Posted on 02/23/2009 10:50:40 AM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
It’s about time.
Hahaha like the Federal Gov’t is going to allow a State’s Right such as this? Of course the only smarter thing California could do to raise revenue is to allow some drilling off the coast but, hey... one step at a time.
All the freepers sympathetic to the Pot Party (Libertarian) will applaud this. This could be the handbook on how to destroy a civilization though.
It’s about time.
How much money do we waste every year (since 1937) trying to keep Marijuana illegal?
Finally.
If CA made pot legal, then all police entities in CA would stop enforcement work vs pot since there would be no local laws being broken. Feds would have to deal w/ their laws on their own. CA is a big state.
“Pot Party (Libertarian)”
I’m more concerned about their baby-killing tendencies
It’s all part of California’s plan, like the Peter Seller’s movie “The Mouse that Roared.” The state will legalize marijuana and get into the regulation of its sale (distribution.) The DEA will come roaring in and seize the whole state, then the Assembly is off the hook on how to pay the state’s bills.
No it will also help the snack food industry big time
But still no drilling for oil.
-PJ
Uh oh, here come the pro nanny-state Freepers to lecture us all on why the government should be allowed to decide what is “good” and “bad” for us.
Yeah right, booze, cigarettes, cars, swingsets. Lets just make everything illegal. /s
Didn’t we just go through this a few years back? Didn’t the Feds actually spend money to try and defeat various state decriminalization laws and even threaten to ignore them?
Maybe it will get Phelps back on the cereal box.
“All the freepers sympathetic to the Pot Party (Libertarian) will applaud this. This could be the handbook on how to destroy a civilization though.”
Isn’t it time for your afternoon cocktail? I’m sure it’s five o’ clock somewhere.
All the freepers sympathetic to the Pot Party (Libertarian) will applaud this. This could be the handbook on how to destroy a civilization though.
____________
Can you provide a few examples of civilizations that have been destroyed due to the legalization of marijuana? Not talking towns, or counties or anything short of the destruction of a civilization (your words).
I’ll be here all week.
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