Legal News

Pot initiative gets the signatures

By Richard Binder

Backers of the California Cannabis Initiative submitted its petitions yesterday to qualify for November's statewide ballot.  According to a press release, the initiative received approximately 700,000 signatures, with names from every one of California's 58 counties.

The initiative will give local governments the ability to tax and regulate the sale of small amounts of marijuana to adults age 21 and older. It will also increase penalties for providing marijuana to minors, as well as banning possession on school grounds and forbidding the smoking of the drug while minors are present.

According to local attorney and medical marijuana activist Greg Allen, the initiative leaves it up to the Legislature to form a statewide regulatory system for a commercial marijuana industry, which could take years. As a result, no one is holding their breath for legalization come November.

Full story here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on January 29, 2010 (boomark / email).