Prop. 19: Youth vote considered key in marijuana legalization battle [Updated]

Backers of Proposition 19 are counting on a big youth vote in their uphill battle to legalize marijuana in California.

Although polls show Proposition 19 trailing, backers told The Times' John Hoeffel and Maria L. LaGanga this week that the polls could be missing infrequent voters and young voters who might come out to the polls specifically for the measure.

"This is something tangible in their hands that they can do tomorrow that will have immediate impact," said Dale Sky Jones, a spokeswoman for the Yes on 19 campaign.

The most recent Los Angeles Times/USC poll suggested a significant generation gap when it comes to Proposition 19.

Likely voters younger than 40 are in favor of it by 48% to 37%, but older voters, who say they are more enthusiastic about voting in this election, are not. Among likely voters 65 and older, only 28% support the measure, while 59% said they were opposed, according to the poll.

According to the Times/USC poll, likely voters opposed the measure 51% to 39%.

The measure, which needs a majority vote to pass, would allow Californians who are at least 21 to grow up to 25 square feet of marijuana and possess up to an ounce. Cities and counties could authorize commercial cultivation and sales, and could impose taxes.

Will a big youth vote be enough to save Proposition 19? Share your views.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Don Bartletti / L.A. Times

 

Comments

[Harris]

If this country is a "free" country. We as people should be able to make our own decisions about what we put in our bodies. Whether it is destructive or not, that is what this country is based on. Pass this proposition 19 and let whoever decides to smoke marijuana smoke free and let whoever is against this be allowed to live their normal daily lives without marijuana interfering

[Bill The Science Guy]

To the poster saying that people that smoke to "relax"

Who are you to say they have a sad life? I find it even more "sad" that you choose to judge individuals based on one activity.

Now thats sad. Try not to assume things about individuals. Square

[Michael Dee]

It doesn't take a genius to identify the faulty reasoning that underlies this statement;
"If you have to smoke pot in order to "relax" then what a sad life it is that you live if you cannot find other better ways to chill out. "

...but let's do it anyways, because the notion that people are even susceptible to patterns of inference like this seems pretty dangerous to me.
1. Nobody said they had to 'smoke pot in order to relax'. Masking a strawman is one thing, but you make no attempt to veil an argument that didn't exist before dismantling it, Amanda. Oh, I agree with you; if you have to smoke marijuana to relax you've got issues. But somehow you've made used this conditional statement in order to provide support for a vote against Prop 19 (This is implicit in your message, I believe, because your strawman isn't responding to a particular claim and I can't fathom any other reason you'd come out in such staunch opposition), and that's where the argument falls on it's face....This sort of reasoning can be applied to any substance if you wish to villify it, like this counterexample you might find a bit more objectionable -
"If you have to drink alcohol in order to "relax" then what a sad life it is that you live if you cannot find other better ways to chill out. "
Again, totally true. If I were to use this as a premises to support the conclusion 'Alcohol should be illegal', then I'd run into problems. It's not valid support for that argument for reasons that should now seem obvious - the idea that there 'are better ways to chill out' should not render something illegal in lieu of stronger evidence, for example.

If you want to vote no on Prop 19, go ahead. You're fully within your rights to vote and you don't have to defend your choice at all. If you do decide to defend them on a public forum, it seems to me pertinent to make sure what you're saying actually supports the conclusion you're drawing and doesn't parallel a counter-example you might not want it to. Then you just look silly, Amanda!

[Jerry Brown]

If you have to alcohol in order to "fun" then what a sad life it is that you live if you cannot find other better ways to chill out.

See what I did there?

[Carl]

Amanda thats like sayin "oo you need medication to calm down, your living a sad life". I would rather smoke a plant then take a medicine that has 40 side effects. Your just like every other brain washed american, and you probably drink the hell out of some vodka, which is just as bad. You know when you get drunk, its because the alcohol is cutting oxygen from your brain??? marijuana doesnt do that. I bet if marijuana is legalized and taxed correctly, california will no long be in debt, it may take a couple years, but everything does. Tourism will be up, people who are sick or just fans will move to california, more jobs for cultivating the crops/store associates at the marijuana dispensary. There are definetly more pros than cons.....GOOD LUCK PROP 19

[Mark Husted]

I didn't get to vote on the proposition and I am one of the yes votes. Didn't know that I had to register 2 weeks before the vote. This is something that effects me on a monumental scale and I feel horrible for not having my vote heard on the matter. Yes on 19. The only reason the older generation thinks the way they do is because of their programming. Let's see....thanks to reefer madness it's no wonder the polls look the way they do for the older generation. Once the youth gets older and more mature I'm sure it will be legalized. I am one of those youth and because I "did not know" about the register timeline....I don't get counted.

[Graham]

Amanda - As long as I'm not hurting anyone, I should be allowed to "chill out" anyway I want.

[Zachary]

Marijuana never should have been illegal. I feel like it's going to pass and i hope it does, it would help out our economy and i mean come on it's an herb not a drug. LEGALIZE IT!

[Drug Free]

Seems that mostly pot smokers make comments on the boards I read. So here is another point of veiw..... I'm a 36 year old mother to an 11 year old boy. Our home is a drug free home. My husband and I don't drink or smoke and our air is clean-perfect for raising a healthy child. I'm against any substance no matter what it is. Right now we step outside our home and can only handle it for so long. Neighbors around us grow and smoke. We breathe the air and get headaches. For us it is vile and posion to have to breathe it. Neighbors have pointed out that when it's legal they no longer have to hide. Our air quality will be the worst it's been. We own our home, most of them are renters living on disability for their "ailments". Taxpayer money right down the tubes. Potheads think that when they smoke it only effects them, but it effects everyone around or near them. It's sad when you can't go outside and enjoy your beautiful yard-one that you work hard to pay for.

[Trevor Markey]

The older generation is uneducated about the truths of marijuana and they're declaring their naivety by voting no.

Eventually the ignorant generation will die.

[Michael Johnson]

In my lifetime please!

[Jimmy]

However someone wants to relax is not your concern Amanda. Who are you to decide what someone can and can not do. The basis of cannabis being illegal is totally based on propoganda put forth by people who like to impose their beliefs on others (such as yourself based on your comments).

[Jamie]

You don't have to have a television to be entertained either...

[Goodstuff123]

I just voted yes!

[JANESSA]

JUST VOTE YES ON PROP 19!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[James Fergison]

@ Dirtbread, To bad in San Diego University there was so many youth voters that they ran out of ballots...that sounds like the youth are all over this..

[Eric]

I used to smoke quite a bit of weed. I think if people want to smoke it, people are going to smoke it regardless. If it is legalized I think it should be taxed above and beyond sales tax (like an alcohol "sin tax".) I don't live in CA, and since pot just isn't within my realm any more, I don't care much one way or the other. I see a lot of people that smoke pot that I think are knuckleheads, but then again I always see a bunch of alcoholic losers around as well. Not saying those that smoke weed are all knuckleheads, but there are plenty of them in that demographic, just like there are a lot of loser drunks. Oh well...

[EL]

- IF IT DOESNT PASS TODAY IT WILL PASS ONE DAY -

[jessie h.]

Yes to prop 19! get out there and vote.

[Joey]

Free health care? Yeah sounds great and it can be effectively run, but not without pissing off a large number of people. Who is paying for that? They charge the wealthy and the middle class with high taxes to pay for what the poor cannot. I'm not saying that I don't want to help, but that's not right. I'll vote yes on prop 19 though and pay for weed which in return could pay for healthcare. The largest cash crop in California could help. It's much safer than alcohol in every aspect and not a single person can deny that. With regulation and control, granted it may take a few years, it can be no different than smoking cigarettes or drinking a beer for the responsible one's in the future. Let us live our own lives and do what we want in our homes. Although weed won't kill you, other drugs could help with the overpopulation in California haha - just a joke.

[M D]

It's not going to pass. Voting age youth are just don't have it in them to come together for a cause

[Erin]

It's true that the youth vote could prove to be pivotal in this proposition, but as a youth, I know that many young voters have not registered and are therefore not participating in the election. Unfortunately their laziness could affect the legalization's success.

[Chuck]

@AMANDA

You've never had a beer or smoked a cigarette? It is sad that you believe that you or anyone else really has a RIGHT to tell others what they can and can't do. Cannabis use is a victimless crime, the prohibition of cannabis on the otherhand...

California; the country, and the world are watching. Do not disapoint, you are on the fore-front of a huge societal change. Vote for freedom, vote for a world where you have a right to do what you want to do in the privacy of your own home. The no on 19 front is made up of people who have something to lose if this passes. Don't be fooled the only "pot heads" that oppose such a law are afraid that they will no longer be able wake up at noon and wait for the money to roll in from a way over priced plant. Regardless if prop 19 passes people will still smoke pot. Hell, in states where cannabis is completely illegal anyone can get it (usually with a faster delivery time than pizza). A vote against prop 19 will not get rid of pot. If you think that you're more delusional than the government thinking that the war on drugs ever worked.

[jack johnson]

i have seen sooooo many for prop 19 in these online articles and i am wondering how it could possibly fail... LA Times.. time to start reporting the news unbiased... that's what the news SHOULD be.. getting harder and harder to find news in the US that isn't biased and filled with such a one sided view "thanks fox!"

[Ben G.]

Funny how the recent "random" polls are leaning for Prop 19 to not pass. While, if you were to consider the Comments that are posted on articles like these as "random" poll counts, the majority in favor of Prop 19 far outweighs those opposed.