California lawmakers took a first step toward legalizing marijuana when an Assembly committee approved legislation that would put the drug on the open market as a regulated and taxed product.
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California lawmakers took a first step toward legalizing marijuana when an Assembly committee approved legislation that would put the drug on the open market as a regulated and taxed product.
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Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, is considering either reintroducing the bill later this month, or waiting to see how a ballot measure to legalize marijuana fares in November. He was unable to move his bill, Assembly Bill 390, to the Health Committee, where it had to be heard before reaching the Assembly floor, in time to meet a Friday deadline for all 2009-introduced bills.
The bill would place a $50 fee on each ounce of marijuana sold to pay for drug education and treatment. Board of Equalization Chairwoman Betty Yee, who has endorsed the bill, said legalization would raise $1.4 billion in state revenues.
Ammianoâ??s bill would remove all penalties in California law on cultivation, transportation, sale, purchase, possession and use of marijuana, natural THC, or paraphernalia for anyone older than 21.
Dennis from Montana:hippy:
Wonder where I'm gonna move......
ditto there ClassC..
gonna be packing as soon as it passes (ASAiP)
~MG a.k.a. le Maine développé
hmm, Idaho?Quote:
Originally Posted by ForgetClassC
Wow! I'll be following this bill to see how it turns out. Thanks for posting this topic.
Truly amazing.
:)
Lets hope competition will drive prices down.
:) I just really felt the need to repeat that. :jointsmile: yes, here's to competition in the legal market place and falling prices for all. :greenthumb:Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisjill
this is all really interesting. anyone know what happens to the Prop if this bill is signed into law? What if the bill becomes law AND the prop passes next Nov. :stoned: i'm not expert, hell I don't even live in Cali, but notice how this bill adds a mandatory state tax, whereas the people's Prop would be an optional local tax. but they both apparently drive a stake in the heart of ALL cannabis cultivation laws in the state. :smokin:
latest news I heard on it, they didn't get it done, in time for their session, or something, so it died on the floor ... I'm not sure about that, so don't start tearing your hair out, yet :D ... I personally could care less about legalization, been smoking pot for 45 years, and am not wild about the idea of tax-assessors poking their noses into my stash :wtf:
I dont think there's any way this is gonna fly. Just think how the surrounding states and the federal government would feel if California was supplying the entire United States with herb.
If it flies or not it's got to start somewhere and history says Cali has been a leader in many new trends.Quote:
Originally Posted by SocialDem
Quote:
Originally Posted by SocialDem
hell they already do pretty much, what mores gonna change? northern california + weed = great. i wish i got to spend more time in that area when i was out there. maybe this next summer.
yeah, like bankrupt State treasuries :DQuote:
Originally Posted by TheChameleon
It is exciting to think about. I know, like most, I have been smoking weed for some time now. And I am also a medical patient so I have no legal worries. But there is still that fear that they could mess with me if they want to. So having it fully legalized would eliminate that fear and drive down the cost of it....i'm sure growing supplies would go down too which would be great!
California has sorely disappointed me in the last few years, but I have my fingers crossed that we will do the right thing and legalize this plant! You can't outlaw nature! It's time we spread the word and let everyone know that this is a good thing for all! :jointsmile:
ran into this
Quote:
January 29, 2010 10:27 AM Pot Measure One Step Closer to California Ballot
Posted by Stephanie Condon
An initiative to make marijuana legal, and open to local taxation and regulation, is one step closer to getting on the California ballot this November.
Backers of the initiative on Thursday turned in nearly 700,000 signatures to state officials to place the measure on the state ballot, according to reports -- far more than the 433,971 valid signatures required. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen has until June 24 to certify the initiative, the Sacramento Bee reports.
The measure, if approved by voters, would allow anyone over 21 years old to possess up to an ounce of marijuana or grow plants within a limited space for personal use. It would also allow local jurisdictions to tax and regulate it. Currently, the use of marijuana for medical purposes is legal in California, but the drug is still prohibited under federal laws.
An April Field Poll found that 56 percent of California voters supported legalizing marijuana, and Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director, said the initiative had a 50 percent chance of passing, the Los Angeles Times reports.
He said the state's current fiscal crisis could be a factor. "The voters are going to be looking for any way to minimize the pain with budget cuts," he told the L.A. Times.
Backers of the initiative are running a serious campaign. Richard Lee, owner of Oaksterdam University in Oakland, spent about $1 million to gather signatures for the measure, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, and said proponents plan to raise another $10 million to campaign for its passage. Lee is also using technology from Blue State Digital, the Web firm Barack Obama's presidential campaign used for its online operations, according to the L.A. Times.
Man that will be nice...To think, this time next year when I go on vacation to San Diego I could stop & grab a pack of "smokes" legally! I bet it's going to come along with higher border security with a few more drug dogs & such though...
Legalize it <3