Hazy Debate Continues: Legalizing Marijuana in California

Here’s the Scenario:

The campaign to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana in California has gained some traction since the last time we touched on the topic. Lawmakers are holding a hearing today considering the effects of widely legalizing the substance throughout the state. Also, supporters have organized themselves so much so to create multiple initiatives to collect signatures to appear on next year’s ballot, which according to the New York Times, would allow “adults to possess marijuana for personal use and allow local governments to tax it.”

Our thoughts*:

Given the federal government’s recent stance in agreeing to not “go after patients or their providers in states where it is legal,” this could be a significant step in the direction of allowing public consumers the right to purchase and use marijuana. While California tax officials say that the legislation allowing adult recreational usage of marijuana could put $1.4 billion into the state’s depleted pockets, its passage could force the federal government to either assert its position of definitively classifying marijuana as a dangerous substance and its sale a serious crime or relaxing its approach. 

What do you think? 

If California moves forward with legalizing marijuana, do you think the United States’ government will follow suit and lift the prohibition and stigma on marijuana drug usage?

Please leave a comment below.

* Our in house attorneys helped us formulate this opinion. Although this is advice from lawyer(s), this is not legal advice. Always consult a lawyer for legal matters.

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Comments

[Tyler]

It would be interesting to see what happens if California legalizes. In 1984, the Feds passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which set the legal drinking age at 21. States could still buck the Federal Law - technically - but were denied Federal highway funds.
As early as 2004, Obama stated we "need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws," but was "not somebody who believes in the legalization of marijuana." He seems to have taken a step back. In a debate one year ago, he joined the running democrats in opposition to marijuana decriminalization.
The question of stigmas seems to be a bit more nebulous. For example, there are plenty of people who, for religious reasons or otherwise, place alcohol use under a negative light. To get the sense of a national stigma, one might do better to consult a foreigner's perspective than that of a fellow American.

[Adrienne]

Good points, Tyler. I think American society as a whole is pretty confused about the marijuana debate. The sheer fact that a state as large as California is considering the decriminalization of the substance displays that on one hand it's accepted, but the stringent federal laws tell a different story. If California is successful with pushing through this measure, then I'd be interested to see what other states and the federal govt do.