LEWISTON — Distance makes all the difference, according to foes of legal marijuana in Maine.
Scott Gagnon, director of the Maine coalition of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said Tuesday’s split decisions on legal marijuana measures show that support wanes the farther north you go.
“That’s what really matters when you think of a statewide vote that could be coming in 2016,” Gagnon said. “That’s the result I think really matters to us.”
Voters in Lewiston said no to legal marijuana by a vote of 6,044 to 7,366.
“It’s a significant margin, and that’s important for us,” Gagnon said.
Voters in South Portland went the other way, voting 6,326 to 5,755 in favor of legalization.
The municipal questions asked voters simply to legalize possession of a single ounce of marijuana for adults age 21 and older. It didn’t address sales or any kind of distribution.
David Boyer, political director for the Marijuana Policy Project in Maine, said Lewiston and South Portland initiatives were merely placeholders. The group hopes to present a statewide legalization vote in 2016, and that should include many of the practical issues of legalizing marijuana.
“Our initiatives today don’t have taxation and regulations components written in,” Boyer said. “They don’t solve the problem of black market marijuana and they don’t solve the revenue problem for the state. Those are two things that voters really want, and that we will address.”
Boyer and other legalization proponents argued that it was a question of rights for adults, and that rang true with some voters Tuesday.
“I support people’s right to live the way they choose,” said Josh Wright, 33. “It’s just freedom of choice.”
Carol Carpentier agreed.
“People over 21, they should be able to choose,” she said. “They make a choice with alcohol. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to choose this, too?”
Gagnon had argued that legalization would present a big problem for Maine youth. That message hit home in Lewiston.
“I think it just gives the wrong message to teenagers,” said Nancy Holt, 45. “I don’t agree with it, because of the kids. Look what’s happened with medical marijuana: Kids think it’s good for them now.”
Mike Lacasse agreed.
“I think it’s just a gateway drug, and we don’t need more of those,” he said.
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