Pubdate: Thu, 1 Jul 2010
Source: New Times (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Copyright: 2010 New Times
Contact:  http://www.newtimesslo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1277
Author: Tom Ammiano
Note: California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano represents the 13th 
Assembly District, which includes San Francisco.
Cited: Proposition 19 http://www.taxcannabis.org/
Referenced: National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse 
http://mapinc.org/url/wL7rRxiZ
Referenced: California Research Advisory Panel http://mapinc.org/url/bJc9ZikX
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Tax+Cannabis+Act

TAKING THE NEXT STEP FOR CALIFORNIA

We can set an example for the nation as we did on medical marijuana 
by passing the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 in November

What if California could raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new 
revenue to preserve vital state services without any tax increases? 
And what if at the same time, we could, without any new expense, help 
protect our endangered wilderness areas while making it harder for 
our kids to get drugs?

That is precisely what the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 
2010 initiative slated for the November ballot would do. This 
measure, building off the legislation I introduced last year, is the 
logical next step in California's and hopefully the nation's public 
policy towards marijuana.

The legalization of cannabis would not only address California's 
growing economic crisis but, more importantly, would begin a rational 
public policy discussion about how best to regulate the state's 
largest cash crop estimated to be worth roughly $14 billion annually. 
Placing marijuana under the same regulatory system that now applies 
to alcohol represents the natural evolution of California's laws and 
is in line with recent polls indicating strong support for 
decriminalizing marijuana.

To understand the movement behind legalization, it is helpful to 
understand how we got here. The state first prohibited marijuana in 
1913. When Congress later passed the Controlled Substances Act in 
1970, marijuana was temporarily labeled a "Schedule I substance"--an 
illegal drug with no approved medical purposes.

But Congress acknowledged they did not know enough about marijuana to 
permanently classify it to Schedule I, so a presidential commission 
was created to review the research. In 1972, the National Commission 
on Marijuana and Drug Abuse advised Congress to remove criminal 
penalties on the possession and nonprofit distribution of marijuana.

"Neither the marijuana user nor the drug itself can be said to 
constitute a danger to public safety," concluded the commission, led 
by then-Governor Raymond Shafer of Pennsylvania. President Nixon and 
Congress ignored the report. Since then, more than 14 million 
Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges and marijuana has 
remained listed as a Schedule I substance--actually treated by 
federal law as more dangerous than cocaine and methamphetamine.

Here in California, enforcement costs for marijuana offenses had 
become so high by 1975 that the legislature decriminalized possession 
of small quantities in the Moscone Act, saving the state $100 million 
each year. In 1990, the California Research Advisory Panel urged 
further decriminalization, noting "an objective consideration of 
marijuana shows that it is responsible for less damage to society and 
the individual than are alcohol and cigarettes." By 1996, the 
medicinal benefits of marijuana had been well documented and 
California voters legalized the medical use of marijuana by passing 
Proposition 215. With New Jersey ratifying medical use earlier this 
year, there are now 14 states that support medical marijuana.

Despite this nationwide shift, the costs of modern prohibition 
continue with more than 61,000 Californians arrested for misdemeanor 
marijuana possession in 2008 alone. That same year, about 60,000 
violent crimes went unsolved statewide, yet we continue to spend 
hundreds of millions of dollars and countless law enforcement hours 
arresting people for low-level marijuana crimes, further 
overburdening courts and prisons. Jail beds devoted to marijuana 
offenders could be "used for other criminals who are now being 
released early because of a lack of jail space," the state 
Legislative Analyst's Office wrote.

Black-market marijuana is also a main source of revenue for the vast 
criminal enterprises that threaten peace on our streets and weaken 
national security on our borders. According to the White House Office 
of National Drug Control Policy, the Mexican drug cartels get more 
than 60 percent of their revenue from selling marijuana in the United States.

The simple reality is that resources tied up fighting marijuana would 
be better spent solving and preventing violent felonies and other major crimes.

When U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced last year that the 
federal government would end raids on marijuana dispensaries in 
California and other states with medical marijuana laws, it was a 
clear sign the tide was turning. Fact regarding marijuana is finally 
overcoming fiction.

There may be disagreements about what direction to take but it is 
clear to everyone involved our current approach is not working. 
Regulation allows common-sense controls and takes the marijuana 
industry out of the hands of unregulated criminals.

As a member of the State Assembly, I believe we must acknowledge 
reality and bring innovative solutions to the issue of marijuana, not 
simply wait passively for the federal government to act. This is how 
change happens. Californians lead rather than follow, and we can set 
an example for the nation as we did on medical marijuana by passing 
the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 in November.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake