Oakland Measure Z Wins Big; but Prop 66, Berkeley Measure R Fail

Callifornia, Nov. 3rd: Oakland voters delivered a solid mandate
for marijuana reform, passing Measure Z by 64.3% of the vote.
Supporters hailed the victory as the first ever voter endorsement of
marijuana legalization on a "tax and regulate" model.
In neighboring Berkeley, voters narrowly rejected a measure to
liberalize regulation of medical marijuana clubs, Measure R, by 48.8%
- 51.2%. The measure suffered strong opposition from neighborhood
groups, who also turned out to defeat a prostitution
decriminalization initiative, Measure Q, by 36.1%-63.9%.
The state's voters narrowly turned down Prop. 66, a measure to
amend the state's "Three Strikes" laws so as to apply only to violent
offenses. A deceptive, last minute ad blitz by Gov. Schwarzenegger
contributed to the defeat of the measure, which had been strongly
backed by drug reform groups. Prop. 66 wound up with 46.6% of the
vote after leading in early returns.
The state's voters also passed a measure to require mandatory DNA
sampling of all felony arrestees, Prop. 69, by 61.8% to 38.2%.
Civil libertarians and drug reform advocates had opposed the measure
as an unwarranted intrusion on privacy.
Third party candidates did not fare impressively. Libertarian
candidate Judge James Gray, who had made drug reform a centerpiece of
his campaign, scored 1.7% in the U.S. Senate race. Peace & Freedom
candidate Marsha Feinland, who also supported drug reform among other
left-progressive issues, scored 2.0%.

Elsewhere in the nation, Montana became the tenth state to
legalize medical marijuana by approving Measure 148, which was
leading 62% - 38 % with 94% of the vote counted.
Alaska voters turned down a marijuana legalization initiative,
Measure 2, which was trailing 43% - 57% with 98% the vote countered.
Oregon turned down Measure 33, which would have liberalized the
state's medical marijuana law, by 42 - 58%.
Local medical marijuana initiative passed handily in Ann Arbor,
Michigan and Columbia, Missouri. Columbia also approved a decrim
initiative.

--
----
Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml [at] igc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114