Marijuana Reform Party
{{short description|New York political party advocating cannabis legalization}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Marijuana Reform Party
| logo = Marijuana Reform Party logo.jpg
| colorcode = Green
| leader =
| spokesperson =
| foundation = 1997
| ideology = Cannabis legalization
| headquarters =
| international =
| website =
| country = the United States
| chair =
| abbreviation = MRP
| dissolved = 2004
}}
The Marijuana Reform Party (abbreviated MRP){{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/elections/2001/results/parties.htm|title=Key to Party Abbreviations|newspaper=The Washington Post|year=2001|accessdate=November 13, 2009}} was a progressive minor{{Broken anchor|date=2024-05-30|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=List of political parties in the United States#Categorizing U.S. political parties|reason= The anchor (Categorizing U.S. political parties) has been deleted.}} political party in the U.S. state of New York dedicated to the legalization of cannabis.{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1998/05/26/1998-05-26_pol_is_taking_a_pot_shot__go.html|title=Pol is taking a pot show gov wanna-be has inhaled|first=Joel|last=Siegel|work=Daily News|publisher=Mortimer Zuckerman|date=May 26, 1998|accessdate=November 13, 2009}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Founded in 1997, the Marijuana Reform Party ran a candidate for Governor of New York and other statewide offices in 1998 and 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.nypress.com/article-10743-burnt-out.html|title=Burnt Out|date=December 28, 2004|accessdate=November 13, 2009|work=New York Press|publisher=Manhattan Media}}
Gubernatorial tickets
- 1998 – Thomas K. Leighton and Jeffrey C. Wright{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-11-03/theater/reefer-madness/|title=Reefer Madness|date=November 3, 2008|accessdate=November 13, 2009|first=Frank|last=Ruscitti|work=The Village Voice|publisher=Village Voice Media|archive-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019090936/http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-11-03/theater/reefer-madness/|url-status=dead}}
- 2002 – Thomas K. Leighton and Thomas J. Hillgardner{{cite web|url=http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5416|title=Marijuana Reform Party Candidates To Appear On New York State Ballot|date=September 20, 2002|accessdate=November 13, 2009|publisher=National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws|archive-date=November 9, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091109030350/http://www.norml.org//index.cfm?Group_ID=5416|url-status=dead}}
Election results
=Results in New York City elections=
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Year
! Office ! Candidate ! Popular Votes ! Percentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Manhattan Borough President | Thomas Leighton | 6,235 | 3.0%{{cite news | title=The 1997 Elections: Results | date=November 5, 1997 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/05/nyregion/the-1997-elections-results-the-races-for.html | work=The New York Times }} |
| 2001 | Manhattan Borough President | Garry Goodrow | 7,322 | 1.9%{{cite news | title=Election Results Summary: 2001 General Election | date=November 6, 2001 | url=http://vote.nyc.ny.us/downloads/pdf/results/2001/generalelection/general2001.pdf | work =New York City Board of Elections }} |
| 2001 | New York City Mayor | Thomas Leighton | 2,563 | 0.2% |
| 2001 | New York City Comptroller | Tracy Blevins | 17,340 | 1.2% |
| 2001 | New York City Public Advocate | Chris Launois | 21,721 | 1.5% |
=Results in New York State elections=
=Results in federal elections=
Competition with the Green Party
In 1998, gubernatorial candidate Tom Leighton accused the Green Party of New York of trying to have him removed several times from the November ballot by "challenging the validity of his petition signatures".{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/politics/newyork/features/3216/|title=Politics: Marijuana Party Accuses Green Party of Weed-Whacking|first=Christopher|last=Bonanos|date=September 28, 1998|accessdate=November 13, 2009|work=New York}} The Board of Elections rejected the claim lodged by Richard Hirsh of the Green Party. Both parties, which appeal to liberal voters, competed for 50,000 votes required for an automatic ballot line on future ballots. After both parties failed to obtain enough votes to gain a place on local and statewide ballots, Leighton stated that he had "no plans to try again next time."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/07/us/2002-elections-smaller-parties-liberal-party-others-fall-short-votes-stay-ballot.html|title=The 2002 Elections: Smaller Parties; Liberal Party and Others Fall Short of Votes to Stay on Ballot|date=November 7, 2002|first=Robert|last=Worth|accessdate=November 13, 2009|work=The New York Times}}