Californians to vote on legalising pot

[faustus]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/californians-to-vote-on-legalising-pot-20100326-r1wg.html

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Californians to vote on legalising pot

March 26, 2010 - 1:50PM Californians will vote in November on an initiative to legalise marijuana, state election officials have said, setting the stage for a heated campaign on relaxing drug laws.

Using the drug for medical purposes has been legal for 14 years in California.

But the new initiative, which state election officials announced on Wednesday had obtained enough signatures to be on the ballot during this autumn's mid-term elections, also seeks to legalise recreational marijuana use.

The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 would allow counties and cities in the state to adopt ordinances to authorise cultivating, transporting and selling marijuana, raising revenue through taxes similar to those on alcohol and cigarettes.

Supporters are hoping the taxes will help garner support for the measure at a time when the Golden State is suffering from a crippling budget crisis.

The initiative would save "up to several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on the costs of incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders," Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a statement.

She also pointed to "unknown but potentially major tax, fee, and benefit assessment revenues to state and local government related to the production and sale of marijuana products."

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has already spoken in favour of imposing a tax on marijuana consumption in a bid to bridge the economic gap plaguing the country's richest and most populous state.

Under the measure, people aged 21 and older could own up to one ounce (28 grams) of pot for personal use. Possessing an ounce or less of marijuana has been a misdemeanour with fines of $US100 ($110) since 1975, when a law was passed that reduced tougher penalties.

It would also allow adults to grow up to two square metres of cannabis per residence or parcel.

According to drug legalisation supporters, arrests for marijuana possession have risen dramatically in California over the past two decades.

"Our current marijuana laws are failing California," said Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

"Year after year, prohibition forces police to spend time chasing down non-violent marijuana offenders while tens of thousands of violent crimes go unsolved - all while marijuana use and availability remain unchanged."

Yet polls have shown that while most California voters want to legalise marijuana, there is not a large enough margin to ensure the measure would pass.

AFP

[mr me]

This will probably sweep across the US over the next couple of years. This may mean that Australia is about 3-5 years away from having its own marijuana reform.

[s4L]

Its playing out in the same scenario as the end of alcohol prohibition did with the great depression.

Now California has a 'crippling budget crisis' they can see the dollars in legalising and taxing cannabis and reduction in spending on law enforcement.

I wonder how much the tax to grow 2 sqm will be.

[Teljkon]

asdasd

Edited December 19, 2021 by Teljkon

[mac]

Smoke em if ya got em people

(3-5 years mr me) lets hope we dont have to wait that long

[mutant]

wow, 110$ fine for 30 gr of pot since 1975!!

[mr me]

wow, 110$ fine for 30 gr of pot since 1975!!

 

Its not the fine you have to worry about. In certain cases/states you go to jail and not just for a week.

[Korky]

well it would only be about fucking time, but as a whole i still think the states are to conservative. there will be immense opposition. not to be a bummer about it (to late it seems! ) i will reserve my excitement for when it has actually happened. then i'l throw a green fest. (wheres the emoticon with a joint? i never got into bongs)