"California Dems Endorse Pot Legalization, Proposition 19"

Ryan Grim (HuffPo):

Democratic lawmakers from California are hoping that a proposition to legalize marijuana on the November ballot will help drive progressive voter turnout, but most are so far unwilling to state publicly how they'll vote when the curtain closes. Three House Democrats, however, tell HuffPost that they'll be supporting the measure, which would authorize cities and counties to tax and regulate the sale of marijuana for adults 21 and over.
(SNIP)
At the state Democratic Party convention in April, Party Chair John Burton was asked how to re-energize Obama voters from 2008. "Pot," he said, according to Greg Lucas.

The state Democratic Party's executive board meets next weekend to consider whether to endorse Prop 19, but gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown has already come out against it. A number of unions may weigh in as well. The United Food and Commercial Workers union is organizing medical "bud tenders" and the more legal workers there are to organize, the better it is for unions. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees may also endorse. State workers, facing mass layoffs and wage cuts, would benefit from the billion-plus in revenue taxing marijuana could bring in. MORE...

Howie P.S.: The Washington state Democrats endorsed Washington state's I-1068 on June 26, 2010. I-1068 failed to gain the necessary number of signatures by the deadline in early July.