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California Closing In on Legalization

Thu, Oct 08, 2009 5:41 pm

Masses of California marijuana advocates are gathering signatures in order to get as many as three legalization measures on the 2010 ballot. Even the most conservative of the measures allows for anyone over the age of 21 to possess one ounce of pot and grow up to 5 feet-by-5 feet on their private property. That specific size is meant to keep the number of plants under 100 - the point at which the DEA will start to pay attention. Federal law would still prohibit marijuana, however many believe federal agents will not bother with casual smokers.

Although the laws would be in direct violation of federal law, state agencies could not be forced to prosecute marijuana offenders. This is particularly relevant as federal law enforcement alone accounted for less than one percent of marijuana arrests in 2008.

"It's only something the feds are going to be worried about if you're growing tons of pot, they don't have the resources to waste on it," said Rosalie Pacula, director of drug policy research at Rand Corp. So, while the bigger fish would still risk showing up on the government's radar, the law would open the gates for the thousands of casual smokers and growers.

The new laws would also be a gigantic boon to California's struggling economy. Not only would they prevent further money from being wasted on marijuana busts and incarceration, but the tax on pot would help both local and state government. Estimates on how much the tax would generate vary but the potential revenue (in the billions) created by legal weed is undeniably appealing. ...google.com

» add a comment

T Townsend

Oct 15 2009, 4:57 am

Good job CALI wish broke ass Michigan would do the same

Super Groob

Oct 14 2009, 12:44 am

Green Hit, The Gov. is already taxing Cali. for medical.

Green Hit

Oct 13 2009, 11:36 pm

Operating on the assumption that pro-MJ legalization advocates are also pro-medical MJ advocates, do such people believe that an individual growing for his/her own medical purposes should now be taxed in order to grow it? If so, then why should current medical MJ users want it to be legalized instead of maintaining the current status quo in which they pay no one for the right?

CoolMcAwesome

Oct 13 2009, 12:12 pm

hey . Im all for it. If it doesn't pass, " Oh well " I will keep smokin regardless. And I'm sure the fight to legalize will continue....

wanagethigh

Oct 12 2009, 10:17 pm

i live in southern calie and am here to say all u old pot heads beater fucking remember to vote so that we can all enjoy this blessing and stop all the violence from the cartels we need to stop giving them our money that they just send back to Mexico and start putting it back in to or economy that so badly needs it .....just think so when people say that pot heads dont help our economy thy will be wrong we will be helping every one to the cops, teachers, firer men,doctors and so many others and the best part is we wont have to buy our hemp from neighboring country because we will already be goring it so plzzz remember to vote cause or state can really use the money and for fuck sake put an end to all the fucking lies and prejudice of this plant....

James Crosby

Oct 12 2009, 6:26 pm

Good pot initiative: http://www.californiacannabisinitiative.org/

Bad pot initiative (that you should not vote for): http://www.taxcannabis2010.org/

Make sure you know which one is good, and which one is lacking in greatness! Do your research California!

Read this for more information!!

http://www.examiner.com/x-14883-Santa-Cruz-County-Drug-Policy-Examiner~y2009m7d31-Alcohol-marijuana-tobacco-taxes-medicine-cannabis-and-confusion

hippikiller35@yahoo.com

Oct 12 2009, 3:15 pm

when and why did pot become illegal ...i'ii tell you why,right after alcohol became legal thousands of government officers or DEA agents were going to lose their jobs so they had to make jobs for them ,thus they made marijuana illegal ,(was there really a problem with marijuana in the 1930s?) and in recent studies they say marijuana suspends your brain cells...this is true ,but alcohol kills them yet alcohol is legal....I might not be the smartest person in the world but something is very wrong in america today...never give up.

GILLZ

Oct 12 2009, 2:09 pm

GO CALI!!!!! NOTHING BUT SUPPORT FROM CANADA. ITS ODD THAT IT WONT BE LEGAL FIRST HERE BUT SO BE IT

Longgun

Oct 12 2009, 1:10 pm

I am all for legalization but I am skeptical. I am just waiting for Obama and his federal boys nuking the whole thing. Should be interesting to watch. I hope Cali can pull it off and be the trailblazer for the rest of the nation.

lawlor

Oct 12 2009, 8:49 am

did you know that there are 4 people in the USA that legally get their marijuana from the government to smoke cuz of their certain medical anomalies they have.

Nor-Cal kush

Oct 11 2009, 10:01 pm

this is why California is the best country on earth

anonymous

Oct 11 2009, 6:33 am

now, Jewish are forewarning of a crisis of unprecedented proportions...

anonymous

Oct 10 2009, 6:34 pm

the jewish are wanted dead anywhere around the world!!!

DICE 129 TMBCREW

Oct 10 2009, 1:07 pm

It should be like this in all 50 states, again there's nothing wrong with it and the goverment and DEA knows this but we all know wall street and big buisness runs this country and sadly not Obama.

alabama cowboy

Oct 9 2009, 10:12 pm

ive been tokin for 35 years now,i didnt think i would live to see this happen,GOD BLESS AMERICA,GOD BLESS MY LUNGS,ITS NOT JUST SMOKE,its about being free,i truly love it and im moving to CALI dammit!!!!!!!!

anallube

Oct 9 2009, 5:33 pm

nice!

gstlab3

Oct 9 2009, 3:11 pm

I WANT EVERYONE TO IMAIGINE THAT SCENE IN "BRAVEHEART"
WHERE OUR HERO MEETS HIS END., AND HE SCREAMS.. "FREEDOM!!!!"
NOW GO GET YOUR VOTE ON!!!!!! GO FREEDOM FIGHTERS GO!!!!
GET TO THE COURT HOUSES AND REGISTER YOURSELVES TO VOTE FOR FREEDOM!!!!!!!

pacopuff salmons

Oct 9 2009, 2:29 pm

i would like all pot-heads to go register to vote and make sure that we send the real crooks a message about our power to vote and get our shit legalized.if it doesnt pass its cause we didnt believe,or fight hard enough.everyone fight and vote and show those dicks,we are serious about our right to smokepot.united we stand,divided we fall.so please let your voice be heard.shout it from the rooftops.get off your asses,get stoned righteously,and go fucking vote and claim our fucking victory!stay down paco-puff you loud mouth bitch!suck my dick! its good to be paco,and the king!

pacopuff salmons

Oct 9 2009, 2:22 pm

i believe that go gave us marijuana for our healing.even the bible says "the leaves of the trees were given for healing"and i believe such for my weed,which helps paco olay nice with the 10,000 dicks i have to deal with daily.i feel we're wasting tax payer money and cop-time on useless shit like us sworn to smoke till we die!,potheads.it is a useless battle and there are to many of us to stop now anyway.do you really know how doctors, lawyers,yes,even cops lite up a fatt joint?be real,we like to smoke our bud and it is our god giving fucking right.lets see you stop us.you cant cause our revoultion is taking over.yes,assholes you've already lost the battle.give up while their is time and pick your battles better next time.us true pot-heads will die for our cause.will you?stay down.god bless every pothead in america.victory has never tasted better.love ya all, paco-puff salmons.

chupacabra

Oct 9 2009, 2:04 pm

Does anybody know how many signatures they have so far? how close are they, last I heard they need 600,000 signatures please hightimes keep us updated this is the most significant stride we have ever made we need more information I want to sign the petition, and vote, count me in, it's time we get this insane persecution of casual smokers stopped.
we need signatures let us know where we can sign the petition.

green rush

Oct 9 2009, 12:53 pm

It is the new gold rush,of old. The hydro manufacturer's and gardening industry are in a boom situation. You stock market players and entrepreneurs need to get cracking. Money to be made from the satellite opportunities "growing" and sprouting,,,in every state.

theweedman

Oct 9 2009, 11:58 am

hey check out my dog stoned
wasnt on purpose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9HegcUybLQ

HU210

Oct 9 2009, 7:36 am

Might be another California gold rush. Probably an AARP gold rush, as the boomers retire and move there.

NEWS FLASH !!

Oct 9 2009, 7:31 am

The Nobell Peace Prize has been deemed trivial and non-relevent as it has been awarded ( and I use that term loosely ) to Baradck Hussein Obama for ....err.....uhhh well ,.. for nothing really .

pass ab390

Oct 9 2009, 4:30 am

please do this california... show the rest of the states how to do this right. you will lead the way to the only solution!! legalize pot now!!

Dan

Oct 9 2009, 4:17 am

All you world leaders are with him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anonymous

Oct 8 2009, 10:58 pm

50 cent follows...

Rammstein

Oct 8 2009, 10:51 pm

We're all living in Amerika
Amerika ist wunderbar
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika, Amerika

Wenn getanzt wird will ich f�hren
auch wenn ihr euch alleine dreht
Lasst euch ein wenig kontrollieren
Ich zeige euch wie es richtig geht
Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen
Die Freiheit spielt auf allen Geigen
Musik kommt aus dem Wei�en Haus
und vor Paris steht Micky Maus

We're all living in Amerika
Amerika ist wunderbar
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika, Amerika

Ich kenne Schritte die sehr n�tzen
und werde euch vor Fehltritt sch�tzen
Und wer nicht tanzen will am Schluss
wei� noch nicht dass er tanzen muss
Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen
Ich werde euch die Richtung zeigen
Nach Afrika kommt Santa Claus
und vor Paris steht Micky Maus

We're all living in Amerika
Amerika ist wunderbar
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika, Amerika

We're all living in Amerika
Coca-Cola, Wonderbra
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika, Amerika

This is not a love song
This is not a love song
I don't sing my mother tongue
No, this is not a love song

We're all living in Amerika
Amerika ist wunderbar
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika, Amerika

We're all living in Amerika
Coca-Cola, sometimes war
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika, Amerika

Amerika - Rammstein

Tip of my hat

Oct 8 2009, 10:42 pm

Clapping my hands, bout time world. I'm glad fir us all!!

Ghostwolf

Oct 8 2009, 9:39 pm

This is it people, this is the first step of what we have waited so long for. Now don't screw this up. Every one stand together and vote this in, then one by one the other states will follow thru making it nation wide, and the Feds will nave no alternative but to end the maddness of the drug laws and wars, and releasing those wrongly convicted. We must stand together as a nation in order to make this happen. I wish us all the best of luck. Grow your own, Keep on smokin....

Oct 8 2009, 7:44 pm

What would happen to the people in jail for possession?

reader

Oct 8 2009, 6:01 pm

Although the laws would be in direct violation of federal law, this is how our founding fathers wanted us to run the country, every state has the right to govern them self, and the right to bare arms so that the people are in control,