The State of California has been fighting an uphill battle with the federal government for years in an attempt to relax laws governing the use of marijuana. A new bill introduced into the California State House would further this cause, and potentially make California the first state in the union to officially legalize marijuana for limited recreational use.
California State assemblyman Tom Ammiano introduced the bill Monday, which would seek to regulate the use of recreational marijuana, much in the same way that alcohol is regulated and taxed by the government. The bill would allow adults over the age of 21 to purchase, grow, sell or possess marijuana in limited quantities for personal use.
Of course the bill, if it should pass, would be in conflict with existing federal law, and could potentially end up in the Supreme Court as a test case concerning states rights and the limits of federal law.
Assemblyman Ammiano, a Democratic representative, claims that state taxes and other fees could generate more than $1 billion annually for California — an interesting prospect indeed, coming at a time when California state revenues are in sharp decline.
Ammiano also believes that the Obama administration should soften the federal government’s stance on the recreational use of marijuana, noting that it would be a fiscally responsible move, particularly for the state of California.
Officially, White House spokespeople have stated that President Obama does not favor the legalization of marijuana. But interestingly, the president himself has avoided making any comment on the subject, or on the bill introduced into the California House of Representatives.
Likewise, the drug enforcement agency, or DEA, is keeping mum about the controversy, refusing to comment on the California proposal at this time. Hedging their bets, maybe?
The State of California already has a medical marijuana bill, known as proposition 215, which was passed in 1996. But the new bill would take things much further, legalizing the production and even sale of recreational marijuana for all adults, not just those who can acquire a doctor’s prescription.
Although many political pundits believe the new bill faces an uphill battle in the California house, the proposition does have some notable support. San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey is among those who believe the time has come for a “legislative and public debate” about recreational marijuana use.
The chair of the California State Board of equalization (the state tax collection bureau) is also backing the bill. Chairperson Betty Yee says her agency believes the state would increase tax revenues by approximately $1.3 billion annually by levying a $50 per ounce tax on the retail sale of marijuana.
