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California's Proposition 19: The Politics Of Pot On Nov. 2, Californians are set to vote for Proposition 19, which, if passed, will make California the first state to legalize marijuana. In a week-long series, NPR explores the debate over the politics of pot.
Special Series

California's Proposition 19: The Politics Of Pot

NPR explores the debate over the possible legalization of marijuana in California.

Saturday

Study: Legalizing Pot In Calif. Won't Hurt Cartels

On Tuesday, California voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana. But researchers at the RAND Corp. say a "yes" vote wouldn't undercut the profits made by Mexican drug cartels and eliminate the need for violent crimes.

Study: Legalizing Pot In Calif. Won't Hurt Cartels

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Thursday

California's Prop 19 Fuels Mexico's Debate On Drugs

Earlier this month, Mexican soldiers stack bails of marijuana -- 134 tons of it -- to be burned near the city of Tijuana. Many people in the Mexican border town do not believe that legalizing recreational marijuana use in California will change the level of violence driven by Mexico's drug trade. Francisco Vega/Getty Images hide caption

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Francisco Vega/Getty Images

California's Prop 19 Fuels Mexico's Debate On Drugs

If voters approve the ballot initiative to legalize recreational pot use, will it have an effect on the drug war in Mexico? Every year, Mexico destroys about 50,000 acres of marijuana and seizes 1,500 tons of pot. Yet truckloads of the product still flow into the U.S.

California's Prop 19 Fuels Mexico's Debate On Drugs

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Wednesday

Will Legalizing Pot Wipe Out The Black Market?

Proposition 19 supporters in California say legalizing recreational pot will put drug traffickers out of business and end the pot wars. But eradicating the black market won't be easy. That's because California is already the nation's biggest producer of marijuana, and by some accounts, the nation's largest exporter of pot.

Will Legalizing Pot Wipe Out The Black Market?

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Tuesday

Pot Legalization Divides California's Black Voters

If passed, Proposition 19 would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The state's NAACP has endorsed the measure, saying it's a civil rights issue. But a Sacramento preacher who is encouraging voters to reject Proposition 19 says drugs are tearing the black community apart.

Pot Legalization Divides California's Black Voters

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Campaigning On The Cheap, Prop 19 Still Builds Buzz

Proposition 19, the California ballot measure that would legalize pot for recreational use, is stirring up lots of attention across the country. But at home in the Golden State, it's definitely a low-budget affair with neither side spending big bucks on a massive media campaign.

Campaigning On The Cheap, Prop 19 Still Builds Buzz

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Monday

Legalized Pot's Unlikely Supporters: Moms, Cops

The ballot measure that would legalize recreational pot in California -- Proposition 19 -- is prompting some unpredictable responses statewide. Some marijuana growers oppose legalization, while some police officers and mothers support it.

Legalized Pot's Unlikely Supporters: Moms, Cops

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