# CA Legislator Wants Legal Pot **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219 "2009-02-24T17:02:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/1 "2009-02-24T17:02:45Z")
[Will this add a $1billion to CA’s budget?](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/23/BAO416354C.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1) > [@](#): > > California would become the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use under a bill introduced Monday by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco. > > The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which is barred by federal law. > > Ammiano, a Democrat in his third month as a state lawmaker, said taxes and other fees associated with regulation could put more than a billion dollars a year into state coffers at a time when revenues continue to decline. I notice that the article _doesn’t_ mention any savings from not having law enforcement officers dealing with busting people for possession of pot. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/2 "2009-02-24T17:12:13Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [Will this add a $1billion to CA’s budget?](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/23/BAO416354C.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1)I notice that the article _doesn’t_ mention any savings from not having law enforcement officers dealing with busting people for possession of pot. Not to mention all the money from DEA agents staying in California hotels. 😃 I would favor legalization but this would be symbolic and it needs to be done at the federal level to prevent problems. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/3 "2009-02-24T17:26:17Z")
Yeah - look what happened when they tried to legalize gay marriage. AWK-ward. ---
**Author:** ![TJVM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@TJVM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJVM)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/4 "2009-02-24T17:29:02Z")
From the linked article: > [@](#): > > It also has the backing of Betty Yee, who chairs the state Board of Equalization, which collects taxes in California. An analysis by the agency concluded the state would collect $1.3 billion a year from tax revenues and a $50-an-ounce levy on retail sales if marijuana were legal. How much does an ounce of marijuana cost? If the taxes are large relative to the retail price, many people will continue to buy from the illegal (and tax-free) market. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/5 "2009-02-24T17:49:03Z")
> [@TJVM](#): > > From the linked article: > > How much does an ounce of marijuana cost? If the taxes are large relative to the retail price, many people will continue to buy from the illegal (and tax-free) market. For very low-quality pot, about $100/ounce. For higher-quality stuff, which is becoming increasingly more common these days, anywhere from $200-500/ounce. But you have to remember, that price factors in the illegality of of marijuana. It _really_ doesn’t cost much to grow decent dope, so that +$50 would be tacked onto a much lower number than what consumers on the black market are seeing currently. Also, if you’re not really familiar with amounts of pot, a quarter-ounce can last an everyday-at-home-but-not-at-work smoker up to a week. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/6 "2009-02-24T17:58:17Z")
Would it be possible for California to legalize it and say to the Feds, “You wanna keep this illegal? Fine. _You_ enforce it in California. None of our state or local cops will enforce a federal prohibition which is not also prohibited by the state or locally.” ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/7 "2009-02-24T18:01:16Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Would it be possible for California to legalize it and say to the Feds, “You wanna keep this illegal? Fine. _You_ enforce it in California. None of our state or local cops will enforce a federal prohibition which is not also prohibited by the state or locally.” That’s pretty much how they do it with medical marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/8 "2009-02-24T18:30:31Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > That’s pretty much how they do it with medical marijuana. In theory, anyway. When I was in CA, there was much talk in the medical marijuanna community about how much local cops _were_ helping the feds. Also, local governments tend to use every code they can find or create to prohibit dispensaries from opening. ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/9 "2009-02-24T19:04:22Z")
Every time this comes up I find myself shrugging it off as ridiculous. But this time I’m a little less skeptical due to the dire circumstances. What are the odds this will get anywhere now? Have things become bad enough that people will snap out of their hyper-moral stupor? They’re finally willing to see the money they’ve been passing up all this time? I think $1.3B seems low, but even then … that’s a lot. Would this also create a flood of released prisoners? How to handle them? How much of the violence at the Mexican border has to do with marijuana as opposed to coke/heroin? Should this be in GD? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/10 "2009-02-24T19:16:19Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Yeah - look what happened when they tried to legalize gay marriage. AWK-ward. Perhaps they’re going to legalize it, get everyone all nice and doped up with generous personal stashes, then pull a big ‘Gotcha!’ – making it illegal once more, immediately arresting everyone who dared indulge. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/11 "2009-02-24T20:09:04Z")
Then what? They don’t have enough prison space to deal with the people they are already sentencing for other minor issues. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/12 "2009-02-24T20:09:45Z")
If pot were legalized, the prison system would show a noticable decline in incarcerations of weed users and dealers in a very short amount of time (very, _very_ short amount of time if current convictions were overturned). Legalization could potentially clear out 5-10% of the prison population (it’s just a guess-timate; don’t ask for a goddamn ‘cite’). Less cons means less money being spent to house and feed them, less money spent on new prisons, and less money on county and city law enforcement enforcing current marijuana laws, not to mention the police having an increased amount of available funds and manpower to deal with non-marijuana related crime. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/13 "2009-02-24T20:30:09Z")
For all you guys talking about prisoner problems, there has already been a judicial order to release up to [57,000 prisoners](http://bench.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGZkMDgzMTUwOTkwZjgxYjI4MGNhOGIzNTU3YWRjMjc=), which I assume would be include non-violent marijuana dealers. California prisons are woefully overcrowded. ---
**Author:** ![Floppy\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@Floppy\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floppy_Joe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/14 "2009-02-24T21:49:48Z")
Geez, if they ACTUALLY pass this, then I couldn’t see paying for something that I could grow myself. For my own personal use. Not to sell to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/15 "2009-02-24T21:52:45Z")
> [@Floppy\_Joe](#): > > Geez, if they ACTUALLY pass this, then I couldn’t see paying for something that I could grow myself. For my own personal use. Not to sell to anyone. He’s a pothead! Stone him! (See what I did there? :D) ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/16 "2009-02-24T21:57:49Z")
> [@Floppy\_Joe](#): > > Geez, if they ACTUALLY pass this, then I couldn’t see paying for something that I could grow myself. For my own personal use. Not to sell to anyone. Yeah, I mean who would buy things like fruits and vegetables or meat or milk or anything at a store… ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicolas_Bourbaki)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/17 "2009-02-24T22:01:35Z")
Well, that’s easy enough. I know a guy who’s got a club card, so I could hook him up. . . . Oh, he wants legal pot for _everybody_? Woohoo! But seriously, this is never gonna pass. They tried this in Mendo a few years ago; it wasn’t taxed, but I doubt they’d have been paid if taxes were stipulated, since most people already knew how to keep this on the down-low. Unsavory elements moved in and carved out squatter’s farms in the forest, and gangs started to fight each other over distribution rights. The measure was repealed last November. I really think the current system is the only happy medium; just find an amenable doctor, pay the consultation fee, and tell him you have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. IIRC, the dispensaries are already paying a good amount of taxes on everything they sell, though I don’t know how it compares with the state’s insurance costs. ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicolas_Bourbaki)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/18 "2009-02-24T22:04:25Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Yeah, I mean who would buy things like fruits and vegetables or meat or milk or anything at a store… Herb is _way_ easier to grow than apples or broccoli or milk cows. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/19 "2009-02-24T22:17:26Z")
> [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](#): > > Herb is _way_ easier to grow than apples or broccoli or milk cows. Er, have you ever tried growing decent weed..? ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219/20 "2009-02-24T22:25:02Z")
> [@Floppy\_Joe](#): > > Geez, if they ACTUALLY pass this, then I couldn’t see paying for something that I could grow myself. For my own personal use. Not to sell to anyone. Economies of scale will make it far easier to purchase a product of superior quality for less money (work) than it would take to grow it yourself. It’s likely that a lot of people will start growing their own pot if it’s legalized, then quickly give up when they realize how much easier it is to just save a few bucks and buy a better product at the store. I could see maintaining a crop as a hobby if you enjoy gardening, though. We had apple and pear trees in the backyard when I was growing up, but we still got most of our apples and pears at the store. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-legislator-wants-legal-pot/487219.md?page=2)