California Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

Originally published at blog.NORML.org

According to the Associated Press, voters in California will approve Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Thhe AP has the measure leading 55 percent to 45 percent and has called the race.

“What California voters did tonight was not just approve the legalization and regulation of marijuana in their state, they also delivered a near fatal body blow to federal prohibition. This victory in California ensures another 12% of the United States population will wake up tomorrow in a state with the legalized adult use of marijuana. Combined with our other recent victories, federal prohibition is truly on its last legs and it is just a matter of time before federal policy is reformed to accept this new reality.” said Erik Altieri, NORML’s new Executive Director.

Proposition 64, The Adult Use Marijuana Act, permits adults who are not participating in the state’s medical cannabis program to legally grow (up to six plants, including all of the harvest from those plants) and to possess personal use quantities of cannabis (up to one ounce of flower and/or up to eight grams of concentrates) while also licensing commercial cannabis production and retail sales. (Medical cannabis patients are not subject to these limits.) The measure prohibits localities from taking actions to infringe upon adults’ ability to possess and cultivate cannabis for non-commercial purposes. The initiative does not “repeal, affect, restrict, or preempt … laws pertaining to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.” Several other marijuana-related activities not legalized by the measure are reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. The law also provides for resentencing consideration for those found guilty of prior marijuana convictions.

“California has long been the largest domestic producer of marijuana in the United States, and cannabis commerce has long been a driver of the world’s sixth largest economy,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “Passage of Prop. 64 brings this massive underground market above ground for the first time so that these activities may be regulated and transparent, and will generate over a billion dollars of needed new tax revenue to state and local governments.”

The revised marijuana penalties take effect on November 9, 2016. Retail sales of marijuana by state-licensed establishments are scheduled to begin under the law on January 1, 2018. On site consumption is permitted under the law in establishments licensed for such activity. Large-scale corporate players are restricted from becoming involved until 2023.

You can read the full text of the initiative here. Congratulations California!