It was 2010, election night in California. Proposition 19 was on the ballot and marijuana supporters were hopeful. If passed marijuana would have been decriminalized and cities could tax and regulate the product.
It seemed like a shoe in for a state that pioneered medicinal marijuana legalization nationwide in 1996. But, it didn't pass.
"There were parts of it people, otherwise who would be supportive, found objective," said Professor Craig Reinerman.
Reinerman is a Sociology professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Reinerman said having the ballot measure on a non-Presidential year also didn't help.
"You would have had a larger turnout of younger votes who are overwhelming in favor of legislation," said Reinerman.
But for some, the reason the measure didn't pass, goes a little deeper than that.
"At this time yeah, there is lacking in enforcement, local enforcement agencies for rules and regulations," said JD Black, CEO of Granny Purps in Soquel.
There are many medicinal marijuana dispensaries along the Central Coast like Granny Purps, and they all follow the same state regulations. But, there is no state agency that enforces these regulations. Some say that needs to change before legalization for recreational use happens.
In Colorado, a state agency known as the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, looks over everything when it comes to the industry.
Central Coast News talked to the Colorado Medical Marijuana Industry Group which said that agency played a critical role in gaining public support to pass legislation this past election for recreational marijuana use in the state.
They say the lack of a centralized state agency is the biggest flaw in California's movement.
"Now, would state regulations create a better product at the end? Usually government just mucks it up," said Valerie Coral.
"Mucking" it up is one way to put it for the medicinal marijuana movement pioneer. Coral runs the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana or WAMM in Santa Cruz.
Coral said, sure, a state agency would be nice but according to her it will ultimately invite "Big Pharma" to take over.
"I think it would be rather whimsical of us to think that they aren't in place to take it over," said Coral.
For her, that means driving out the non-profits that service the terminally ill.
"That's my biggest issue with the way this market has unfolded," said Coral.
But part of the strategy is bringing different mindsets together. Amanda Reiman with the Drug Policy Alliance said Proposition 19 was a learning experience.
2016 gives the movement enough time to strategize by looking at how the federal government react to Colorado and Washington over the next year.
"I'm extremely confident that 2016 is the year," said Reinman.
Central Coast News has reached out to lawmakers on their stance for state wide agencies and still waiting to hear from them. But those behind the movement in Colorado said if you get the lawmakers on board now, 2016 is a done deal.
Tom Ammiano, Bay area Assemblyman, has introduced a bill to create a state board that will regulate the medical marijuana industry.
