By Stephen C. Webster / Raw Story / March 28th, 2010
Far from being a war between hippies and police, the fight to legalize marijuana in California centers on whether decriminalizing and taxing cannabis can help fill the state’s fiscal hole.
Using the drug for medical purposes has been legal for 14 years in the western state. But a new initiative that will appear on the ballot in November elections is seeking to legalize recreational marijuana use.
The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 would let cities and counties adopt ordinances authorizing the cultivation, transportation and sale of marijuana, and tax its sale just like it taxes alcohol and cigarettes.
Supporters are hoping the potential tax windfall will help garner support for the measure at a time when California is suffering from a crippling budget crisis.
The debate is heating up, with supporters and opponents investing millions of dollars in their cause amid rising concerns the campaign could have a nationwide impact on relaxing drug laws.
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It’s about time, but I don’t hold out much hope for it passing.
You’ll always get the busybody crowd coming out in droves to vote against it, one of the reasons I dislike direct democracy: give people the opportunity to vote to limit the rights of others and plenty will usually do so.
Witness Prop 8.
If we’d left these things to a popular vote we’d probably still have slavery and women would never have been given the right to vote. People LOVE having power over others.
I say we legalize it, but in exchange we make tea-baggers illegal. or make ’em smoke a few bowls before each demo they have to settle them down.
Love the idea. Just wonder where that tax money would go.