Prop. 19 Organizers Push For 2012 Marijuana Legalization Initiative in California: Pot Shop Owner Richard Lee Sidelined
Full legalization for marijuana in California was voted down in November. But it was close enough to give pot backers hope for another try.
1ncognito Another legalization effort likely in 2012.
And that try is officially coming in 2012, at least by all appearances. The Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform 2012 formed a committee to explore a fresh run for legalization.
Members of the group were on-hand Saturday during a meeting about legalization in Hollywood, we're told.
While Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform 2012 contains some of the same folks who were behind last year's failed attempt, Dale Gieringer, California NORML's state coordinator, says if a ballot measure will happen in 2012, it will be carried by CCPR.
"That coalition is very serious about doing an initiative," he tells the Weekly. "They're going to do some public opinion research. I'm aware of half dozen initiatives that have been proposed. I don't know of any that would have serious funding other than this one."
Gieringer notes that billionaire George Soros backed Prop. 19 and would likely get behind this effort.
However, cannabis entrepreneur Richard Lee, who spearheaded Prop. 19 almost as a one-man show -- an element of the campaign that might have hurt legalization efforts -- "has moved himself to the background on this," Gieringer says.
"There's more confidence that whatever emerges is more likely to be from the marijuana community than there was with Prop. 19," he said.
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