CALIFORNIA: Bill would legalize, tax marijuana

Sacramento Bee ^ | 2/23/9 | Jim Sanders

[SmithL]

California may be going to pot - literally.

Marijuana would be grown and sold openly to adults 21 and older under legislation introduced this morning by a San Francisco lawmaker.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, said the cash-starved state could generate more than a billion dollars by taxing pot growers and sellers.

Ammiano predicted that the public would support loosening marijuana laws that require substantial public funds to enforce.

"I think there's a mentality throughout the state and the country that this isn't the highest priority," he said. "And that maybe we should start to reassess."

Before California could legalize marijuana, however, it also might have to persuade the federal government to alter its prohibition on cannabis.

Ammiano said federal officials may be receptive to such changes under the administration of President Barack Obama.

"We may be on a parallel track here," said Ammiano, a freshman legislator who was sworn into office less than three months ago.

The Drug Policy Alliance, an advocate of loosening pot laws, applauded Ammiano's proposal.

"Marijuana already plays a huge role in the California economy," said Stephen Gutwillig, the group's California state director. "It's a revenue opportunity we literally can't afford to ignore any longer."

Ammiano's bill, Assembly Bill 390, would allow marijuana to be sold openly - like alcohol - in retail outlets statewide.

[capt. norm]

Genesis 1:29 "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth.".

Lot of poisons included in that list, which ones do you want distributed freely?

Even poisonous plants have their uses....many in medicine...that could be the reason the scriptures say "every". I don't think the Lord's words need to be edited or "lawyered" by the "Oh-Oh Squad".

Nowhere does it say us mere mortals are to pass judgment on another person's 'gifts' the Almighty has given us.

There's a use for every one of them, whether or not we have discovered (yet) what each use is.

The frame of mind of some people is that any herb that brings pleasure should be illegal. A current example is salvia....a totally harmless plant, even in large doses and yet there are those who want it made illegal because it produces a "high" for a few minutes.

There will always be 'control freaks' who try to decide what's best for everyone else and enforce that decision through laws.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Lot of poisons included in that list, which ones do you want distributed freely?

I can legally grow castor bean plants, hemlock, and even Amanita muscaria. And many other poisonous things.

[Ken H]

I guess the commerce clause refers to interstate commerce, being the sole justification for federal drug laws? I don't care about that.

That is a STUNNING admission of contempt for the Constitution.

[ResponseAbility]

It will not be a big windfall, but because of urbanization and small motivational force it will continually become less and less about growing at home. Over time, just as with alcohol it will be easier to pay the meager cost to buy it at a store than to pay the expense and supply the effort to grow at home. It is not expensive to grow pot at home, but it will be even cheaper for government to do it large scale.

The major downside I see is the possibility for the university student to start doing legal “research” into manipulating marijuana plant genes. How about ephedrine like pot? Coca like pot? this may be impossible, but if it can be done it will occur much easier without a legal barrier.

[demshateGod]

That’s a stunning straw man.

[Ken H]

That's a stunning straw man.

No strawman there, I have your own words:

I guess the commerce clause refers to interstate commerce, being the sole justification for federal drug laws? I don't care about that.

[Lord_Baltar]

16 oz of Havestable material per plat?

Wow, there are some Growers in Humbolt that would LOOOOOOOOVE to talk to you.

So, did you get these 16 oz per plant seeds from some old peddler, or a witch selling poison apples?

Is there a Giant at the top of that plant?

Where do you get that 16oz number from? I’m dying to hear.

[Beagle8U]

“It will not be a big windfall, but because of urbanization and small motivational force it will continually become less and less about growing at home. Over time, just as with alcohol it will be easier to pay the meager cost to buy it at a store than to pay the expense and supply the effort to grow at home. It is not expensive to grow pot at home, but it will be even cheaper for government to do it large scale.”

The problem is that they wont want to make it legal for a “meager cost” and one plant yields too damn much of it.

Most users wouldn't need more than a plant or two a year.

They wont make it legal to get $10 or so year in taxes per user. Much over that and people grow their own.

[Beagle8U]

I guess you’ll just have to study up on it.

[Lord_Baltar]

Oh, OK, so from that response, we can assume you were shooting from the lip on that 16oz number?

[demshateGod]

Since this debate is over, I’ll go ahead and marginalize you and say drugs are bad for you.

[Mojave]

Pot dealers do though and they WILL be put out of business if pot is legalized. Their market will dry up.

Right. They won't sell to kids or sell other drugs or sell across state lines. They're too honorable.

/sarcasm

[Mojave]

Plant Yield

Plant yield has been estimated on a conservative basis of 200 grams (approximately 7 ounces) per outdoor plant and 100 grams (approximately 3.5 ounces) per indoor plant. These yields are considered conservative compared to frequent reports by police stating the potential yield of seized marijuana plants to be 1 pound per plant.

http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr2/estproc.html

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

As someone else said: “You already do!”

You can tell who they are by their speed; they're the ones driving reeeeeeeeeaaaaal slow!

[Lord_Baltar]

OK, so 7 oz, versus 16oz?

I understand why the Police, and Reefer Madness types for that matter want to over-inflate the harvest, but for the sake of argument here, can we at least stick to the more realistic numbers rather than the chest pounding versions?

[Mojave]

I’ll take the police estimates over the left wing drug addict estimates.

[Beagle8U]

No, I’m not. Study up on it.

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“Huh? There is no tax on tobacco grown for personal use.”

Gosh, you sound like Bud Abbot. Do you seriously not understand his analogy????

Here it is: Although they can, not many people grow their own tobacco either!!!!

[Lord_Baltar]

OK, so post your stats.

Why the mystery?

[Lord_Baltar]

Yes, why bother with facts that might tip over the hyperboli cart...