Marijuana referendum passes—Old attitudes are dying out

From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner:

A long struggle to reduce penalties in Wichita paid off, as an initiative passed by 54percent of the votes Tuesday night. The referendum to lower criminal penalties for Marijuana now sends an important message to the Kansas state legislators that it is time to change the laws and attitudes on possession of Marijuana.
Fifty-four percent, or 20,075 votes beat out the “No” votes by 17,091. That was not a land slide but it was a clear victory for the initiative.
The ballot initiative to stop the criminalization of marijuana use was put on the ballot after local activists from Kansas for Change coalition along with JENI (Jobs & Education-Not Incarceration) and the Peace and Social Justice Center worked for months to gather the needed signatures. One of the main reasons by the pro-referendum groups is to stop the over population of the county's prison population. The original problem as JENI sees it is that this country is jailing too many of its citizens for offences which are unnecessary.
“I am gratified at the marijuana win because it was truly a bottom up effort,” said Bill Anderson, a person involved in putting the initiative on the ballot. ”In addition, it is a step in the correct direction, and has generated a much needed conversation about the destructive consequences of the War on Drugs. And coalitions were built during this fight.”
This vote was mostly symbolic as Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has already said he will sue the city of Wichita for enacting a law that violates state law. Even though this law does not really take place in any short term, it has made it clear to law makers that the majority of people in Wichita are tired of Marijuana prohibition. It also probably follows that a large portion of people living in the Wichita area smoke Marijuana.
Janice Bradley, who was a key person involved in placing this effort on the ballot, said a bill, which is similar to the initiative, has already been proposed in the House committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice.
“Rep Steve Brunk as part of his failed campaign to defeat the ballot reform ran to Chair John Rubin to pull the bill so as not to give support to our April 7 vote were the House to pass it,” said Bradley. “So there is a bill, HB 2049, that could be amended to look more like the ordinance Wichita passed yesterday.“
Kansas Republicans Brunk and Mark Kahrs led a campaign to stop the initiative and get it off the ballot. They failed.
Across this nation Marijuana laws are coming down. We have all heard about the changes in Colorado. Other states may follow lead and many states are moving to legalize medical marijuana. At least with this one issue, the old status quo and its advocates are losing.