marijuana
California pot advocates are taking another stab at legalization with a proposed measure that would dictate pot growers be regulated in the same way as microbrewers and vintners. Home growers would be be left alone, sales would be taxed, and nobody would be charged criminally for possession under the proposed law.
The Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012 has been certified, which means that backers can begin gathering the more than half-million signatures they’d need to put it before voters.
California voter Michael Ni’s signature on a statewide petition could “reshape American politics forever.” That is because Ni’s signature, which was delivered on a flash drive to the San Mateo County clerk last week, is the first in history to be recorded and transmitted to elections officials electronically. You can read the whole story here.
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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According to the the Marijuana Policy Project blog, the US House of Representatives has moved to allow Washington, DC to implement a medical marijuana law pased by voters in 1998. The Congress has been blocking the implementation of the law - passed by 69% of voters - in it’s DC appropriations bills for over ten years. The law must now be passed by the US Senate and be signed by President Obama before taking effect.
California state lawmakers would be tested for drugs on the first day of every session under a proposed initiative. The initiative backers plan to collect the roughly 434,000 signatures they need using all volunteers. Initiative experts say the campaign likely will not make the ballot supporters do not use paid signature gatherers.
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.
The battle whether or not to legalize marijuana has gotten a lot more attention in recent weeks. With the drug cartel wars on the Mexican border and the large number of politically activist supporters of the drug, it appears the discussion has reached a fever pitch.
In Denver voters organized, signed petitions and placed the initiative on the ballot. Now voters will be deciding whether police should treat possession of small amounts of marijuana as the lowest priority crime.
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.