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Marijuana Policy in the US (view source)
Revision as of 15:29, 10 November 2015
, 15:29, 10 November 2015no edit summary
Please write to your legislators and voice your support for a compassionate law that will help seriously ill patients in the state. People should not have to make the terrible choice between being considered a criminal and being denied a medicine that is safer than many pharmaceutical medications.
*'''California'''
https://www.mpp.org/states/california/
Last update: October 19, 2015
On October 9, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law three pieces of legislation that will together regulate businesses serving medical marijuana patients in the largest program in the nation. These new laws mark a major shift in policy for California. Despite the fact that the state was the first to provide seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana, it fell behind when it came to regulating businesses, which left cultivators, processors, and dispensaries open to law enforcement interference.
The Department of Consumer Affairs and other regulatory agencies have until January 2017 to adopt rules overseeing the industry, and those rules are expected to go into effect in 2018. For an overview of the new laws, see our summary available here. Also this year, the legislature and governor approved a bill, spearheaded by Americans for Safe Access, to stop discrimination against medical marijuana patients awaiting organ transplants.
The medical marijuana regulatory bills were considered against the backdrop of a planned November 2016 voter initiative that would legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol in California. Several organizations, including MPP, are working to pass a measure similar to the one approved by voters in Colorado in 2012. If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for our email alerts to stay current on latest events!
'''The current legal status of marijuana in California'''
Under California law, possessing up to an ounce or less of marijuana is a civil infraction similar to a speeding ticket. While this is a more reasonable approach than many states take, California is still punishing tens of thousands of responsible adults for possessing a substance that is objectively safer than both alcohol and tobacco. A 2015 PPIC poll found that 55% of Californians believe marijuana should be legalized.
One of the most tragic failures in the war on marijuana is how hard it impacts racial minorities. The ACLU’s 2013 report entitled “The War on Marijuana in Black and White” shows that where blacks represent 6.7% of the population in California, they account for 16.3% of the arrests (or citations) for marijuana, while rates of usage are virtually the same between black and white populations.
It is true that California’s marijuana laws are not as draconian as some other states, but the state is still wasting precious resources on citing, arresting, and prosecuting marijuana offenders, while ensuring the profits of marijuana sales go to criminals instead of responsible businesses and supporting the state budget. And despite its reputation as being easy-going with respect to marijuana possession and use, California arrested or cited over 21,000 people in 2012 for marijuana-related offenses. Let your legislators know it’s time they stand up for taking a more humane and fiscally sound approach to marijuana policy.
