In a Nov. 4 press release, the nonpartisan Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) group, which opposes legalization and commercialization of marijuana, welcomed the fact that in several cities and counties around the country, voters overwhelmingly voted down initiatives to allow recreational marijuana sales. “This was a bad night for the marijuana industry,” said SAM’s Executive Vice President Luke Niforatos. “Voters consistently show they don’t like pot shops in their neighborhoods.”
The SAM release cited several specific cases, such as Billings, Montana; Mead, Colorado; and the Detroit, Michigan suburb of Clawson, where voters rejected retail marijuana sales by a 10, 20 and 20 point margin, respectively. In addition, SAM reported that the cities of Wellington and Brighton, Colorado rejected initiatives to repeal the towns’ ban on retail pot shops. “In Methuen, MA, voters rejected a measure to legalize transportation, cultivation, and sale of recreational marijuana by a 15 point margin. Camillus, New York voters also rejected legal sales, and a handful of New York towns will have to tally up absentee votes to determine the final outcome.”
