Join Together Releases Voters Guide 2008

With the U.S. General Election quickly approaching, Join Together has compiled a new "Voters Guide 2008" which not only outlines how presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama stand on substance abuse issues, but also details ballot initiatives in several states that are concerned with drug and alcohol issues.

Of the 160 or so ballot initiatives facing voters Nov. 4, only a few deal with substance abuse issues.

The Join Together voters guide shows how the Republican and Democrat presidential candidates stand on the issues of mental health parity, drug courts, antidrug strategies, treatment, prevention, law enforcement and interdiction.

State Ballot Issues

The voters guide also describes details of ballot issues facing voters in California, North Dakota, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan. Briefly, those initiatives include:

• California: Proposition 5, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act would increase funding for offender treatment.

• North Dakota: the North Dakota Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program Petition would establish a tobacco prevention and control advisory committee.

• Oregon: Ballot Measure 57 calls for increased prison terms for those convicted of certain drug and property crimes and bars judges from imposing shorter sentences.

• Maine: The Dirigo Law would double taxes on beer and wine to provide more Maine residents with health insurance.

• Massachusetts: voters will decide if the state should decriminalize adult possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

• Michigan: The Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care Initiative would allow terminally and seriously ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes.

See More Details:
Join Together's Voters Guide 2008

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