The Defeat of Proposition 19

Proposition 19 was a bill proposed by the state legislature of California that would have permitted the controlled, taxed, and regulated usage of Marijuana in the state of California. The bill was defeated on November 2nd, 2010 with California voting results showing 54% of voters opposing Proposition 19, while 46% of voters approved of Prop 19..

The implications of Proposition 19 have been the source of a vast amount of controversy in California Legislature. There exist two opposing viewpoints; both of which illustrate the pros and cons of the potential passing of Proposition 19:

Proponents of Proposition 19 feel as though legal, regulated use of Marijuana would be a source of revenue for the state; the state of California would be able to regulate, tax, and sell small quantities of Marijuana – many feel that by doing so would reduce drug-related crime, as well as the amount of prisoners incarcerated for Marijuana-related convictions.

Opponents of Proposition 19 felt that the legalization – and decriminalization – of Marijuana would serve as a gateway for the subsequent legalization of other illegal-substances. In addition, many felt that by legalizing Marijuana, the implications of legally-mandated Marijuana usage could be interpreted as a government advocacy for its usage.

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