California won't legalize pot

SACRAMENTO, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- California voters defeated Proposition 19, a controversial measure that would have legalized and taxed marijuana, returns showed Wednesday.

Had it been approved, the ballot initiative would have allowed state residents 21 and older to grow and own marijuana for personal use subject to taxation. It would have made California the first U.S. state to legalize marijuana.

The referendum was rejected with 61 percent of Golden State voters saying no to Proposition 19, while 39 percent supported it with strong support from those under 25. The measure was approved by voters in the San Francisco Bay area but lost in Los Angeles County.

"This has been a watershed moment," Stephen Gutwillig, California director for the Drug Policy Alliance, told the Los Angeles Times. "Even in defeat, Proposition 19 has moved marijuana legalization into the mainstream of American politics."

However, some of those who oppose the measure say it would simply add marijuana to the list of already widely abused legal substances such as alcohol and prescription drugs, KPBS-TV, San Diego, noted.

California voters also rejected Proposition 23, heavily backed by oil industry interests, which would have postponed enforcement of the state's landmark clean energy law until the state unemployment rate dropped to 5.5 percent or less for a year.