South Dakota Voters Could Legalize Medical Marijuana
Tuesday, thousands of signatures were submitted to South Dakota officials which could bring the issue of legalizing medical marijuana to a public vote in November. The South Dakota Coalition for Compassion turned in more than enough petitions to put the issue on the ballot. They've been collecting the petitions for over a year now with a door to door search for signatures as well as other methods.
Patrick Lynch is in support of legalizing medical marijuana and suffers from M.S., which can be treated by medical marijuana. His mother and sister also have M.S. and he's hoping the issue is on the ballot and passes. "The pros far out weigh the cons on the medical marijuana issue to where if people really truly understood it they would be more receptive of it"
There were around 32,000 signatures collected which is almost twice when compared to what's needed. The validation will be done by state officials with random sampling and if enough signatures are valid it will be on the November Ballot in South Dakota.
Darcy Jensen works with people dealing with drug addictions. She thinks that South Dakota would end up like other states when it comes to this issue and struggle to control is. She's also worried about other issues that come with smoking marijuana. "When we have a pill we can take and know exactly how much we'd be getting, why would we get smoking something when how people inhale it how much they put in the joint, what was the quality of it, we can't measure those things."
Pot legalization almost certainly headed for California ballot
Voters in California will likely decide this November whether or not to legalize marijuana, after legalization activists handed in far more than the necessary number of petition signatures to get the measure onto the ballot.
Organizers of the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 filed some 700,000 petition signatures with county clerks around the state. The amount of signatures needed to get the measure on the ballot is about 433,000, reports the San Francisco Chronicle, so the measure is all but certain to be on the ballot in November.
If California voters approve, it will be the most comprehensive reform of marijuana laws ever undertaken in the United States. While some states, such as Oregon, have relatively lax penalties for possession, no state has attempted to regulate and tax the herb before.
The measure's chances are good: A poll taken last April found that 56 percent of Californians want to see the herb legalized and taxed.
According to the L.A. Times, the measure would make it legal for anyone over 21 to own an ounce or less of pot, and to grow pot for personal use in a space no larger than 25 square feet. It would also give cities the right to license marijuana growers and sellers, and to collect taxes on the crop.
Hawaii lawmaker aims to decriminalize marijuana
A Hawaii lawmaker plans to introduce legislation this week that would decriminalize adult possession of marijuana, and he's pointing directly at the Obama administration to justify his decision, according to a published report.
But State Sen. J. Kalani English, a Democrat, isn't stopping there. A second bill slated for introduction this week would also legalize and levy a tax on medical marijuana dispensaries, which are currently prohibited even though marijuana for medicinal use is not.
"My point is we already legalized medical marijuana, so we should allow the counties to (regulate) the dispensaries . . ." he told The Honolulu Advertiser. "(President Barack) Obama directed the Department of Justice to honor states' rights, as it should be. It's a complete reversal of the previous doctrine that the federal trumps the states."
The paper noted that Hawaii is facing a $1.2 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2011. While English did not predict how much revenue would be obtained by taxing medical marijuana, he told the Advertiser that it would be "significant."
In February, 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that it would be the Obama administration's policy to not arrest medical marijuana patients, allowing states to determine how best to handle the issue.
The decision marks a shift from the Bush Administration, which was more draconian in its approach to hunting those who sought to dispense marijuana for medical purposes.
Over two dozen states are currently weighing marijuana law reforms ranging from decriminalization to outright legalization.
In California, which will likely vote on legalization in November, 2010, lawmakers predict marijuana taxes would raise at least $1.5 billion in their first year.
However, even if California does legalize marijuana, the plant is still prohibited on the federal level. President Obama has said that he opposes legalization.
via Raw Story
‘Legalize Marijuana’ Bill Moves Forward
Stoners around the world should roll one up in celebration today.
California state lawmakers have just passed the "first formal consideration of marijuana legalization in American history." Assemblymember Tom Ammanio’s Assembly Bill 390 – the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act – was heard and voted on in the Committee for Public Safety. The bill passed 4-3, and will next be heard by the Committee for Public Health.
But the vote was only a minor victory for the pro-legalization lobby. (AB 390 may very well die in the health committee.) The real test will come in November, when voters will consider the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, which, in a nutshell, will legalize pot for personal and agricultural use. (Recent polls show about 56 percent support the bill.)
It’s hard to argue that progress isn't being made for the movement. As the old “Reefer Madness” stereotypes die away, several states are seriously considering marijuana legalization. Check out the headlines from the last few days: “Stiletto Stoners,” “It’s High Time for Debate,” and “Pot Town, USA.”
Clearly, marijuana prohibition has been a failure. Every U.S. citizen can get his or her hands on a baggie of marijuana if they want to, usually within 24 hours. The plant itself can be grown outside or inside by novices – because, frankly, it grows like a weed. A casual smoker is no different than a fan of Budweiser or Coors.
The pro-pot movement looks to California as the first battleground state, where medical marijuana is already generating millions of dollars a year in taxes. As Assemblymember Ammanio’s bill works its way through the red tape, more news is sure to come out about marijuana legalization. Stay informed!
Legalization Bill Up For Vote Today
SEE RESULTS OF COMMITTEE VOTE HERE
In a move proponents are billing the "first formal consideration of marijuana legalization in American history," the public safety committee of the state assembly will today vote on Tom Ammiano's ganja bill.
The San Francisco assemblyman last year earned his place in the pot pantheon by authoring "AB 390," a bill that proposed for the regulation and taxation of marijuana in a manner similar to what is already the case with alcohol. This, he claimed, would reap the state more than $1 billion a year.
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, AB 390 will come up for a yea or nay committee vote. Ammiano himself is chairman of the public safety committee -- and, purportedly, his colleagues like him. The assemblyman's staff and allies predict the bill will receive the four votes needed to pass.
Archives
Categories
- Bud Shots
- Events
- Games
- Growing
- Guides
- Legalization
- Medicinal Marijuana
- Music
- News
- Pics
- Police
- Polls
- Random
- Site News
- Uncategorized
- Videos
- Weed Humor
- Weekly DJMix
Recent Comments
- butter finger sticky on Five Things You May Know About Marijuana That Arent True
- JakeJonesq on Pure Genius
- Herbal Vaporizers on South Dakota Voters Could Legalize Medical Marijuana
- Funkychunk on iGrow
- Peaches on iGrow
96
Tags
Sponsored Links
Polls
Loading ...