California may vote on Marijuana Legalization in November

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 10, 2016.

In a big development, California had taken a step forward to legalize marijuana with the ballot proposal coming in November 2016. The ballot measure known as "Adult Use of Marijuana Act" would legalize possession of small amounts of pot for adults, will establish tax rates and a clear policy for the farmers to grow marijuana.

According to reports, enough signatures have been collected to qualify for the fall ballot. However, the ballot measure is still awaiting formal certification from state election officials.

While medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, it's not open for all adults. It requires an authorized doctor's prescription to use marijuana for medical purpose. However, the new measure, if approved, would open a new era in California's pot history.

Legalization of recreational marijuana could bring billions of dollar in revenue for California. Employment sector may get a big boost with the requirement of construction workers, cultivation employees, distributors and administrators at testing facilities.

A similar proposal failed to qualify for the 2014 ballot, but this time, the backers had collected enough funds to launch their campaign effectively.

Several respected Californians, including Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa); Dr. Donald I. Abrams, Chief, Hematology-Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital and Professor of Clinical Medicine, UCSF; Stephen Downing, former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Deputy Chief back the new measure. Drug Policy Alliance, Youth Education and Prevention Working Group and Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy are also supporting the move.

comments powered by Disqus