[TKDietz]

"I'm a big believer in states rights."

Bull

"Yes, by an overall narrow margin, and carried mainly by the San Francisco Bay area."

I wouldn't say there was a narrow margin between the 56% of Californians who voted for Prop 215 and the 39% who voted against it. I suppose you can characterize it as such if it makes you happy.

"I believe a vote today would be very different..."

Poll results I have seen show more support for medical marijuana in California today than in 1996. The polls might all be bogus though. The most recent polls from California I have seen for outright legalization of marijuana similar to the way alcohol is legal now mirror the 1996 Prop. 215 results, only for legalization its 39%, 56% want it to stay illegal.

Things are going to change, rp, and not in the direction you want them to change. The first set of folks who more likely than not have smoked marijuana are now in their early fifties. Less than 10% of those now in their late sixties and older have ever smoked it. The old politicians are slowly but surely being replaced by people who have probably smoked pot, as are the old voters. Along with this change in people is coming a change in attitudes about marijuana. Support for a war on marijuana will slowly but surely disappear. The colors on your little color coded voter maps will shift. The percentage of those opposing marijuana legalization will decrease. Ignore it if you want, but don't be surprised when marijuana is legalized in the next twenty years or so.

[robertpaulsen]

"Ignore it if you want, but don't be surprised when marijuana is legalized in the next twenty years or so."

If the next generation wishes to legalize marijuana, so be it. Then they have no one to blame but themselves for the outcome.

But not on my watch, if I can help it.