Justice
Despite Successes in Colorado and Washington, Marijuana Advocates Still See Cities As Their Best Bet
The working theory: If big, liberal cities won't liberalize their marijuana laws, statewide initiatives are bound to fail.
Residents of Portland, Maine, will vote next month on a ballot measure to legalize marijuana possession. If the measure passes—the Marijuana Policy Project's man in Maine, David Boyer, is "cautiously optimistic" that it will—adults 21 and over will theoretically be able to possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot under Portland law.
The measure won't empower Portland to tax pot sales. (In Maine, only the state legislature can authorize new taxes.) It also wouldn't permit marijuana use in public, nor in private spaces where cigarette smoking is already banned, such as certain apartment buildings.