No Marijuana Legalization In California This Year

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Jul 17 2009, 4:25 pm by Chris Good

No Marijuana Legalization In California This Year

Marijuana has generated some headlines in California this week, with a report that a state legislature proposal to legalize and tax it could bring in $1.4 billion for the state, and a proposal from an LA councilwoman to tax medical marijuana. But while reformers have seen the profile of medical marijuana and overall pot legalization raised in 2009, they don't expect the California measure to pass this year.

"In the long term, yes, but I don't think it's gonna pass this summer," Marijuana Policy Project Communications Director Bruce Mirken said.

The bill has not been slated for legislative action in 2009: if it's taken up, it will be when the legislature convenes in 2010, Drug Policy Alliance Deputy State Director for Southern California Margaret Dooley-Sammuli said. "We expect a more healthy debate, which is a victory in and of itself--a serious debate in the legislature about the benefits and the risks of such a change in policy," Dooley-Sammuli said.

Indeed, that would be a victory for marijuana reformers: the issue has struggled to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the political mainstream in the past (President Obama mocked legalization at a town hall early in his White House tenure, after numerous citizens had submitted questions about it online), but marijuana's venture into the political fore culminated when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in May that it's time to have that serious debate.

California's budget crisis has played perhaps the biggest role in giving marijuana reform that mainstream cred as an issue for serious consideration. As Mirken pointed out, the state's budget difficulties may not go away anytime soon, and the fiscal imperative for revenue could continue to propel reform efforts beyond 2009.

Reformers often cite the April Field poll that reported 56 percent public support for legalization among Californians. If there's a majority public backing for policy change, and if it is indeed the reticence of public officials that's holding reformers back, a ballot initiative in 2010 could put that support to the test: Oakland-based marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee suggested to the San Francisco Chronicle in June that he's preparing to try such a measure at the polls.

Drug Policy Alliance's Dooley-Sammuli said there could be "some real money" behind a legalization ballot initiative. That money would be key: as we saw with Proposition 8, ballot fights on social initiatives in California can be intense, and the political infrastructure and financial backing of reform groups would be tested in the realms of field work and TV/radio ad campaigns.

So, as much as it's been talked about as a watershed moment for pot, 2009's budget crisis likely won't yield a major policy shift in California--but ongoing budget difficulties, public support, and the financial werewithal of the reform initiative could determine its future in 2010.

Comments (6)

Carl In S.F. July 19, 2009 12:39 AM

Legalizing pot faces serious political obstacles. Taxation on the other hand, is easy.

For those who endorse legalizing pot so as to tax it to help ease California’s budget problems, that’s a cop out. Take responsibility for yourself and voluntarily pay the tax you owe. It’s that simple.

For those who live in California and smoke dope illegally, simply declare your illegal pot purchases on your annual tax return. Multiply the dollar amount you contributed to the other side of the War on Drugs by your local tax rate, adding it to your tax liability and you have done your part to solve the tax crisis. You will be able to sleep better at night while the gang violence in East L.A. kill innocent bystanders and children.

Come to think of it this would work for cocaine, meth, extasy, LSD and even heroin. Remember though, California is broke so be honest about the amount of illegal drugs you buy. Every dollar you report spending on illegal drugs helps a crime syndicate, some where in the world, kill, mutilate and torture but more importantly, it will also keep teachers in barrio schools, doctors and nurses in trauma centers and rehab centers staffed with social workers. But then hey, the end justifies the means, right?

As for legalizing pot to tax it, we don't need more unnecessary laws we just need to enforce the laws already on the books.

Pot is already taxed in California. Like every other state California has both a sales and a use tax. Retailers collect sales tax; we all understand and accept that. When the seller does not collect sales tax, the buyer is obligated by law to report and pay the tax. In these circumstances it’s called a use tax.

So when illegal drug users buy dope and don’t pay either a sales or a use tax they are not only contributing to death and violence such as is going on in Mexico right now, they are also cheating California out of tax revenues it needs to keep doctors, nurses, teachers, police, firefighters, park rangers and tax collectors on the job.

Join ranks with medicinal pot users who already pay sales tax. Illegal drug users don't need spineless politicians in Sacramento endorsing drug use to pay the tax they owe. Just declare your usage on your tax return and pay voluntarily.

Dopers should take a page from the Gay & Lesbian community and come out of the closet. Exert your right to pay sales tax! If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for the kids.

chaotic1 (Replying to: Carl In S.F.) July 24, 2009 5:45 PM

A few flaws in your arguement...

1 "Take responsibility for yourself and voluntarily pay the tax you owe. It’s that simple."

Not too sure that cali is in trouble because of people not paying their taxes.. Pretty sure its due to incompetence and overspending on the governments behalf. Youre right though, people (i.e. the people that screwed it up in the first place) SHOULD take responsibility.

2 "simply declare your illegal pot purchases on your annual tax return"

Riiiight... everyone is going to line up to be put in jail or seriously over fined. That makes perfect sense, especially considering that a lot of marijuana offenders serve more time and/or pay higher fees than MURDERERS do to get out of jail. What about the mothers and fathers that like to smoke marijuana (get off the high horse.. Yes some adults smoke and have children. One hopes they never smoke around the kids, of course, but how many of YOU have ever been falling down drunk in front of your kids)? Should they just give the government a large chunk of their money and lets their families go hungry? Or better yet, years of their life in prison?

3 "Multiply the dollar amount you contributed to the other side of the war on drugs"

Isn't that ALREADY being paid for with our taxes?? Also, I don't recall ever telling the government," Here's my money, I was just gonna burn it to stay warm this winter when its value hits zero, but i figure you guys can waste in a much grander fashion, and maybe even kill some people with it!"

4 "You will be able to sleep better at night while the gang violence in East L.A. kill innocent bystanders and children."

Pretty sure that has a lot more to do with crack and gang territories and someone stepping on someones sneakers. I have not heard of too many people being killed over weed, and if it were LEGAL, those people might still be alive today. Keeping it illegal means that otherwise normal people have to associate with the darker side of the community in order to "score" sometimes, even for marijuana. Who would be getting killed if it were sold in a 7-11???

5 "Come to think of it this would work for cocaine, meth, extasy, LSD and even heroin."

Sure that would work great, because the only side affects of those drugs are all benign... sheesh. Go smoke a joint and see if you feel like you need to turn tricks or rob your family blind to get some more. Marijuana has minimal side affects compared to those drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or even most over the counter medicines, not to mention the benefits are applicable on a wide scope (treating eating disorders, helping cancer patients with pain, countering nausea, stress relief,etc).

6 "Every dollar you report spending on illegal drugs helps a crime syndicate, some where in the world, kill, mutilate and torture"

Most of the people in the world that grow it are FARMERS. That's right the same people that grow squash or eggplant or cotton. They are more concerned with getting a decent crop than marauding about killing and torturing (though I'm pretty sure that even without their crops they still wouldn't run around doing that sort of thing). The unnamed "crime syndicate" you mentioned would be a great deal poorer and weaker if marijuana were legalized. It would be (and is!) grown here, which would create jobs. Additionally, money would go to our economy through various other means, such as marijuana themed restaurants as well using the leftover hemp stalks for manufacturing. Jobs could be created for manufacturing, similar to cigarette companies, not to mention advertising. Why in hell would we pay people for something we already have..? Oh right, because it isn't legal yet. So that means, the people that are, in fact, bolstering the other side of the "war on drugs" are the ones saying how bad pot is and keeping it illegal.

7 "it will also keep teachers in barrio schools, doctors and nurses in trauma centers and rehab centers staffed with social workers. But then hey, the end justifies the means, right?"

Yes, it may help those things, a great deal.. but for now its helping others not ourselves because we are so backwards. We have cigarettes with no medicinal value whatsoever as legal, as well as alcohol (which has led to tons any number of accidents and arrests), while marijuana is illegal.

As far as the end justifying the means... what means are you so worried about? the people being killed?? Once again, if it were legal, those people probably would not have been killed or tortured (I'm surprised at how often the more timid fear mongers shy away from words such as rape.. where are all the marijuana rapeings?)

Lets say pot were legal someplace in the world.. I'm sure that place would be horrible... oh wait, there was that one place, Amsterdam.. Didn't they all go insane and try to destroy the world? Oh right.. that wasn't them that was the rest of the world. Amsterdam were minding their own, and enjoying life.

8"As for legalizing pot to tax it, we don't need more unnecessary laws we just need to enforce the laws already on the books."

I refer you to this site: http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/california

I don't know if I can post links properly here but if it doesn't work look up "stupid laws." Maybe women shouldn't drive with housecoats...

Also, if we all had that mindset, we would be in such a dark age that it would make a black hole blush with envy. There would also be no amendments to the Constitution for that matter (granted, there wouldn't be prohibition against marijuana either). You know what the constitution is written on, right? If not, you may want to look it up...

Additionally, if marijuana were legalized it would maybe ease you mind since there would actually be LESS laws - all the old "ifs" and "buts" thrown into law books for contingencies concerning pot and people that enjoy pot could be - HAPPILY - erased, and sales could be moderated under the same provisions already provided by the tobacco industry.

9 "contributing to death and violence such as is going on in Mexico"

A large part of what is going on in Mexico has to do with corruption of government and that same government capturing a high ranking member of a cartel (once again class, the cartels are kept in power how? Prohibition!!!)

10 "they are also cheating California out of tax revenues it needs to keep doctors, nurses, teachers, police, firefighters, park rangers and tax collectors on the job."

Ok, a guy goes to California with, say, 2 million dollars. He goes to a government office and says,"Hi, I would like to buy $2,000,000 worth of marijuana and would be happy to pay the taxes... where do i go to see about this?"

Office worker - "Sorry, we don't want your money for something we can grow easily and potentially make a lot off of, even if you do pay the taxes. By the way, these helpful police officers have volunteered time out of their day to escort you to your own personal suite - downtown."

In other words, how is Cali being cheated if they wont legalize it and let people pay for it? Makes about as much sense as Rush Limbaugh making sense.

11 "Illegal drug users don't need spineless politicians in Sacramento endorsing drug use to pay the tax they owe."

Most of the politicians backing marijuana reform are hardly spineless. They are going against the grain, and that grain is gross incompetence and negligence of facts. And those taxes would technically be due to the people who sold the pot, wouldn't they? Additionally it would be those people that would need to collect taxes as well... even Wal Mart does it, why cant your average dealer with a .45?

12 "Dopers should take a page from the Gay & Lesbian community and come out of the closet. Exert your right to pay sales tax!"

What the.. They don't jail people for being gay or lesbian!

Exert YOUR right to have some common sense...

seo July 19, 2009 12:46 AM

That's sad that people are thinking about legalizing it just because it would bring in revenue.
Has our world come down to this? that we will hurt our citizens just to make a profit?

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chaotic1 (Replying to: seo) July 24, 2009 5:53 PM

How is this sad? it's a genuine chance to turn things around in this country. It's no more detrimental (in fact not nearly so much) as alcohol or cigarettes. As far as hurting our citizens to make a profit, have you not been around for the war in Iraq? Our young men and women have died over there to line Bush and Cheneys pockets. And this would help a lot more people than hurt.. I would smoke pot here and there instead of a pack a day of Marlboros, and be a LOT less stressed out... Hell you don't even have to smoke it to get the medicinal benefits... a cancer patient of 98 years old could eat a THCookie and be feeling as spry as an eighty year old, surely, without inhaling any of those nasty carncinogens everyone is worried about..

Sunil July 20, 2009 7:15 AM

Sunil Sahal August 12, 2009 6:09 AM

Excellent post. I’m actually surprised the use of blogs and wikis isn’t higher.
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