CA Marijuana Legalization Initiative Gets Closer to Ballot

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:12:44 AM EST
Tags: marijuana reform (all tags)

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Backers of an initiative to legalize and tax marijuana have delivered petitions with 700,000 signatures -- more than the required 433,000-- to the state to get on the November ballot.

The new initiative would allow California residents to cultivate up to 25 square feet of pot and possess or transport up to 1 ounce. It would include fines and criminal sanctions for providing marijuana to minors.

The initiative would allow cities to tax pot sales and regulate how much pot can be sold legally. It would permit individual cities to ban local sales but let citizens possess and consume marijuana.

The group behind the effort says legalization would bring in more than $1 billion in tax revenue. [More...]

This will be a well-funded and public fight.

The pro-pot coalition has signed on with a prominent San Francisco political consulting firm, SCN Strategies. Proponents also are working with an Internet fundraising firm, Blue State Digital, that helped create the Web network for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

"This isn't your teenager's cannabis initiative. ... This was carefully crafted to build a winning coalition of supporters," said Dan Newman, a partner with SCN Strategies. His firm includes veteran Democratic strategist Ace Smith, son of former San Francisco District Attorney Arlo Smith.

The measure faces strong opposition from "law enforcement, church and anti-drug groups."

"This will be a serious campaign," said John Lovell, a lobbyist for the California Peace Officers Association, a group organizing opposition. "They will raise and spend $10 million to $15 million. We will raise a fraction of that. And we will win …"

Can't wait to see the commercials for both sides, which undoubtedly will be posted on You Tube for those of us outside California.

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CA Marijuana Legalization Initiative Gets Closer to Ballot | 18 comments (18 topical)

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On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by oculus on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:24:37 AM EST

"greatest concern," I put this at about a 2, given the immense problems of the State of California.

How would this square... (none / 0) (#3)
by jbindc on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:26:32 AM EST

With federal law? I know they had problems in Oregon when that was just for medical marijuana, but this seems to be marijuana for recreational purposes too.


: Thats what I wonder... (none / 0) (#5)
by kdog on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:41:35 AM EST

when this talk pops up...I say do right by your state and the will of its people and f*ck the feds...deal with it when they send the men with guns and have a showdown.

: Still illegal under federal law. (none / 0) (#6)
by oculus on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:55:31 AM EST

Oh goody! (none / 0) (#1)
by nycstray on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:16:45 AM EST

The idea of the commercials should make some of the other political battles there a bit more bearable {grin}

I may have to rethink how much of the garden I want to devote to sauce tomatoes . . . ;)

I expect... (none / 0) (#4)
by kdog on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:39:26 AM EST

first dibs on a sample of your first harvest stray...you can even put me to work to make me earn it:)

As for the commercials, I've had my fill of the utter bullsh*t Partnership for a Drug Free and the like put out, having heard all the lies before from the age of 5 on...though it will be cool to see what the pro side comes up, my people do tend to be more artistic and creative:)


That will require a visit :) (none / 0) (#7)
by nycstray on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 11:59:50 AM EST

and I'll even have space for ya! I may have to try an experiment and see where it grows better, by the bay or in the mountains ;)

I hope they have some good pro commercials. If not I may just have to give them a piece of my (creative) mind, lol!~


: There you go... (none / 0) (#8)
by kdog on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 12:56:06 PM EST

I'll be a garden laborer and a guest star in your commercial directorial debut...and all for the low low price of a few choice buds from the first harvest.

I will vote for it .. (none / 0) (#9)
by nyrias on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 01:25:39 PM EST

in the coming Nov, if it gets on the ballot.

We can certainly use the tax revenue.

If it passes and withstands the inevitable (none / 0) (#10)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 03:39:44 PM EST

legal challenges, I am curious to see just how much revenue it does generate for CA.

I'm not confident that the CA MJ trade will, with the click of the voter's ink pen, suddenly become eager filers of CA Form 100...

: Certainly not eager... (none / 0) (#12)
by kdog on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 05:24:18 PM EST

who likes tax forms? My state's short income tax form is bad enough, I can't imagine what business owners deal with...I guess thats what tax accountants are for.
To compete with legal wholesalers and retailers, I think they're gonna have to go legit, if by some miracle all the hurdles were cleared and it happened.
There would probably be a transition period with a lot of scofflaws and grey market action...but after a couple years or so I think it would rake in big bucks for the state...and the law enforcement savings too, though some would be rolled over into new tax & regulation enforcement I'm sure.

This is gonna get real interesting (none / 0) (#11)
by SeeEmDee on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 04:27:31 PM EST

Given that almost the entire prohibitionist stance is based upon misrepresentation of facts (cannabis's effects, presumed social ramifications, etc.) and that drug prohibitionists have assiduously avoided any public debate which would expose those misrepresentations (okay, I'll quit lawyering it and call them what they are: LIES) then the coming PR battle will prove to be rather embarrassing for those who favor continued prohibition...if not legally consequential.

For people's lives have been ruined, not by the drug but by the laws prohibiting it...and those individuals and the government agencies that they serve who've profited immensely from that prohibition may experience the beginning of what could best be described as a karmic firestorm.

As the truth about the (racist) origins of cannabis prohibition are revealed during the inevitable debate, and how there was no science accompanying the original rationale for prohibition but lots of crazy talk (the only doctor who spoke in favor of it had only experimented on dogs, and said when he tried it himself he said he 'grew six inch fangs that dripped blood') the public can't help but be both shocked and incensed at how long this farce has been allowed to continue. A farce that has drained our local, State and Federal coffers for decades and needlessly destroyed millions of lives. When the PR battle begins, cannabis prohibition will face a swift end.

A huge legal can of worms may be opened by this, the kind of thing that has truly national and international ramifications. Buckle up, it's gonna be one helluva ride...

This will pass (none / 0) (#13)
by mexboy on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 06:06:16 PM EST

I live in California and I'd rather they make pot legal and tax it than cops trying to find reasons to give drivers tickets so they can collect funds. This is a losing battle to the prohibitionists.

You now have to pay for parking meters until 8 PM in my area, that's two more hours than last year.

Tax revenue aside (none / 0) (#14)
by otherlisa on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 07:30:31 PM EST

I think we'll save a bundle by not having pot cases clogging up the courts and jails. I'm voting for it! And yeah, I cannot wait for the commercials...they should be a hoot.

minors (none / 0) (#15)
by diogenes on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 07:36:09 PM EST

"It would include fines and criminal sanctions for providing marijuana to minors."
I'm sure that these would be as effective as the laws keeping alcohol and cigarettes out of the hands of minors.

As Opposed To (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by kaleidescope on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 10:21:11 PM EST

The draconian anti-marijuana laws Wisconsin had when I was a minor, and which were wholly inadequate to keep it out of the hands (and lungs)of myself and all my Jr. High and High School friends.


: Not fact (none / 0) (#18)
by diogenes on Sun Jan 31, 2010 at 10:29:07 AM EST

It is a well-known fact that alcohol use increased after prohibition was repealed.
Ironically, many "enlightened" nanny state towns are starting to ban cigarette smoking (second hand smoke) in public places, near schools, in public parks, or even in apartment buildings (due to shared ventilation). So there will still be lots of tickets for pot smoking.

Wow (none / 0) (#16)
by kaleidescope on Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 10:18:37 PM EST

The initiative will allow you to cultivate your own marijuana in a 25 square foot space. That's the size of a small closet. Here in Humboldt one full sun plant covers at least 25 square feet and yields just slightly more than a pound of manicured bud.

This initiative favors indoor growing, which would allow you to grow in the same indoor space year round.

That sucks.