When I co-created The Weed Blog with Jay Smoker in 2010, a ground breaking campaign was underway in California. For the first time in United States history, a statewide vote was occuring during that election year. While Proposition 19 didn’t win on Election Day in California, it was still very significant, and laid the groundwork for victories in Colorado and Washington State in 2012. I wish Oregon had joined Colorado and Washington, but due to a poorly written initiative, a lack of campaign, and a lack of national support, that didn’t happen.
Zoom forward to 2014 where Alaska is already on the ballot, and Oregon and Washington D.C. are likely to also vote on marijuana legalization. Whereas California didn’t seem likely to pass in 2010, and Colorado and Washington were up in the air until the results started pouring in, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington D.C. campaigns are operating in a different political climate. Marijuana is more mainstream than ever before, and support for marijuana legalization is at an all time high. All three campaigns have a stellar chance of winning on Election Day.
Support is very strong for each campaign at the local level. Oregonians are much more fired up for the 2014 campaign than they were for the 2012 campaign, Alaskans are showing their support too, and Washington D.C. polls show legalization winning there. However, this doesn’t mean that victory is certain, nor does it mean that people in other areas shouldn’t support those campaigns. Victories in Oregon, Alaska, and Washington D.C. will be victories for the entire country.
If all three campaigns win on Election Day during the 2014 Election, it would mean four legal states in America, and legal marijuana in the nation’s capital. Just as the 2010 campaign in California laid the groundwork for victories in Colorado and Washington in 2012, so too will victories in 2014 help ensure victories in numerous other states in 2016. With so many states looking towards 2016, it’s extremely important that we win in 2014. If you want to help your state’s chances in 2016, you should do everything you can to help Oregon, Alaska, and D.C. in 2014.
Every domino that falls builds the momentum for the next domino to fall. I highly encourage all TWB readers to make a donation to the Oregon campaign, Alaska campaign, and/or the Washington D.C. campaign. If you live in Washington or Colorado, you should donate too. I know for a fact that people from Oregon donated to both campaigns, and it’s time to return the favor, not only to Oregon, but to all legalization campaigns in 2014! We can do this if we all work together!
Donate to the Oregon campaign here
