California likely to vote on legalizing marijuana

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Los Angeles - Backers of a voter initiative to legalize marijuana in California have enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot in November, they said Wednesday.

California already permits the use of medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. But the new measure seeks to make California the first state in the US to legalize marijuana for non-medical uses.

The proposal would permit California adults to possess one ounce (28 grams) of marijuana and to cultivate about 2.3 square meters of marijuana plants per residence.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, which is organizing the initiative, the proposal has already secured almost 700,000 signatures, easily passing the 434,000 signatures needed to put it to voters.

City and county governments would be allowed to impose a sales tax under the proposed statute. They also would be allowed to establish local ordinances relating to distribution.

California first enacted a law allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana in 1996, and another 13 states now allow medical marijuana.

Polls have shown a slight majority of Californians in favor of legalization, but ironically many of the people currently involved in marijuana cultivation are hoping the measure fails to pass since they believe it would precipitate a drastic drop in prices.

According to a report in northern California's Times-Standard, officials and growers in Humboldt County, which is known as the Emerald Triangle because of its huge marijuana business, said that legalization could be "devastating" to the region's economy.

"We have to recognize that if we have something that is this big a piece of our economy that is subsidized by being illegal, that this is an unsustainable situation," Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace said.

Meeting organizer Anna Hamilton of Shelter Cove said she believes legalization could be "devastating" to the region and that Humboldt County should plan ahead by capitalizing on its name recognition as a marijuana destination.

"We have to embrace marijuana tourism, marijuana products and services - and marijuana has to become a part of the Humboldt County brand," Hamilton was quoted as saying.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315645,california-likely-to-vote-on-legalizing-marijuana.html.