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View Full Version : Pot legalization approved in South Portland, ME




presence
11-04-2014, 09:57 PM
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/11/04/south-portland-voters-support-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/


A push to legalize recreational marijuana in Maine was split Tuesday, as voters in South Portland narrowly approved an ordinance in support of legalization and Lewiston residents soundly rejecting the idea.
In South Portland, residents voted 6,326 to 5,755 in favor of an ordinance that declares it legal for adults to possess small amounts of the drug. Lewiston voters rejected the ordinance 7,366 to 6,044.

Citizen-initiated referendum questions in both cities asked voters to pass ordinances declaring it legal for adults over 21 years old to possess small amount of marijuana for private, recreational use.
The Lewiston and South Portland votes are seen largely as symbolic because marijuana possession remains illegal under state and federal law, and local police say enforcement won’t change. But the outcomes will serve as indicators of the state’s appetite for legalization and whether a future statewide referendum on the question might add Maine to the legalization movement.
“We’re happy that South Portland residents have chosen a policy based on facts not fear,” said David Boyer, Maine political director of the Marijuana Policy Project, which is leading the legalization movement in the state.