Time to buy that ticket to Denver.
California voters will have to wait until 2016 for the chance to legalize marijuana, after the Drug Policy Alliance announced it had scuttled plans to push a marijuana legalization ballot initiative this year, the LA Times first reported yesterday.
Despite a majority of California voters voicing support for ending cannabis prohibition in the polls, the decision boiled down to money -- as in not enough of it to run and win a statewide campaign, which could cost as much as $10 million.
That was money nobody was willing to spend, which is bit weird in day and age when young people with bulging pockets talking about how "disruption" are a dime a dozen. But in any event, the big-money backers from Silicon Valley or anywhere else never materialized.
You will only find a legal adult marijuana marketplace in Colorado and Washington for a few more years. Meanwhile, pot-friendly Californians can spend that time ruing the chance lost in 2010.
But 2014 was always going to be a stretch for a legalization measure. In fact, it wasn't until recently that legalization in California became plausible. Still, the raising and then dashing of hope stings. Who's responsible for this bummer? A lot of people, most of whom are rich. Let's begin.
I had hoped we'd be able to legalize marijuana in California in November 2014 but 2016 will be the year it happens. http://t.co/2nuq9oZ4Gj
— Ethan Nadelmann (@ethannadelmann) February 18, 2014
