California closer to legal marijuana

[Indycar]

NewsCore March 25, 2010 6:57PM

 

CALIFORNIA took a step closer to being the first American state to legalize marijuana, after state officials agreed the issue would be included in the November 2 ballot.

 

A voter initiative to let the drug be legally sold and taxed was supported by a massive petition, with many more signatures than the 433,971 needed for the plan to be certified submitted before Wednesday's 5pm (local time) deadline, The Los Angeles Times reported.

 

Lawmakers are allowed to place constitutional amendments and proposed changes in law on the ballot. These can be driven by "ballot measures" - voter initiatives that need a certain number of signatures on a petition.

 

Passage of the marijuana measure on election day is not certain but it places California at the forefront of America's debate on drugs. It could also put California at odds with the US government, which opposes legalizing marijuana.

 

Supporters say outlawing marijuana has failed - and that taxing the drug could help California's troubled finances.

 

"We're one step closer to ending cannabis prohibition and the unjust laws that lock people up for cannabis while alcohol is not only sold openly but advertised on television to kids every day," said legalisation advocate Richard Lee, an Oakland marijuana entrepreneur.

 

However, a broad range of opponents will be fighting the measure.

 

"We'll educate people as to what this measure really entails," John Lovell, a Sacramento lobbyist who represents the California Police Chiefs Assn, told The LA Times.

 

"With legalization of recreational marijuana use, impaired driving, fatalities, injuries and crashes will go up, and we don't want to see that," California Mothers Against Drunk Driving spokesman Silas Miers said.

 

Source: www.news.com.au

[phreakah]

Crashes will go up? Like people aren't smoking and driving already.

They need to work out a test they can apply with limits, kinda like 0.05 for drink driving.

This may be done with the 'cannabis equal' of the sobriety test, focusing on reactions, or through a blood test.

[cybergenesis]

Crashes will probably go down, because if pot smoking goes up, then alcohol consumption will go somewhat down (people have limited $$ to spend on drugs). Because pot consumption is much safer than alcohol consumption in regards to road accidents, the rate will go down.

[Budgiekk]

hmmm i wonder if cultivation is also going to be legalized? i bet the price of buying weed will be higher and go up with inflation! and if they ever need to scratch for some money weed will be the first price increase. but hey ya might spend more but at least ya wont go to jail.

[cybergenesis]

Lets hope that it gets legalized. Why?

 

* Would bring worldwide attention to the issue of cannabis prohibition

 

* While only one step in the battle, it could be a tipping point with the eventual legalization of marijuana in America- or of course it could all backfire.

 

* If it gets legalized across America, the mindset may spread here, maybe one day legalized here.

[phreakah]

The more legalisation in any countries is welcome

Just imagine if buying greens was as easy as going to the bottleshop.

[mister420]

i also think that once its legalized, the rest of the world will open their eyes and see how wrong they have been...

im hoping to christ this push to legalize in cali will push australia to think about at least legalizing for MMJ.