MARIJUANA REFORM SCORES BIG GAINS

However anyone feels about the results of the presidential race, Nov. 2 was
a banner day for marijuana policy reform. Nationwide, 17 of 20 initiatives
won, including a massive victory for medical marijuana in Montana.

Montanans, by a whopping 62 percent to 38 percent, made their state the
10th to pass a medical marijuana law. Not only did this continue the
unbroken winning streak for initiatives allowing medical use of marijuana,
it also was the biggest margin of victory in any first-time vote on a
statewide medical marijuana measure anywhere.

Indeed, many voters who supported Montana's ban on same-sex marriage (which
passed with 67 percent of the vote) also supported protecting medical
marijuana patients. Clearly, a lot of conservative voters think it is wrong
to send patients to jail for using medical marijuana.

In Alaska, although an initiative to replace marijuana prohibition with a
system of regulation failed, the 43 percent support that measure received
was the all-time highest vote percentage ever recorded for a statewide
marijuana regulation or "legalization" initiative. There have been only
four other such initiatives in the history of the country -- in Alaska,
California, Nevada and Oregon -- and the previous record-holder was
Alaska's 59 percent to 41 percent loss in 2000. None of the others even
broke 40 percent.

In Oakland, Calif., voters put the city on record in support of taxation
and regulation of marijuana and made enforcement of personal marijuana
offenses the lowest priority for local police, by an overwhelming 65
percent to 35 percent. Around the country, 17 local marijuana reform
initiatives appeared on city or legislative district ballots, and 16
passed. These included a medical marijuana proposal in Ann Arbor, Mich.,
and two measures in Columbia, Mo. -- one to permit medical use and another
to end the threat of arrest and jail for any misdemeanor marijuana
possession charge.

All racked up overwhelming margins, with the Ann Arbor measure passing 3-to-1.

Perhaps the most telling results of all came from Vermont, where medical
marijuana advocates ousted three openly hostile state representatives and
protected all three supportive incumbents who were in tight races. The
opponents had nearly blocked passage of Vermont's medical marijuana law
last spring and led efforts to weaken it. Their defeat flipped the Vermont
House of Representatives from Republican to Democratic control, sending a
strong message to politicians in Vermont and elsewhere that opposing
medical marijuana legislation is bad for their political health.

Of course, there were disappointments. Besides the Alaska loss, Oregon
voters defeated an initiative to strengthen and expand the state's existing
medical marijuana law.

Nevertheless, Nov. 2 was a good day for anyone who supports marijuana laws
based on reason, science and compassion. We hope President Bush is paying
close attention to our numerous victories -- especially in Montana, where
Bush won 59 percent of the vote, but medical marijuana won 62 percent.

The president's strongest supporters also support protecting medical
marijuana patients, and they don't want the federal government telling
their doctors how to practice medicine. It's time for the president to
finally keep his 2000 campaign pledge to let states decide the medical
marijuana issue "as they so choose," without fear of federal agents raiding
and arresting the seriously ill.