Californians Will Try to Legalize Pot Again

All the standard, well worn pot jokes and clichés will be quickly pressed into service by the speakers both for and against legalization. Observers predict that plenty of money will be spent in an attempt to launch a national trend. This time however, it will not be the power of speech that will persuade the voters of California to consider the legalization of marijuana, it will be cold hard cash.

The cultural and financial landscape has changed a lot since the issue was last on the California ballot in 1996. Medical marijuana passed that same year and helped to reshape popular perception of the herb’s usefulness. The pace of change was given new impetus by the Obama Administration’s announcement last year that federal drug agents were being instructed to "lay off" patients and providers of medically prescribed marijuana in states where medical marijuana was legal. It has been publically stated that 56 percent of voting Californians are in favor legalization initiatives.

A big selling point of the pro-legalization side is the vast amount of revenue needed by the State of California and other local governments within the state. The grim fact is California is broke. Governor Schwarzenegger has hinted, barring some unforeseen economic miracle, California has seemingly no easy way out of the state’s enormous economic morass.

Under the purposed act, local governments, but not the state, could impose marijuana taxes and raise revenues. Cities and counties could authorize cultivation, transportation and sale of marijuana or could locally ban marijuana. Legalizing marijuana for adults would also help the sagging agricultural sector of the California economy. Police strain their manpower and budgets with the current enforcement activities could now shift some of the enforcement into more violent crimes. The shift in enforcement would reduce the manpower and budget requirements.

Taxing marijuana could bring to the state enormous revenue. According to the California Board of Equalization, a $50.00 per ounce tax on marijuana could bring to state coffers $1.4 billion dollars. With the decrease cost in investigating, prosecuting and incarcerating current offenders the will add an additional revenue benefits to state taxpayers. If the measure passes and is signed into law, California will be the first state in the US to legalize marijuana, not just decriminalize the herb.