So I guess my question is, does this honestly stand a chance? My understanding is that if they get the 600,000+ signatures, it will then only be placed on a November ballot where it would then be voted upon by the public(?). Has the California public’s perception of marijuana changed (perhaps since medical marijuana was legalized) that could make this proposition a reality? Or is it still pretty much just a pothead’s pipe dream?
Have similar propositions been made to other states? If so, what were those results? I’m hopeful that at least one state in the union would see the lack of significant danger in marijuana but realistically speaking, can’t this just get vetoed by Schwarzenegger in one swoop? Or does it not work like that? See, this is why I’m into engineering and not the extremely convoluted political process…
It appears to be an initiative for a constitutional amendment. Assuming it gets the required signatures, it is voted on by the people in a statewide ballot and if it passes becomes law. It is not a bill in the state legislature that would require the governor’s signature.
I don’t think it stands a chance, but it may get on the ballot. If it were to pass, it may run into problems at the federal level, mainly because of the proposed taxes and licenses. It’s not just plain decriminalization.
It’s a start, but I don’t think it will pass. I just hope it spurs dialogue about the relative harmlessness of marijuana vis a vis other legalized intoxicants (alcohol, tobacco) and the benefits of taxation (income for the state) vs. punishment (waste of enforcement resources etc)
Still, here’s hoping. Give me a hit of that, wouldja?
Even if it passes it’d still be a federal offence to posses marijuana. The question would then become how will the federal government would be to spend time, resources, & manpower on enforcing anti-marijuana laws in CA now that they’d get no help from the local authorities.
I imagine the federal government would do something similar to what they did to get all the states to shift their drinking ages to 21. Withholding highway grants from those states that failed to do so.
They’d just expand that to withholding from states that decriminalize marijuana. Or some other federal funding. Uncle Sam always has his hand on the purse strings.
