Tom Amiano is on the left.On Jan 12th, history was made. It was the first time in U.S. history that a bill to tax and regulate Marijuana has ever made it to a state legislative committee, and it passed with the majority of the vote! California has a reputation for leading the nation in bold policy changes, and we've only seen the beginning of Marijuana policy reform there. Will the war get any closer to ending?
Members of the California State Assembly's Public Health committee approved a bill that would remove Marijuana from the state's criminal and civil codes, and effectively legalize Marijuana for adults over 21...I fall into this category!
Tom Ammiano, a Democrat from San Francisco, wrote the bill AB 390. The bill was not heard by the other committee, Public Safety, but the fact that is has passed and approved by a committee at all is a win!
“While actually passing a bill to tax and regulate marijuana may be a heavy lift in any state legislature right now, members of the Assembly today reflected the sentiment of a majority of Californians,” Stephen Gutwillig said. “Voters will get a chance to decide if California should tax and regulate marijuana at the ballot box in November."
Tax Cannabis 2010 has qualified for the California mid-term election in November. It will let the electorate decide what state legislators may be reluctant to. Since medical Marijuana las have passed at the hands of the voters rather then politicians the experts believe the California ballot initiative is the best chance for Marijuana legalization in California.
We still have a long way to go. The hill doesn't look like it's going to be going downward anytime soon, but the support is slowly causing rise to awareness. I'll keep my bags halfway packed I think.....
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