Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 27 March 2019
Mapping pot legalization politics: Not just red vs. blue

By JENNIFER PELTZ Vermont is the exception.
Associated Press To marijuana-policy ex-
NEW YORK (AP) — To any- perts, that's a more telling
one who figured the path divide than a state's place
of legalizing recreational on the partisan map.
marijuana use ran along "I actually see this as a pop-
blue state-red state lines, ulist-movement-vs.-repre-
a sudden setback for pot sentative (body) issue," says
advocates in New Jersey Andrew Freedman, who
may show the issue isn't so helped set up Colorado's
black-and-white. recreational-pot program
Leaders in solidly-blue New and now consults govern-
Jersey are vowing it will still ments on doing so.
join the 10 states that have Why the difference? In
legalized the drug. But part, voters are usually
when a state Senate vote presented with more gen-
was abruptly put off Mon- eral propositions, with reg-
day because it didn't have ulations to be fleshed out
enough support, the delay later, while legislators are
was a reminder that the likely weighing more details
politics of pot legalization — and political consider-
aren't purely partisan. The In this Friday, March 22, 2019, file photo, a marijuana plant is visible at Compassionate Care Foun- ations, experts say.
key question instead can dation's medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. "A vote of the people is
be whether voters or legis- Associated Press much more aspirational
lators are making the deci- in terms of what you want
sion, experts say. But look closer, and the as smoothly as they might victory. your state to look like, and
"It's a good illustration that trend isn't so clear. Voters have hoped. "This is really going to send the vote to implement is
even in a state that's en- in Ruby-red Alaska OK'd New York Gov. Andrew a strong signal nationwide much more what your state
tirely Democratically con- recreational pot in 2014, Cuomo aimed to pass that legalization is not inevi- will look like. And then you
trolled, it's not obvious that while legalization fizzled this marijuana legalization in table," even in Democrat- have to own the outcome,"
it would be passed — or year in the state legislature the budget due April 1, but dominated states, says Kev- Freedman says.
that it would be easy," says in deeply Democratic Ha- the issue may well linger in Sabet, a former Obama "When you start to talk
Daniel Mallinson, a Penn waii . Several states where until later this spring. Open administration drug-policy about: how are you going
State Harrisburg professor it passed — like Massachu- questions include how to adviser who now heads to ensure minority-owned
who studies how marijuana setts, Michigan and Ver- handle clearing past con- Smart Approaches to Mari- businesses, or what level of
legalization and other poli- mont — are less blue than victions and how to ensure juana, an anti-legalization tax rates, or suddenly a rep-
cies spread among states. purple, with governors and that minority communities group. resentative has to go talk to
Since voters in the states legislative leaders of differ- that bore the brunt of crimi- Pot advocates, meanwhile, their chief of police who is
of Colorado and Washing- ent parties. nalization get potential op- say they don't expect it to against it ... there's a lot of
ton decided in 2012 to let And overall, 61 percent of portunities in the marijuana be easy to change policy political risk for an elected
adults use marijuana for American adults say mari- business. about a drug that was il- official," he added.
fun, legalization has trav- juana should be legal, in- Those are also among the legal in all 50 states for de- For all that, lawmakers in
eled a route that looks — cluding majorities of Re- sticking points that prompt- cades, and still is in the fed- 21 states at least proposed
from a distance — some- publicans and Democrats ed the New Jersey Sen- eral government's view. legalizing marijuana last
thing like the red-and-blue , according to the General ate to postpone Monday's "It's not surprising that law- year, according to the Na-
maps that frame many a Social Survey conducted planned vote, which would makers are moving slowly tional Conference of State
U.S. political conversation. by NORC at the University fulfill a campaign promise and cautiously," said Ma- Legislatures.
Residents of Democratic of Chicago. from Gov. Phil Murphy. Sen- son Tvert, a spokesman for "It's not an exclusive discus-
states on the West Coast The Democratic governors ate President Steve Swee- the pro-legalization Mari- sion to blue states or red
and parts of the Northeast, and legislature leaders of ney insisted it would still juana Policy Project. states," says Karmen Han-
for instance, have said yes, New York and New Jer- pass eventually but didn't Nine of the 10 states that son, a cannabis policy an-
as has the District of Colum- sey have been jostling to say when a vote might have legalized recreation- alyst for the group. "States
bia. Lawmakers in Republi- make their states next in come. al marijuana did so through are talking about it in the
can-led North Dakota and line to legalize marijuana, Opponents see the devel- voter referendums — not rainbow of red, blue and
Arizona have said no. but the effort hasn't gone opment as an important through their legislatures. purple."q

Southwest 737 Max makes emergency

landing in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A from Orlando International in the U.S. March 13 after
Southwest Airlines Boe- Airport around 2:50 p.m., a deadly crash involving a
ing 737 Max made a safe and returned to the airport Max in Ethiopia on March
emergency landing Tues- safely. No passengers were 10.
day in Orlando, Florida, af- on board, and the aircraft It was the second fatal
ter experiencing an engine was being ferried to Vic- crash involving the air-
problem, the Federal Avia- torville, California, where plane. U.S. airlines are al-
In this Monday, March 18, 2019, file photo, the logo for South-
west Airlines appears above a trading post on the floor of the tion Administration said. Southwest is storing the air- lowed to shuttle the planes
New York Stock Exchange. The crew declared an planes. but cannot carry passen-
Associated Press emergency after taking off The 737 Max was grounded gers. q