Why proposition 19 failed

About Contact Visit. Make a Gift Planned Gifts. Proposition Election: November 2, : General. Official Results. Yes votes: 4,, No votes: 5,, Pro Supporters say that Proposition 19 will save the state money currently spent in enforcing the failed laws against marijuana growth and use.

Schwarzenegger as well as current Gov. Jerry Brown, Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and current Atty. Kamala Harris opposed it. Polling showed declining support and ultimately the proposition failed, That September, the Legislature had passed a bill that reclassified the possession of small amounts of marijuana to a civil infraction, weakening one of the main arguments for the proposition.

Schwarzenegger signed that bill into law a month before the election, which may have left some voters feeling that the proposition was no longer necessary.

Proponents claimed that, under existing marijuana laws, arrest records for small amounts of marijuana ruined lives, especially among the young. They argued that racial bias played a role in arrests and that existing laws were a waste of law enforcement resources. With the new law, punishment for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana became the equivalent of a traffic ticket.

In the west, Gallup's October poll shows 58 percent support decriminalization of marijuana. Research in California show that many of the overall supporters of legalization voted against Prop 19, indicating it may have suffered a death of a thousand cuts. Given the size of California's deficit, this number could become more important.

The support nationwide is manifesting itself in additional states likely to have legalization initiative on the ballot, including California, Colorado and Nevada. In California, the failure in will probably lead to a better organized, and more focused campaign.