Portland, Maine voted this week to legalize marijuana. But Jacob Sullum notes that the ballot measure “merely eliminated local penalties for possession of up to two and and half ounces” and that under “state law, possessing pot in amounts below that cutoff remains a civil violation punishable by fines ranging from $350 to $1,000”:
[I]f Question 1 (which officially takes effect in a month) won’t have much of a practical effect, what was the point? As I suggested last month, the Question 1 campaign was a dry run for statewide legalization efforts in Maine and elsewhere. Its messaging focused on the relative hazards of marijuana and alcohol, with ads featuring respectable-looking pot smokers asking, “Why should I be punished for making the safer choice?” Judging from the large majority the initiative attracted, that message, which also was prominent in Colorado’s successful legalization campaign, resonates with voters.
Mike Riggs made similar points before the measure passed.
The Dish 
