drug legalization
Supporters of legalized marijuana in California are considering three possible ballot initiatives to legalize recreational usage of the plant. Two of the initiatives are aiming to be placed on the 2010 ballot and supporters of another are looking toward the 2012 ballot. If a bill currently moving through the legislature to legalize marijuana passes voters won’t have to weigh in at all.
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Voters in Oakland overwhelmingly approved the nation’s first tax on medical marijuana that is sold ad city cannabis clubs. The new tax rate will be $18 out of every $1,000 in sales at the clubs, generating nearly $300,000 in revenue for the city.
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Former Congressman and 2008 Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo plans to push at least two Colorado ballot initiatives for the 2010 ballot. One initiative will deal with immigration reform and the other with energy policy. His non-profit think tank also plans to pursue future efforts to legalize drugs through the ballot initiative.
Supporters of a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in South Dakota need to collect just over 16,000 signatures by April 6, 2010 to qualify for the ballot. A similar measure failed by just 2% in 2006.
Enforcing marijuana laws would take police officer’s lowest priority under a proposed Kalamazoo initiative. Supporters must collect nearly 3,000 signatures of city voters to make the November ballot.
Florida would join 13 other states in permitting marijuana for medical use under a ballot initiative being circulated for the 2010 ballot. Proponents claim that polls indicate wide support for medical marijuana in the state. The Attorney General’s office had not received the initiative so could not comment on it.