Pubdate: Tue, 28 Jan 2014
Source: Norman Transcript (OK)
Copyright: 2014 The Norman Transcript
Contact:  http://www.normantranscript.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/552

STATE SENATOR LAUNCHES EFFORT TO REGULATE, TAX MARIJUANA 
LIKE  ALCOHOL IN OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA CITY - State Sen. Connie Johnson has introduced a bill that
would regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol in Oklahoma.

Senate Bill 2116 would make the personal use, possession and limited
home-cultivation of marijuana legal for adults age 21 and older, and
establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly
to alcohol.

National polls have shown a steady increase in support for taxing and
regulating adult use of marijuana in recent years, with a majority of
Americans now consistently supporting an end to its
prohibition.

"Marijuana prohibition has been a disaster in Oklahoma, as it has
elsewhere in the country, and it's particularly hard on minorities. In
our state, African American residents are nearly three times more
likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white residents,
even with similar levels of use," said Johnson, D-Oklahoma County. "In
one Oklahoma county, the rate is 30 times greater.

"As taxpayers, we're spending over $30 million each year policing,
jailing and incarcerating our citizens on marijuana-related offenses.
Yet, marijuana is almost universally available. It's time for a
smarter approach."

"By taxing and regulating marijuana, we can take the lucrative market
out of the hands of criminals and drug cartels and put it in the hands
of tax-paying, law-abiding businesses. More importantly, we can stop
arresting adults simply for using a substance less harmful than
alcohol and focus our law enforcement resources on violent crimes and
real threats to public safety," Johnson said.

"Our decades-long experiment with marijuana prohibition has failed.
Alcohol prohibition ended when states began regulating and taxing the
product, and we should use the same exit strategy with marijuana. If
we can regulate a much more harmful substance like alcohol, we can
regulate marijuana," said Chris Lindsey, legislative analyst for the
Washington, D.C., based Marijuana Policy Project. "We applaud Sen.
Johnson's effort to find a better approach than the same policy of
failure.

"Revenues from adult marijuana sales would be reinvested in Oklahoma's
communities rather than disappear into the underground market. The
state should stop propping up drug cartels and gangs and instead
support licensed businesses that pay taxes and create jobs."

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Select Agencies will have a
hearing on the science of medical marijuana at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday,
Feb. 12, in Room 419C. Promoted as "Marijuana Rally Day," advocates
will spend the day visiting with their elected officials about their
position on pending marijuana proposals.  
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