California: Proposition 19

I've been following the legislative status of marijuana over the last few months and recently there's been a lot of talk over Assembly bill 2254, which would legalize and regulate cannabis to persons of 21+ years of age in California. It will appear on the November 2010 ballot. According to early polls, 56% of Californians support this.

It is my hope that I can educate people in this thread and perhaps be responsible for a few votes on the day.

I am all for it for the following reasons:
* This would be crushing to mexican drug cartels: it would stop violence related to them and cut their profit, which they use to buy weapons and smuggle people into america. Cannabis accounts for 60% of Mexican cartels' revenue.

* The prisons would be relieved of thousands of non-violent citizens, which are using a lot of tax dollars by being in jail and would create room for serious criminals such as murders. Has it ever occured to you that incarcerating them could be more damaging? Mixing with violent people can only be causing more damage.

* Huge employment and profit to be made for the state through sales of $50 per ounce.

* Much safer for the consumer. Their substance is regulated,they don't have to deal with shady figures and their money won't be going towards a potential criminal/gang.

* The region would become a huge tourist attraction. People from all over America and parts of Asia, even Europe, would flock to the region and spend tons of money, which creates more direct and indirect employment.

* Marijuana is safer than both alcohol and tobacco, but for the sake of my argument marijuana should be legal because tobacco is.

* Tax dollars can be used on serious issues and not for ruining the lives of non-violent citizens due to a harmless plant.

* People from other states will be willing to relocate to California and become citizens over this, which means even more revenue for California.

The reasons the opposition are offering are:
* Crime levels increases - This is false. When the Netherlands legalised it, crime dropped.

* Levels of use increases - After legalization in the Netherlands, the levels of use have stayed the same as before it was legalized Regardless of legislative status, levels of use stay the same. In Iran, drug offences can earn you a public hanging, yet it has one of the highest levels of drug use in the planet.

Discuss your opinions on this.

EDIT: I'd really recommend that you watch the movie "The Union". It can be watched for free online here. It answers many questions regarding marijuana and the business behind it.

 

I don't think mexico's cartels would hurt that bad from it, because it seems (havent exactly researched it) that their main export is coke.

 

It would be great to see it legalized, however I live in the exact opposite state of Cali...Pennsylvania, the harshest of all drug's lol.

 

They smuggle people over to grow it, to either pay back a family's debt or to pay off the smuggling, because it is very easy to grow. I'm not sure how much they rely on it but legalization would mean a noticeable profit cut.

 

It wouldn't hurt their business, it would just help them. Now they can get the weed from anywhere for hella cheap and sell it openly and publicly in cali instead of sneaking around.

 

The government would be regulating it at $50 sales tax an ounce(?). You can't profit off that unless you're selling small bits off to friends who are too lazy to get it themselves.

 

$50 an ounce? :nuts:

 

What's the point in selling it then? :'(

 

If this passes I'm going to try really hard in locating to Cali when I get my working visa for America.

For the government? $1billion extra in revenue.
For the cartels? They can't make it worthwhile if their opponents are selling it legally for that cheap.

 

"* The region would become a huge tourist attraction. People from all over America and parts of Asia, even Europe, would flock to the region and spend tons of money, which creates more direct and indirect employment."

Damn that's something I don't want, now California is gonna be even more populated :S

$50 an Ounce is amazing, I'll be calling up my sister to get some LOL

 

It's hard to imagine that a few years from now, I could be paying the amount that gets me an eighth for a whole ounce.

 

Lucky for me I live in California! I'd much rather pay $50 an ounce than $50 for 1/8th.

 

I am so very very bummed, I turn 18 on Nov 19th, I believe voting occurs on the 2nd.

 

$50 dollars an ounce!? That's amazing.
I only wish it was finally legalized here in Canada, instead of the half-legal bullshit that is currently going on.

 

ooooshittt, I wonder how long it's going to take before it's legalized everywhere in the US if it gets legalized in Cali.

 

Yes it would, majorly. If Marijuana starts becoming legal in America, other countries will face serious economical problems. In Mexico, South America, and such, where they are run mostly like a communistic country, the second it becomes legal in America, the governments there will be pouncing on people are regulating it there.

What will happen then is the amount of product coming from Mexico and such will be passed through regulations. The drug lords would become legit businessmen, which would result in a major loss in profits. Under the table profits are always more beneficial than legal profits.

I am happy to hear that Cali is working towards more legalization, but it surely won't be hitting the rest of the country for a long while. California has always been leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the nation in its citizen rights. But maybe, when the rest of the country realizes that California has already allowed legal growing of marijuana for about a decade now, then we'll start moving forward.

Thanks for the note mate .

 

It would also increase smuggling from Cali to other states.

I don't see a problem with it though.

 

You said it all Louis, hopefully more people can be educated like you and this will start a trend across America
I live in BC Canada, so you don't usually get in too much trouble for smoking it anyway, but it would be great to not have to worry about it being laced (I have serious paranoia about things like that )

 

Lucky. Just make sure you're not too blazed to vote on the day.

Hopefully Canada will follow suit after seeing all the benefits California will be reaping.

Not soon, but hopefully other states will see how great legalization is and follow in Cali's footsteps.

 

I am pretty sure $50 an ounce is the tax per ounce.. not the price. And i am totally against legalization, the goverment could put any set price and screw consumers even in medical shops you are just paying almost the same or more then street price.
http://la.metblogs.com/2009/07/16/50-per-ounce-tax-on-legalized-marijuana-would-benefit-state/
Check other sites, old high times posts etc its $50 tax/ounce not $50 an ounce..
http://hightimes.com/news/mike_hughes/5971
The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, would allow possession, sale and cultivation of marijuana for those 21 and older in the Golden State. Once regulated the state would impose a $50-an-ounce sales tax on pot.

[/QUOTE] I am happy to hear that Cali is working towards more legalization, but it surely won't be hitting the rest of the country for a long while. California has always been leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the nation in its citizen rights. But maybe, when the rest of the country realizes that California has already allowed legal growing of marijuana for about a decade now, then we'll start moving forward.

Thanks for the note mate .[/QUOTE] I wouldn't be so sure about that, many states are already passing bills to allow medical marijuana, give it a few more years and i predict at least 5-10 more states will allow medical marijuana if not total legalization.