The Californian Regulation, Control, And Tax Cannabis Act: The Part 1
The secretary of state confirmed last night to everyone that the voter initiative to legalize marijuana received about 523,531 valid signatures-over 433,971 were needed to get it onto the November ballot. The initiative has many supporters who believe that legalizing pot will not only save the cash-strapped Californian economy, but will also bring in instant cash of tax revenue. Many of the people who don’t support the bill argue that legalizing the drug will end in more crime and great health impacts. Other detractors worry that legalizing gray-market marijuana will decrease the quality of marijuana and significantly harm the budding marijuana industry. {Part 1 of this article covers the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act in California and the arguments for its passage. Part 2: Arguments against Marijuana Legalization in California covers the arguments against marijuana legalization in California}.
Legalization of marijuana in California history.
The first state law making marijuana criminal in the US was passed in California. Most other states quickly followed their lead. The federal law made transfer and possession of “Marihuana” illegal for all things except industrial and medical use by 1937.
This act was declared unconstitutional in 1969, but the U.S. Federal government included marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. The national debate was reignited when California legalize medical marijuana with proposition 215 in 1996. On the federal level, marijuana remains an illegal Schedule I narcotic considered to have “no valid medical use.”
California measures to legalize marijuana.
The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act, or the Californian initiative to legalize marijuana, has limitations on the way to legally use marijuana. Anyone 21 or older would be permitted to “possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use.” Local governments throughout California would have the ability to tax and regulate commercial production or sale of marijuana. Individuals would also be prohibited from smoking marijuana in public, smoking marijuana while minors are present, providing to any underage person, possessing the drug on school grounds or driving while under the influence of marijuana.
The cost-savings argument for marijuana legalization
Supporters of the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act argue that the legalization of marijuana would save the State of California a significant amount of money. Because California has a huge budget deficit, they have been using payday cash advances on the state to cover budget costs.
Estimates for these savings range from $ 156 million to $ 1 billion. Supporters claim that once the already-stretched-thin law-enforcement system stops prosecuting individuals for growing, possessing or selling marijuana, they can focus on crimes and criminals that are more violent or dangerous. Proponents also point out that while very few deaths in California can be attributed to marijuana, alcohol contributes to hundreds of deaths each year.
Taxation for cannabis legalization argument.
In addition to saving the state of California millions of dollars in law enforcement, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act also gives local governments the ability to tax marijuana. $ 15 billion worth of gray-market and black-market marijuana is sold in California each year as estimated by proponents of the act.
$ 1.3 billion a year or more in revenue would be brought in with an excise tax on the retail sales. Some counties and cities within California currently tax medical marijuana dispensaries. These county and city taxes make as much as $ 350,000 per dispensary.
Job arguments in legalizing pot
Many areas of California, like Humboldt County, have already a thriving marijuana tourism industry. With services from medical marijuana dispensaries to schools focused on how to grow marijuana, the area brings in several million dollars a year in tourism revenue. Supporters of legalizing cannabis point out that if the marijuana tourism industry in California grows to just one-third the size of the wine industry, it would create more than 50,000 jobs. Marijuana being legalized would also make it legal to produce hemp in state which might add to the agricultural base in California.
On the November ballot the California Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act should be placed. If you were interested in the arguments against the legalization of marijuana in California, I would suggest you see Part 2: Arguments against Marijuana Legalization in California.
Sources:
The Associated Press
Business Week
Seattle Times
Time Magazine
CNN
California NORML