Will Legalizing Pot Save California from its Cash Crunch?

[luke]

Will Legalizing Pot Save California from its Cash Crunch?
A new bill could make make marijuana California's newest cash crop.



California state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has announced the introduction of legislation to tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcoholic beverages. The bill, the first of its kind ever introduced in California, would create a regulatory structure similar to that used for beer, wine, and liquor, permitting taxed sales to adults while barring sales to or possession by those under 21.

Estimates based on federal government statistics have shown marijuana to be California’s top cash crop, valued at approximately $14 billion in 2006 — nearly twice the combined value of the state’s number two and three crops, vegetables ($5.7 billion) and grapes ($2.6 billion) — in spite of massive “eradication” efforts that wipe out an average of nearly 36,000 cultivation sites per year without making a dent in this underground industry.

Ammiano introduced the measure at a San Francisco press conference this morning, saying, “With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes,” said Ammiano. “California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana.”

“It is simply nonsensical that California’s largest agricultural industry is completely unregulated and untaxed,” said Marijuana Policy Project California policy director Aaron Smith, who also spoke at the news conference. “With our state in an ongoing fiscal crisis — and no one believes the new budget is the end of California’s financial woes — it’s time to bring this major piece of our economy into the light of day.”

Independent experts from around the world, from President Nixon’s National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse in 1972 to a Canadian Senate special committee in 2002, have long contended that criminalizing marijuana users makes little sense, given that marijuana is less addictive, much less toxic, and far less likely to induce aggression or violence than alcohol. For example, in an article in the December 2008 Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Australian researcher Stephen Kisely noted that “penalties bear little relation to the actual harm associated with cannabis.”

from http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/128963/will_legalizing_pot_save_california_from_its_cash_crunch/

i never thought i'd say this ... but i might have to move to america! god bless the stars and stripes and all that

[faceless]

that's some pleasant photo - "I'm just off for a walk around the fields, dear, back in 6 days!'

[SpursFan1902]

Oh, silly Luke....it's not like we would let you stay.... ;)

[luke]

[SpursFan1902]

[faceless]

Stephen Baldwin - FAILLLLL!

[luke]

baldwins a fool. 'marijuana leads to doing worse things. its just a fact. i don't care what anybody says or what the debate is' - its not a fact! and he should care what experts say, what the research says - its the only way we can have an informed opinion.

the latest studies on wherever weed is a gateway drug has shown it makes no difference - at a chemical level. they breed mice ( or rats ) some are given cannabis at differing ages, others aren't. then later they're given cocaine, the ones that did cannabis have no greater urge for cocaine than the ones that didn't - cannabis doesn't change your brain so you're more inclined to do or try more drugs.

what leads people on to doing other drugs is the likelihood that in buying weed from illegal sources, you'll come into contact with dealers selling other stuff. you legalise it - you remove the illegal dealers, you remove the ease of access to harder drugs.

on his other point on driving, again, latest tests show that weed smokers are actually safe drivers - they drive more cautiously.

[Skylace]

There is a serious problem with this though. The state can legalize it yes, but that is in direct contradiction of Federal Law, which will supersede state legislation. It will still be illegal, the only difference is California police will not enforce the Federal Law. The FBI can still come in and more then likely California will be forced (if the law passes) to repeal it or face cuts in funding from the Feds. It has happened in other states with similar laws. The Fed will win out over the State every time when it comes to this.

[faceless]

How does the federal law fit with the medicinal aspect though? They must have modified it, or ignored it.

[Skylace]

[luke]

i'm just listening to the radio and they're chatting about weed, some guy reckons heroin and crack is being added to the weed! the amount of waffle that gets talked is unbelievable. but will they read out my email? will be they bollocks!

anyway, are you proposing overthrowing the federal government skylace? you little revolutionary!

[Skylace]

[luke]

if not for weed, will you do it for FREEEEEEDOM!? :braveheart:

if you're out, that means the revolutionary army is cut in half - i.e. its just me.

[Skylace]

[luke]

Barack Obama's internet 'town hall' meeting hijacked by cannabis questions
US President Barack Obama had to answer a question about legalising cannabis after deciding to 'open up the White House to the American people' to a live question and answer session.



Some 92,932 people submitted 104,095 questions for Mr Obama and cast 3,606,270 votes on which ones he should respond to during the multimedia "town hall" meeting.

After a link to the White House site was sent to Mr Obama's campaign email list of some 14 million people, many of the questions submitted were anodyne, giving the president the chance to outline familiar policy proposals at length.

But a lot of the inquiries that rose to the top of the lists were about legalising cannabis. The top four questions under the heading of "financial security" concerned marijuana and the pot issue was first and third under questions about "jobs".

Having promised to answer the most popular questions, Mr Obama was in a bit of a bind. Rather than accepting one of the pot questions and answering it head-on, he made a joke about them.

"I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalising marijuana would improve the economy and job creation," he said to laughter in the East Room of the White House, where a supportive live audience had been gathered.

"And I don't know what this says about the online audience, I don't want people to think that - this was a fairly popular question. We want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy."

from the telegraph

hijacked?!