5, including:
- North Dakota Medical Association
- North Dakota Hospital Association
- North Dakota Chiefs of Police Association
- North Dakota Peace Officers Association
- North Dakota Sheriffs and Deputies Association
- North Dakota Petroleum Council
- Associated General Contractors of North Dakota
- North Dakota Motor Carriers
- North Dakota Farmers Union
- North Dakota Catholic Conference
- North Dakota Family Alliance
“Don’t buy into the argument that legalization of recreational marijuana will free up law enforcement to focus on more serious crime. In fact, quite the opposite will happen. Legalization will lead to an increase in traffic accidents and fatalities,” said Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler.
Now that it has been defeated three times in six years, Finken hopes that the issue of recreational marijuana in North Dakota has been put to bed for good.
South Dakota REJECTS Recreational Marijuana
“Whenever they go and they fight for recreational marijuana to be legalized in the state, they are saying there is going to be this great revenue stream for the state. Well, in Colorado it’s a dollar in, four fifty out. The states that have legalized it aren’t finding this revenue. If they would, they would be paving their streets with gold. And what are they? Lining up tents on their streets. That’s what happens with marijuana.”
~ Rhonda Milstead, Director, Protecting South Dakota Kids
In South Dakota, Initiated Measure 29 was defeated by an even wider margin, with 56/% of voters saying no to legal recreational pot. As with North Dakota, this was the third time such a proposal has failed.
Supporters of cannabis legalization in South Dakota, including Matthew Schweich, the Executive Director of South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, make the ridiculous claim that keeping recreational marijuana illegal pushes people to try harder drugs.
Schweich even went so far as to say, “…prohibition is the gateway..”
But science says something altogether different.
In fact, not only is marijuana a gateway drug, but use during late adolescence and early adulthood is the strongest predictor of future involvement with other illicit drugs. According to one study, 86% of people who have taken two or more drugs started with marijuana FIRST.
Just after midnight Wednesday morning, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem posted on her X account, saying, “I’ve never met anyone who got smarter by smoking dope. South Dakotans agreed with me (again) tonight and voted down radical marijuana policy.”
Florida REJECTS Recreational Marijuana
“This pro-drug amendment was bad for our kids, bad for our communities, bad for our local business, and ultimately bad for Florida. The Florida Chamber was proud to stand with Governor DeSantis to unite community and business leaders across Florida to help ensure this amendment’s defeat.”
~ Mark Wilson, President and CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce
Amendment 3 failed to pass in Florida, even with 56% support. State law requires a threshold of at least 60%. The fact that it failed despite a multi-million-dollar campaign and even an endorsement from President-Elect Donald Trump shows that universal legalization is not the foregone conclusion the cannabis industry would like you to believe it is.
Special interest groups supporting Amendment 3 spent over $150 million hoping to ensure its passage, making it the most expensive ballot initiative in the country. It was also more than four times the $33 million raised in opposition.
Big marijuana’s deep pockets were on full display – almost $145 million came from Trulieve, Florida’s largest medical marijuana company. That’s right – 94% of the war chest came from one company.
Jessica Spencer, Director of Advocacy for the Vote No on 3 Campaign, said, “Even after spending over $150 million – the most in any drug legalization effort in American history – the people of Florida saw through Amendment 3’s web of deception and defeated this corporate power grab.”
Measure 3 also faced formidable opposition from Governor Ron DeSantis, an outspoken critic of legalization efforts. Even his wife Casey has joined the fight.
“Why do they package it like Gummy Bears and lollipops and Rice Krispie Treats and brownies? It will happen where this gets to our kids, they can consume it and it can be potentially life-ending,” Mrs. DeSantis said.
Massachusetts REJECTS Psychedelic Drugs
“Today, voters across Massachusetts came together to reject the passage of Question 4 in recognition of the negative impacts it would have to our neighborhoods, roads, hospitals, children, pets, and public safety across the state.”
~ The Coalition for Safe Communities
Question 4 would have legalized psychedelic substances such as psilocybin mushrooms, ibogaine, and mescaline. Massachusetts residents rejected the measure, with 57% of voters marking “NO” on their ballots.
While proponents argued that psychedelics show therapeutic potential for the treatment of PTSD, depression, and other mental health conditions, opponents counter that the science is still far from settled and that these powerful drugs could instead pose serious risks.
For example, Dr. Nassir Ghaemi, M.D., a psychiatrist at Tufts Medical Center and also President of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, opposed the initiative, primarily due to psychedelics’ unknowns.
Dr. Ghaemi pointed to one recent consultation, a young woman who took dimethyltryptamine, the psychedelic also known as DMT, and who subsequently suffered such severe hallucinations and delusions that she ended up hospitalized for six months. At one point, she was catatonic.
One major concern is that if these substances were to become widely available, some people would bypass traditional psychiatric treatment and would instead try to self-medicate with psychedelics.
The Coalition for Safe Communities called the proposal “poorly written and misguided” and said that medical organizations representing over 60,000 physicians and psychiatrists across the country are included in the coalition.
What Does All This Mean?
We have entered a new era called The War For Drugs. These ballot initiatives show that Big Marijuana companies will stop at nothing to push their agenda. They will spend hundreds of millions of dollars and reintroduce legislation year after year in their relentless pursuit of ever-greater profits.
But despite the constant propaganda telling us how marijuana is a safe and effective medication that can treat a long list of conditions and how it is just a harmless social intoxicant that helps people have a good time, the public is starting to pay attention to what science and statistics and evidence tells us.
Legalized marijuana costs far more than special interest groups would have you believe, and it takes a terrible toll on the individual users, on families, and on society as a whole.
The biggest takeaway from these election night results is that Americans are waking up and are starting to realize just how dangerous marijuana really is. By saying no, voters across the country are saying that the pendulum is beginning to swing back the other way.
The universal legalization of marijuana is not inevitable. In fact, legalization may actually be reversible.
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Every Brain Matters is a trusted educational resource for families and communities wanting to stay safe from the harms associated with marijuana and the pervasive drug crisis.
We reject the false narrative that marijuana is a harmless expression of personal freedom. Based on the scientific evidence and personal stories, our position is that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug, and like all drugs of abuse, it destroys lives.
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