Will Ca. Pass First Marijuana Legalizations Bill
California electorate is divided over an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.The Public Policy Institute of Ca. poll out Wed (05/19/2010) found t 49 percent of likely voters would support legalization of cannabis, while 48 percent oppose it. The poll has a margin of inaccuracy of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The state of California already allows medicinal use of cannabis, but would become the first state to legalize recreational use if voters approve the initiative.The poll found that Democrats and independents are far more likely to support the initiative than Republicans. Not overly surprising. Support also is higher in the Bay Area, while L.A. and the Central Valley remain divided.The survey found that men are more likely to favor legalization than women.
In California, medicinal marijuana has been legal since 1996. Since then there has been an ever growing surge in supporters to legalize and tax marijuana, much the way alcohol and tobacco are. The Tax and Regulate Marijuana 2010 Campaign has just achieved its first major victory in that fight. With over 700,000 signatures, they have gathered nearly double the amount necessary for inclusion on November's ballot.
January 13th 2010, the Sac Bee reported, “Assemblyman Tom Ammiano emerged Tuesday from a victorious committee vote to legalize marijuana proclaiming history was in the making.
It didn't matter that his bill was dead on non-arrival. A separate Assembly health committee won't take up the bill this week, meaning it will miss a legislative deadline for reaching the Assembly floor.
But the political theater Ammiano stirred in winning a 4-3 vote in the Public Safety Committee for pot's legalization raises the curtain on a near-certain November ballot fight and heated skirmishes in the Legislature over the future of marijuana use in California.” For the full story go to http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2457715.html
In the 1920's and 1930's, America clearly learned that prohibition only increased criminal activity, violence and the frivolous spending on a battle that could not be won. Many people feel that our country continues to implement laws that only drive the crime rate up as well as add to our national deficit. The use of marijuana does not affect a person's mental state so as to become violent. The financial and criminal gains cause a person to become violent. Wars over territory bring about violence, murder and theft as well as a host of other crimes. The criminals are the only ones who gain from keeping marijuana illegal. There is an annual $14 billion illegal market. Imagine what would happen if that criminal economy was brought to an end and given to society as legal profits.
Those opposed to legalizing marijuana would have you believe that marijuana is harmful to your health in a way that far exceeds the affects of recreational alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco is single handedly responsible for the deaths of 500,000 Americans each year. 100,000 people die each year from alcohol related causes. To date, no deaths have ever been attributed to marijuana use.
According to the US Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in December of 2008, there are over 600,000 people incarcerated for drug offenses in state and federal prisons. As also reported by the Department of Justice in 2008, the average annual cost of incarceration per inmate is $25,895. That is an annual cost of $15,537,000,000.
The Board of Equalization estimates that legalizing marijuana could generate about $1.4 billion in tax revenue annually.Public support for legalization of marijuana is at an all time high. Nation wide polls range from 44 to 52 percent. In California 56 percent of the population supports legalization of marijuana. It is an exciting and historical time for California as the battle for legalization is nearing an end, with victory lingering around the corner.
Sources:
Sacramento Bee http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2457715.html
U.S. Department of Justice http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/about/index.html
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