State Rep. Diane Russell is hoping that Portland voters' decision this month to legalize the recreational use of marijuana will propel her third attempt to pass a bill allowing the sale and taxation of the drug statewide.

But the group that petitioned for the new Portland ordinance - as well as marijuana caregivers, dispensary owners and youth drug prevention advocates - don't want to see the Portland Democrat's bill move forward.

The state's Legislative Council is slated to decide Thursday whether to allow Russell's proposal, and others, to be taken up as "emergency bills" in the next session, which starts in January.

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The Vote to Legalize Pot Could Affect the City's Image and Businesses for Better or for Worse.

Portland is a quaint, seaside city with cobblestone streets and a working waterfront. It's known for its vibrant restaurant, music and art scenes.

Now Portland is known nationally as the first city on the East Coast to vote in favor of legalizing marijuana.

The vote was largely symbolic because state and federal prohibition laws supersede local ordinances. Proponents of the ordinance said the vote sends a strong signal to state lawmakers that marijuana should be legal.

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Portland, Maine - Two days after Portland police said they would "use their discretion" to enforce state law regarding possession of marijuana, the group that spearheaded passage of a new city ordinance legalizing recreational use said they expect police to yield to the will of the people.

On Election Day, more than 67 percent of Portland voters approved of a new city ordinance to legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in the city. The law will become effective on Dec. 6, 30 days after the vote.

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It's Highly Unlikely That Employers, Landlords, Hotels and Businesses in Portland Will Permit Pot Smoking.

Portland may have become the first city on the East Coast to legalize recreational marijuana use, but residents who think this means they can light up, even in the privacy of their home, might need to think twice.

Employers will still be able to forbid their employees to use marijuana, and if that employer receives any federal funding, it is expressly prohibited from allowing any employees to use the drug.

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PORTLAND, Maine - Two days after Portland police said they would "use their discretion" to enforce state law regarding possession of marijuana, the group that spearheaded passage of a new city ordinance legalizing recreational use of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana said they expect police to yield to the will of the people.

On Tuesday, more than 67 percent of Portland voters approved of a new city ordinance to legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in the city. The law will become effective on Dec. 6, 30 days after the vote.

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Portland became the first city on the East Coast to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, on Tuesday.

Portland voters approved a citizens referendum that legalized the recreational use of marijuana in city limits by a vote of 9,921 to 4,823, according to unofficial results released by the city clerk Tuesday night.

"Most Portlanders, like most Americans, are fed up with our nation's failed marijuana prohibition laws," said David Boyer, the Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. "We applaud Portland voters for adopting a smarter marijuana policy, and we look forward to working with city officials to ensure it is implemented." The ordinance will allow adults, who are at least 21 years old, to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and requisite paraphernalia for recreational use. While people can use marijuana on their personal property, the language bars them from using it on any public infrastructure, including sidewalks, parks and roadways; but landlords and building owners can opt to bar smoking on their property.

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Proponents of the marijuana legalization effort in Portland said Tuesday's ballot initiative is the first step toward Maine dropping its prohibition on the substance. Portland voters on Tuesday will decide on whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age, and proponents of the measure say it's a first step toward a wider acceptance of marijuana use in Maine.

"We believe this is the next step toward moving away from prohibition," said Maine Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, and a step toward enacting statewide legislation that would tax and regulate legalized marijuana in Maine

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Soon residents in Portland will vote on whether to decriminalize possession of marijuana for recreational use. Some people I've talked with believe that if they choose not to use marijuana, they won't be affected in a negative way if this passes.

Proponents say marijuana is less addictive than alcohol and causes less damage to the brain than alcohol and that related health care costs are less. That tells me it causes some brain damage and addiction, and creates some health-related costs.

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Several state representatives and a local business owner are expected to throw their support behind an initiative that would legalize possession of marijuana by adults in Portland.

Reps. Benjamin Chipman, Matthew Moonen, Diane Russell and Peter Stuckey are supporting Question 1, the initiative to legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group is supporting the Portland referendum and trying to legalize marijuana in 10 states in the coming years.

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There Are Many Compelling Reasons Not to Legalize Pot in the City. There Is No Good Reason to Do So.

The message of Portland's marijuana referendum is clear: If a city doesn't like a state law, it can simply vote to ignore it. That's a dangerous precedent.

After all, why should a city comply with an unpopular law when it can follow the =93Portland model,=94 supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, and vote to exempt itself?

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As I like to say, anything is a drug if you treat it like a drug. We all know marijuana is an excellent relaxant and stimulant, such as tea. I know alcohol abuse will go down and keep Portland even safer.

I am not against alcohol by any means, I am after all a bartender and beer brewer by trade. But alcohol is abused and we all know it can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis, and death, whereas marijuana has never claimed any lives from over usage.

Please make it possible for us and our future generations to enjoy all aspects of life, we should be able to live happily and free as our fore fathers intended.

Please make the right choice, the responsible choice, on Portland Question 1.

Isaac Stroe

Portland

[end]

Maine, 'The Next Domino'

Portland to Vote Nov. 5 on Recreational Marijuana for Those 21 and Over

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Washington and Colorado by legalizing cannabis.

Voters in Portland are being asked whether they want to make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess - but not purchase or sell - up to 2.5 ounces of pot. The Nov. 5 vote is being eyed nationally as momentum grows in favor of legalizing marijuana use.

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington by legalizing cannabis.

Voters in Portland are being asked whether they want to make it legal for adults 21 and over to possess - but not purchase or sell - up to 2.5 ounces of pot. The Nov. 5 vote is being eyed nationally as momentum grows in favor of legalizing marijuana use.

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As National Views Over Recreational Use Gradually Shift, Will Next Month's Vote in Portland Prove That Change Is in the Air?

PORTLAND - Melissa Thomas is a 38-year-old interior designer for a local paint company. She has a 5-year-old son, and she is engaged to be married.

She shows up to work on time, and belongs to a book club and mothers groups. She pays her bills and is closing on the purchase of a house in South Portland next month.

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An effort to legalize marijuana in Portland is on the move - literally.

The Marijuana Policy Project, one of the groups involved in the Yes on Question 1 campaign, rolled out a series of advertisements placed on four METRO buses and two bus shelters on Wednesday. The ads are aimed at the promoting marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol and attempt to de-stigmatize people who us it. "Americans realized the prohibition on alcohol failed," said David Boyer, the MPP's Maine political director. "The same can be said for marijuana prohibition."

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The Vote May Come in 2016 As Advocates Try to Get New England States to Allow Recreational Use.

WASHINGTON - Bolstered by political victories out West, a marijuana advocacy group is now looking at Maine and other New England states as fertile ground for its next major push to legalize a drug that's gaining wider acceptance from the American public.

The Marijuana Policy Project plans to pursue ballot initiatives or legislative efforts in 10 states to legalize pot for recreational use by essentially regulating it like alcohol or tobacco. Four of those states are in New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.

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You can almost see the IQ points evaporating.

The stoners pushing a referendum to legalize the use of marijuana by adults in Maine's most populous city seem to be growing dopier by the toke - in both senses of dopier.

Their campaign to turn Portland into Potland relies heavily on an ill-considered premise that's guaranteed to turn off potential supporters.

Let me be clear - or at least as clear as the smokeladen air surrounding this issue allows. I think laws banning the possession and use of marijuana by those 21 or older are stupider and more outdated than Cheech and Chong routines.

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Maine residents suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder will soon be allowed to treat their symptoms with medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it, an advocacy group reported Wednesday. A bill adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana, LD 1062, became law Tuesday without the governor's signature, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

A similar measure was signed into law earlier this month in Oregon, and medical marijuana is currently allowed in the treatment of PTSD in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Mexico, the group reported.

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The City Council is ready to hear what Portland residents have to say about an effort to decriminalize marijuana in the city.

The council set a public hearing for a proposed ordinance that aims to decriminalize recreational marijuana use in Portland, after receiving a petition to put the question to a referendum. The hearing, which is set for July 15, will collect input on the proposed ordinance that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults who are 21 years of age or older. The Citizens for a Safer Portland Coalition attained 2,508 valid signatures through a petition drive to get the question on the ballot so Portland voters can decide on decriminalization.

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The City Council's public hearing comes in response to a petition for legalized recreational marijuana.

PORTLAND - The City Council voted unanimously Monday to hold a public hearing July 15 on whether the city should legalize recreational use of marijuana.

The ordinance is proposed by a group of residents who collected more than 3,200 signatures to put the issue to voters. Only 1,500 valid signatures were needed to put the question on the ballot. Last week, the City Clerk's Office certified 2,508 signatures.

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