Proponents of Initiative 148, the so-called medical marijuana law, were successful in convincing red state voters to allow terminally and chronically ill patients to alleviate their suffering by smoking a substance the federal government outlawed more than three decades ago. Or, to put it another way, opponents of medical marijuana never launched a credible defense of the status quo.

However you parse it, the use of marijuana for medical reasons became law immediately after the voters approved it 276,042 to 170,579.

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