Historic Marijuana Reform Measure Qualifies for California's November 2010 Ballot

Voters Will Decide If California Becomes First State in the Nation to End Marijuana Prohibition

( SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Today, a proposal that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in the state of California secured a place on the November 2010 ballot.

Organizers of the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 had submitted nearly 700,000 signatures to state authorities in January, far exceeding the 433,971 required to place the question on this year’s election ballot. Election officials validated the signatures today.

The ballot initiative would make it legal for adults 21 and older to grow and possess up to one ounce of marijuana and allow cities and counties to impose a tax on the sale of marijuana.

“If passed, this initiative would offer a welcome change to California’s miserable status quo marijuana policy,” said Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project, which recently endorsed the initiative.

“Our current marijuana laws are failing California. 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.”

An April 2009 Field Poll showed that 56% of California support taxing and regulating marijuana.

A 2009 report published by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice showed that arrests for every criminal offense decreased between 1990 and 2008 in California except for simple marijuana possession, which skyrocketed by 127%. This is misuse of police resources.

In 2008, more than 78,000 Californians were arrested on marijuana charges – more than for any other offense.

During the same year, the FBI reported that almost 60,000 violent crimes went unsolved.

Proposed marijuana law reforms can free up police officers and federal agents to pursue real criminals; if enacted, that's change we can finally believe in.

===============================================
Source: The Marijuana Policy Project, the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States.

Salem-News.com Marijuana Coverage

Where and How to Smoke Legal Marijuana without Fear of Arrest in the U.S.

Eulogy of a Great Warrior: Hoss Plourde

The Ripple Effect How Marijuana Laws Are Impacting Society

Audit the Audit

Welcome Home, Tom

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Professor April 5, 2010 2:10 am (Pacific time)

You all are a bunch of mohrons. You might be right the feds definitely won't like this however there is well over 300,000 registered cannabis users in Ca that is not including the undocumented users.The Feds simply do not have the money or the resources to catch a whole state.The most they can do is cut federal funding to the state.

Cunha March 27, 2010 6:26 pm (Pacific time)

that's interesting. you realize it won't solve the crime problem, and only spread it to the boardering states until every state is eventually forced to do the same thing.

Jimmy in SF March 25, 2010 8:02 pm (Pacific time)

Booze and tobacco are legal and when misused they can be bad, but they are taxed. So why not cannabis? Because we've got a ding-a-ling federal government;-)

Anonymous March 25, 2010 6:50 pm (Pacific time)

it doesnt matter...the federal government led by barry soretero will still send in dhs/atf and raid your house anyway.

douglas benson March 25, 2010 5:38 am (Pacific time)

Who will be first ? Cal.Wash.OR. ? I hope its Cal. get ready for the fedral fight dont think for a minute they will allow this . The real problem is the Sup.court cant change cannabis from its classification as a dangerous drug .Congress is the only way and do you really think they will vote to legalize ? We allready know big pharma has them in thier pockets look at how they avoided being included in the health care reform .A big fat BRIBE right in our faces . Prescription drug costs are one of the largest costs of health ins. mostly due to re-formulation [slightly changing drugs to keep them from going generic.]

[Return to Top]