Cannabis for California

[Cadaverous Pallor]

It's officially on the ballot.

Official site.

The measure does not actually legalize pot as much as it absolutely decriminalizes certain marijuana offenses. (Marijuana has been “decriminalized” in California since 1975, but it still can generate a fine, an arrest and a misdemeanor charge on your record.) Tax Cannabis institutes a one-ounce personal possession limit and allows for limited personal cultivation.

Interestingly, the ballot initiative refers to local control, meaning that cities and counties can decide whether to allow regulated marijuana sales at all, and if so, how that would work. Tax Cannabis allows for the personal consumption, possession and cultivation of cannabis by any adult over 21 throughout the state, but the business of it would be left to local jurisdictions. (A few people suggested Lee was inspired by his home state of Texas’ dry-county, wet-county policy regarding alcohol sales.)

I'm all for it, in case you hadn't guessed. I'm sure Orange County would be among the "dry" counties sales-wise, but it's a minor quibble.

[Gn2Dlnd]

I'm all for legalization, and that's with a number of years away from the stuff because it doesn't *ahem* agree with me. Unfortunately, if someone sparks up a doob, I have to leave the area, or I end up breathing it in and suffering the consequences. If you're enjoying a gin and tonic, I don't need to leave. That gin and tonic stays put, right there in its glass. The pot smoke doesn't. Someone did this on the sidewalk outside of a meeting I was attending a couple of weeks ago. I had to leave.

I don't have a moral issue, just a "there's kids in the house, now" issue.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

I don't have a moral issue, just a "there's kids in the house, now" issue.

To be perfectly crystal clear - my child will never be near enough such stuff to inhale it, and no one will be in charge of my child while under the influence. Same goes for alcohol.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

I'm all for legalization, and that's with a number of years away from the stuff because it doesn't *ahem* agree with me. Unfortunately, if someone sparks up a doob, I have to leave the area, or I end up breathing it in and suffering the consequences. If you're enjoying a gin and tonic, I don't need to leave. That gin and tonic stays put, right there in its glass. The pot smoke doesn't. Someone did this on the sidewalk outside of a meeting I was attending a couple of weeks ago. I had to leave.

I don't have a moral issue, just a "there's kids in the house, now" issue.

No doubt laws restricting when and where it's consumable would follow in short order. But, at risk of seeming dismissive of your concerns, I'm going to go on a limb and say that the thousands of people in jail for something that hurt no one are slightly more inconvenienced than you would be by having to cross the street.

[innerSpaceman]

There's already too many pot stores in L.A., and they are nearly unregulated. The city is finally cracking down and closing many of them, because it was out-of-hand for so many years. I don't see how the farce that you need a prescription is going to change so much if it becomes completely "decriminalized." Certainly, there could hardly be additional pot stores to buy it at - it would just be easier to do at less stores than currently exist.


Feh, a few years after I stopped my quarter-century daily habit, the stuff starts being sold out of brick&mortar on every third street corner. I haven't even bothered getting a fake prescription because I don't smoke enough to bother.


I guess I'm glad for teenage Theo - - but this is a little too little, too late for the likes of ex-stoner me.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

It's a little late for us as well, but this isn't all about you or us. It's about what's honest and fair. It's about people in jail for no good reason, about cops chasing pot instead of real criminals, about billions of tax dollars spent and billions more never gathered.

[Not Afraid]

I find I don't have a strong opinion either way. I really see no reason why most drugs are illegal and alcohol is not. If it provides more tax dollars, great.

[blueerica]

Yeah, I think the best argument for it is the money issue. California's having a rough enough time as it is, do we want to spend millions and billions investigating, prosecuting and incarcerating a non-violent crime? Plus, what an opportunity to turn that business into revenue for the state, instead of revenue from Johnny with the dime bag.

And yeah, I'm among the "used to do it, then realized that it just doesn't agree with me" crowd.

[Strangler Lewis]

Maybe the next generation will be brought up thinking this is a way to make an honest living, but I have a hard time thinking that the average armed to the teeth big farm grower is going to weep with gratitude and say, "Thank you, now I can contribute my fair share to society."

[Ghoulish Delight]

To me the economic issue is secondary. The liberty issue is primary. I don't care if it ends up being MORE expensive for the state (which it won't). I don't think people should be sitting in jail for something that shouldn't be illegal.