Posted on 02/03/2016 9:35:51 AM PST by ConservingFreedom
California's largest organization of practicing physicians, the California Medical Association, announced Monday that it is backing a proposed 2016 ballot initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
A coalition of entrepreneurs, activists, environmentalists and state politicians are backing the initiative, led by billionaire technology investor Sean Parker.
CMA said in a statement that its members believe controlling, tracking and studying pot will better protect public health than "ineffective prohibition."
Spokeswoman Molly Weedn said the medical association is most interested in provisions of the proposal that would expand marijuana research.
"We feel that this initiative specifically is in line with the concerns we had for better monitoring and research of cannabis," Weedn said.
CMA has also supported legalizing medical marijuana, although it disapproves of physicians playing gatekeeper for public access to the drug.
The California initiative would allow anyone age 21 or older to purchase up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six pot plants. An excise tax of 15 percent would be imposed on all non-medical sales.
California's legislative analyst and finance director estimate that legalizing marijuana for recreational use could net as much as $1 billion in new tax revenue for the state and local governments.
CMA hopes legalization would help reduce the number of non-symptomatic people in California's medical marijuana system.
One of the initiative's proponents is physician Donald Lyman, a member of CMA who chaired the association's 2010-2011 committee that wrote a white paper on the group's positions on marijuana, Weedn said.
Initiative supporters have until July 5 to collect nearly 366,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot. A dozen similar proposals have also been approved to collect signatures.
LOL.
Her name is Weedn. How apropos.
I wonder if anyone will do the experiment of trying to graft hops vines onto an MJ plant? They are in the same family of plants, so it might be possible like with grafting cherries and plums together.
Imagine MJ Brand microbrewed beer.
“Imagine MJ Brand microbrewed beer.”
People already do use MJ as hops in beer
That paper notes the following:
'The continued demand for cannabis nationally, which supports violent drug cartels from Mexico and other international sources
'The failure to decrease national and international supplies of cannabis from criminal and unregulated sources
'The failure of the federal government's actions through the "War on Drugs" in mitigating substance abuse and addiction'
I suppose that we can always remove a star from the flag.
I don't know what you mean by this.
What happens when you get stoned every single day for five years
"These findings also need to be understood in relation to what we know about the severe cognitive effects of persistent, heavy alcohol use, which include irreversible brain damage.
"Overall, the take-home message is one of moderation. Whether your preferred vice is pot or alcohol or gambling or Big Macs, it stands to reason that if you overdo it, you're going to hurt yourself."
Marijuana Use Doubles in U.S., But So Do Problems
"The findings of this study contrast with National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data suggesting that the prevalence of marijuana use increased only 12% from 2002 to 2012,6 and that the prevalence of marijuana use disorders did not increase (1.6% in 200281 and 1.5% in 201270). The explanation of these different findings is not clear."
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