Will women be the key swing voters for state marijuana ballot initiatives?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this interesting local story from Washington, which is headlined "A mellow $1 million marijuana campaign."  Here are excerpts:

A group supporting Initiative 502, which would legalize, tax and regulate sales of marijuana in Washington, is up, up and away with a $1 million advertising campaign and a 30 second spot you’ll see on early morning TV news.  “It’s definitely targeted to women who tend to be less supportive of marijuana reform than men,” said Alison Holcomb, coordinator for the New Approach Washington campaign.

The marijuana campaign is mellow, featuring a woman looking into the TV screen and saying: “I don’t like it personally, but it’s time for a conversation about legalizing marijuana.  It’s a multimillion dollar industry in Washington State and we get no benefit. What if we regulate it?”  The end message:  A “new approach” to cannabis is needed.

New Approach is dealing with a tricky political climate ... [and] the country is polarized. Law enforcement has become addicted to its “War on Drugs” despite evidence that the war is being lost.  The 1930′s-vintage movie “Reefer Madness” is still taken seriously, and the careers of students, park rangers and Olympic athletes get permanently blighted if they test positive or admit to taking a toke.  At the other end of the spectrum are ... “Free the Weed” advocates, the pothead constituency deeply suspicious of city attorneys and former FBI agents and police chiefs signing on to the legalization cause....

New Approach Washington has been laying groundwork for more than a year.  At last check with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, it has raised $2.95 million and spent $1.4 million.  Still, both major candidates for Governor — Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee — have come out against Initiative 502.  So have several major police organizations.

As regular readers know, I find the on-going legalization campaigns in a few Western states to be fascinating and useful for sentencing fans to follow closely.  The local, state and national mood concerning the pros and cons of the drug war are always difficult to guage, and I expect the advertising and polling over theese initiatives to provide an important window into what the most passionate advocates (and monied interests) view as key elements in the broader drug war battlefield.

Some recent and older related posts on pot policies and politics: 

• Big win at polls for medical marijuana supporter in Oregon AG race
• State judge makes personal plea for right to use medical marijuana
• "Why I Want a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Near My Children's School"
• Latest polling indicates legalization of marijuana now has strong majority support
• Two notable new pieces on pot policy debates coming to mainstream politics
• "Medical Marijuana in Colorado and the Future of Marijuana Regulation in the United States"
• "Bummer: Barack Obama turns out to be just another drug warrior"
• Is the time right for candidate Ron Paul to lead withdrawal from the "war on drugs"?
• New poll reports that large majority of Americans consider "War on Drugs" a failure
• "California voters don't back marijuana legalization, poll finds"
• Proof of prohibition's failings?: teens now smoke pot more than tobacco