Efforts to Reform California’s Marijuana Laws Heating Up
Last update: March 2, 2010
Asm. Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has re-introduced legislation that would permit personal possession and cultivation of marijuana for adults over 21. The bill, A.B. 2254, would also direct the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to regulate marijuana sales and impose a $50-per-ounce excise tax on marijuana sold by licensed vendors.
Please use our online action center to tell your state legislators that you support A.B. 2254 and sensible marijuana policy.
This legislation is identical to another bill, A.B. 390 (also introduced by Asm. Ammiano), which was approved by the Assembly Committee on Public Safety in January but couldnt advance further due to constraints of the legislative calendar.
In the lead up to A.B. 390s committee vote, MPP lobbied key committee members, organized constituent meetings, and generated nearly 8,000 e-mails and about 200 phone calls to legislators from constituents in support of the bill. Well be continuing to work in the state capitol as we build support for A.B. 2254 in the coming months.
Here is video of MPPs California policy director, Aaron Smith, testifying before the Assembly Public Safety Committee during their hearing on the last marijuana reform bill:
You can watch the whole hearing
here.
On another front, the Tax Cannabis 2010 initiative campaign has submitted about 700,000 signatures to qualify their initiative for the November 2010 ballot. The initiative seeks to make personal possession and cultivation legal for adults 21 and up. The proposal also gives cities and counties the option to tax and regulate marijuana sales.
The initiative is expected to appear on Californias November 2010 ballot.
Sign up for MPPs state and national e-mail alerts so that you can stay informed about future efforts in California.
If you're interested in doing more to advocate for sensible marijuana policy in California, please contact MPP's California policy director, Aaron Smith, at asmith@mpp.org.
Medical marijuana still under fire despite massive public support
Although it has been 13 years since California voters approved Proposition 215 — the Compassionate Use Act — allowing patients to use marijuana for medical purposes, there is still fierce opposition from law enforcement in some parts of the state.
In Los Angeles, where upwards of 1,000 medical marijuana dispensing collectives now operate and the city is working to regulate them, L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley has determined that all medical marijuana storefronts are illegal and has vowed to close them down and prosecute their operators. Several collectives have already been raided by local law enforcement and state charges have been filed in at least one case. Cooley's determination that all medical marijuana sales violate state law contradicts the California Attorney General's guidelines on medical marijuana issued in 2008.
Further, Los Angeles voters overwhelmingly support medical marijuana. A Mason-Dixon poll, commissioned by MPP in October 2009, found that 74% of Los Angeles County voters support the state's medical marijuana law. Seventy-seven percent said that they prefer regulating L.A.-area medical marijuana facilities over closing them all down. The poll can be downloaded here.
This wrong-headed approach to state law isn't confined to Los Angeles. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has carried out shocking raids on many of the county's medical marijuana facilities. An October poll, commissioned by drug addiction recovery group KeepComingBack.com, also found supermajority support for medical marijuana access in San Diego.
If you live in a community where law enforcement is disobeying California's compassionate medical marijuana laws, please contact MPP's California policy director, Aaron Smith, at asmith@mpp.org to find out how you can help.
California's medical marijuana ID card program
Visit our FAQ page to learn more about California's medical marijuana ID card program. If your county isn't issuing the state ID cards, contact MPP's California policy director, Aaron Smith to find out how you can help bring this important program to your area.
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