Advocates Submit Cannabis Tax Initiative for State Ballot (California)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Greg Grimala: [email protected], 510-238-9655
July 28, 2009
[align=center]Advocates Submit Cannabis Tax Initiative for State Ballot[/align]
(Oakland, CA)??Advocates in Oakland have submitted to the Secretary of State an initiative for the November 2010 state ballot to tax and regulate the sales of cannabis (marijuana) in California.
??California??s laws criminalizing cannabis have failed and need to be reformed,? says Richard Lee, president of Oaksterdam University (OU), and one of the initiative??s proponents. The second proponent is Jeff Jones, chancellor of OU Los Angeles.
The measure would enable California to tax and regulate cannabis like alcohol, allowing adults 21 years and older to possess and consume one ounce or less of cannabis.
??Cannabis is safer than alcohol,? says Lee. ??Cannabis doesn??t cause overdose deaths or make people violent like alcohol. It makes sense to regulate cannabis like alcohol, instead of prohibiting it completely.?
The initiative would also let cities and counties decide whether or not to tax and regulate cannabis sales and commercial cultivation. If a city or county decides not to, sales and cultivation within area limits would remain illegal, but possession and consumption of small amounts would be allowed.
Proponents also stress the fact that taxing cannabis would bring in billions of dollars to the state.
California??s current market for illegal cannabis is approximately $15 billion a year. Taxing and regulating cannabis would generate billions in annual revenue that is desperately needed to fund jobs, health care, schools, libraries, roads, and more.
The City of Oakland has already taken the initial steps toward cannabis taxation and regulation. 80 percent of Oakland voters chose last week to increase taxes on the cannabis bought and sold in the city??s medical cannabis dispensaries. The measure, which could generate $300,000 or more annually for the cash-strapped city, was supported by the cannabis dispensaries themselves.
Statewide initiative proponent Richard Lee also backed Oakland??s local ballot measure.
??Hopefully it??s a sign of things to come,? Lee says. ??Cannabis laws need to be changed, and our state is in serious need of revenue. Taxing cannabis will help solve both problems.?
In September, initiative proponents will start gathering the 433,971 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. They will have 150 days to do so.
[align=center]The 2010 Tax & Regulate Cannabis Initiative Will:[/align]
Regulate cannabis like we do alcohol: Allow adults 21 years of age and older to posses and consume small amounts of cannabis.
Give every city and county in California the option of whether or not to tax and regulate the sale of cannabis within the limits of each community.
Ensure that if a city or county decides not to tax and regulate the sale of cannabis, that buying and selling within that city or county's limits remain illegal, but that the city or county's citizens still have the right to possess and consume small amounts.
Ensure that if a city or county decides it does want to tax and regulate the buying and selling of cannabis (to and from adults only), that a stricly controlled legal system is implemented to oversee and regulate cultivation, distribution, and sales, and that the city or county will have control over how and how much cannabis can be bought and sold.
Tax and regulate cannabis to generate billions of dollars for our state and local governments to fund what matters most: jobs, healthcare, schools and libraries, parks, roads, transportation, and more.
Advocates Submit Cannabis Tax Initiative for State Ballot (California)
i'm just courious, someone gave this thread a one star (horrible) rating. Thats cool, but i really wish you could comment on why. Do you think its a bad idea to legalize? Do you think it could screw up the green rush market that Californian's are enjoying right now? Or, are you just a prohib? just curious, please comment, good or bad. :rasta: i would like to know how the locals out there on the west coast feel about this initiative. as an outsider, i'm all for it. :jointsmile:
Advocates Submit Cannabis Tax Initiative for State Ballot (California)
Quote:
Originally Posted by boaz
i'm just courious, someone gave this thread a one star (horrible) rating. Thats cool, but i really wish you could comment on why. Do you think its a bad idea to legalize? Do you think it could screw up the green rush market that Californian's are enjoying right now? Or, are you just a prohib? just curious, please comment, good or bad. :rasta: i would like to know how the locals out there on the west coast feel about this initiative. as an outsider, i'm all for it. :jointsmile:
I think it's great they're trying this, hopefully it gets put on the ballot...when people see the money that comes from it I think it will set precedence for the rest of the nation...as they did with medical cannabis..
Advocates Submit Cannabis Tax Initiative for State Ballot (California)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Markass
I think it's great they're trying this, hopefully it gets put on the ballot...when people see the money that comes from it I think it will set precedence for the rest of the nation...as they did with medical cannabis..
thank you, i agree. okay, that is two votes from Native America. :cool:
any Californian's have an opinion?? how about the person who gave the thread one star? too scared to speak up? :wtf:
