The movement to make marijuana available for sick people picked up steam Tuesday with voters in Nevada, Arizona and Washington state approving ballot measures to legalize the drug under certain circumstances.
Nevada passed a constitutional amendment approving medical marijuana, pending a second "yes" vote in 2000. Washington's approval came one year after voters turned down a broader measure that would have left the door open to legalizing other drugs.
Arizonans rejected an alternative "go-slow" law in which legislators urged a delay until the federal government approves the drug. Their vote, by a margin of 57% to 43%, reaffirms their 1996 approval of medical marijuana.
"I think they voted that way because they are angry at the Legislature for gutting what they did two years ago," said John Buttrick of The People Have Spoken, the group that led the fight against the Legislature's measure.
Michigan voters tackled another medical question, soundly rejecting physician-assisted suicide. Opponents said the vote reflected dissatisfaction with the proposed law, not with assisted suicide.
"It may have been a different outcome if they had a very open-ended piece of legislation that would be accessible to all suffering patients, not just the terminally ill," said Dr. John Finn, executive director of Hospice of Michigan.
Taxes figured prominently among Tuesday's 235 statewide ballot measures. South Dakotans rejected a plan to prevent property tax revenues from financing schools, and Nebraskans nixed a proposal to limit the amount of money state and local governments could raise through taxes.
Missouri voters amended their constitution to legalize slot machines on casinos that float in artificial moats. They had already approved riverboat gambling in 1992, but gambling foes said the "boats in moats"--10 of the state's 16 casinos--didn't qualify.
Missourians also outlawed animal fighting, specifically cockfighting and bear fighting. Cockfighting was also on its way out in Arizona, and dove hunting prevailed in Ohio, where voters turned away a ban on the sport.
Massachusetts voters passed a plan to give political candidates substantial public money if they agree to voluntarily limit their spending and raise certain small contributions. A similar measure is on the Arizona ballot.
Massachusetts voters also affirmed their support of the state's new electricity deregulation deal, which opponents had said was too friendly to utilities and would not save money for average consumers.
