1972: Proposition 19 Fails in California

Proposition 19 Poster in California, 1972

The California Marijuana Initiative (aka: CMI) was a ballot initiative in California to have cannabis legalized. This was the first time any state had attempted to legalize Cannabis. Though the ballot sided with continued prohibition (66.5% against to 33.5% for legalization), California eventually ended up being the first state to legalize cannabis in the US.