During a historic election, one during which no less than two states, eight cities in Michigan, and the District of Columbia voted to legalize marijuana, victories were mixed in Maine. The City of South Portland voted to legalize marijuana, whereas the City of Lewiston voted down a similar measure. Per the Portland Press Herald:
A push to legalize recreational marijuana in two Maine cities ended in a split result Tuesday, with voters in South Portland narrowly approving 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 residents rejected a similar ordinance by a vote of 7,366 to 6,044.
While the defeat in Lewiston was lame, the victory in South Portland was still significant, and will help with Maine’s pursuit for a statewide legalization effort. Will Maine be the first state to legalize marijuana via the legislature? Or will they wait until 2016? Either way, I feel that legalization is imminent in Maine.
