AFTER VOTING, DREAMS OF LEGAL POT GO UP IN SMOKE

What had been a growing movement to relax the country's marijuana laws
abruptly lost its buzz this week.

With several pro-marijuana state ballot initiatives going down to defeat
Tuesday and conservative Republicans now solidly in control of federal
policies, pot advocates can't help but wonder if the United States will
ever follow other countries in relaxing its rules on dope.

"I'm not going to try and dress up a pig," said Rob Kampia, executive
director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C. group that was
behind the pot proposals in Nevada, Arizona and elsewhere. "This is pretty
disappointing."

In recent years, Canada and several European countries have relaxed their
marijuana laws.

But Americans showed Tuesday where they are willing to draw the line on pot:

- -- In Nevada, 61 percent of voters defeated a proposal that would have
allowed anyone to possess up to three ounces of marijuana.

- -- In Arizona, 57 percent killed a plan that would have made state law
enforcement the broker for medicinal marijuana.

- -- In Ohio, 67 percent of voters struck down a proposal that would have
allowed nonviolent drug offenders to seek treatment instead of jail time.

Pot proponents did have one minor victory Tuesday night. In San Francisco,
voters approved a proposition that directs the city to explore growing and
distributing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The Nevada referendum marked the fourth time a broad marijuana initiative
has failed at the polls. In 1972, Californians overwhelmingly voted down a
proposition that would have allowed them to grow and possess small amounts
of pot. Voters in Oregon and Alaska also denounced the pro-pot proposals in
1986 and 2000, respectively.

Those votes showed that changes won't come easily on the state level. And
after the big Republican wins Tuesday night, few think any attempt to
revamp marijuana laws on a national level stands a chance.

"These failed initiatives represent the high-water mark of the drug
legalization movement," John Walters, director of National Drug Control
Policy said in a statement Wednesday. "Common sense has prevailed."

Kampia agreed that "with regard to any broad marijuana proposals, I must
say we're a little pessimistic about getting a majority vote."

Instead, Kampia said his group -- which has the backing of several big
business leaders, including well-known corporate financier George Soros --
will focus on pushing medical marijuana initiatives in selected states.
Currently, eight states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The ballot defeats will be a prime topic at a conference the Marijuana
Policy Project is sponsoring this weekend in Anaheim, Calif. -- an event
they once hoped would include celebrations of the voting results. The
conference features former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders and a raft
of pot supporters.