Election officials verified signatures Wednesday, confirming that the bill legalizing marijuana will be on the Nov. 2010 ballot. The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act collected nearly 700,000 signatures. It takes 433,971 signatures to get a proposal on the ballot.

The initiative would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Possessing up to one ounce of marijuana and growing up to 25 square feet per residence or parcel would be legal for those over 21. Sales to or possession by minors would still be eXx1l3d.

Cities and counties could tax marijuana sales and the legislature would also enact a statewide tax. Supporters of the initiative maintain that this would generate billions of dollars in revenue that could then be used for things like transportation, healthcare and education.
A commercial sponsored by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws that aired recently on a cable show in San Francisco shows men behind bars, rapping lines addressed to President Obama such as, “Take that money for these jail cells. Keep it from the cartels. Don’t help a drug-dealing millionaire. Tax weed and give a brother healthcare."

Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), suggests in a recent MPP blog that the bill could create tens of thousands of new jobs.

“Will the nation’s largest state finally create a legal market … for what’s already its top cash crop?” he asks.

According to an April 2009 Field Poll that showed 56 percent of voters support legalizing marijuana, the answer is yes.

"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,” said Smith.

But others say legalizing marijuana is not the answer.

"There's going to be a very broad coalition opposing this that will include law enforcement," John Lovell, a Sacramento lobbyist who represents the California Police Chiefs Association and other law enforcement groups, told the L.A. Times yesterday. Lovell says the initiative will result in increased marijuana use, cause the same kind of social ills as alcohol and tobacco and put more demands on law enforcement.

 

 

                                                      
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"There's going to be a very broad coalition opposing this that will include law enforcement,"

HA!!! of course there will be....

In conclusion, there is big money at work - alcohol, textile, oil, ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, drug cartels, pharmaceutical companies, etc, all benefit. The rest of us seem to be the pawns who pay. That is unless wee speak up and let our voice be heard for change in the current law, and against any individual that would have you believe "A law is a law - it does not matter if it is wrong or right!".

The latter happens to be against a founding principle of this great country. Stop wasting resources on this plant. Record eradication every year - as well as - record growth and availability. A growing - 72 year - well funded - failing war that will never end. An anti-human rights money pit for something that is far less dangerous than alcohol. - A Great WAR -

Full article with video @:

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/marijuana...the-bomb-3




Fuck yeah
everyone knows california does it first and everyone follows
this the happiest day of my life
incadude, xith and beaner2k6 you guys better vote come November
or else

California will be the first state to hold a yearly profit from taxes!

I'm gay.

they better make it so the public can grow and not just the cigarette companies.

Awesome. You lot better vote xD

great news,. idon't really care,. i am not to fund of marijuana,. maybe if you really need it,. medically or something,.. its grey area anyway,..