Legalized Marijuana - Proposition Z
Medical Marijuana TAXED in Oakland, California
California is one of 14 states that have legalized medical marijuana,
allowing it to be sold to people with a doctor’s recommendation.
(Doctor recommended marijuana - has a nice ring to it).
Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are the other
13 states that have enacted legislation allowing the medical use of marijuana
by their citizens.
On Tuesday, 7/21/09 Oakland, California, becomes the first city in the nation
to directly place a business tax on local medical marijuana providers.
Oakland, California is a pioneering city when it comes to the controversial
subject of marijuana, also known as cannabis. For example…
On November 3, 2004, Oakland passed Proposition Z
Proposition Z made personal adult use, distribution, sale, cultivation, and
possession of non-medical cannabis, the lowest priority for law enforcement.
Proposition Z will allow the licensing, taxing, and regulation of cannabis sales
if California law is amended to allow so. (Looks like Oakland, California has been
preparing to Rock n’ Roll (joints) for quite some time.
What’s next… Proposition Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Not so fast though.
Proposition Z states that the city of Oakland must advocate to the state
of California to adopt laws to regulate and tax cannabis.
So we will have to wait for the governor of California, currently
Arnold Schwarzenegger to get legislation passed to legalize the personal adult use,
distribution, sale, cultivation, and possession of non-medical cannabis.
(We already know the governator Arnold Schwarzenegger partied like a rock star
back in the day from his film Pumping Iron where Arnold was seen puffing a spliff).
IMPORTANT NOTE
For your protection and edification, let me set the record straight…
so you have no MISUNDERSTANDING with your local law enforcement
(like in the case of Barak Obama’s friend Henry Gates - who was arrested
last week for breaking into his own house even after he showed ID)…
Multiple places have decriminalized non-medical cannabis in the United States.
However, Cannabis Is Still Illegal Under Federal Law.
Gonzales v. Raich (2005) held in a 6-3 decision that the Commerce Clause
of the United States Constitution allowed the federal government to ban
the use of cannabis, Including Medical Use even if local laws allow it.
That means that even if in your city or state medical marijuana is legal
and you obtain it legally and smoke in your own home…
You can still be arrested under federal law.
And just because many places have decriminalized marijuana doesn’t mean
you can fire up that doobie freely whenever you want, even in your own house.
Most places that have decriminalized marijuana have civil fines,
(usually starting at a pricey $250 fine or more).
And some places may still arrest you - usually for less than 6 months.
(Doesn’t seem like decriminalization if you have to spend 6 months in the can).
- You may have to undergo drug education.
(I wonder if they educate you about how to use drugs properly?)
- You may have to undergo drug treatment in place of incarceration and/or criminal
charges for possession of small amounts of cannabis.
What’s interesting is… What is considered a “small amount?”
It depends on where you are. For example:
In Minnesota - it’s over 1.5 oz.
In Maine - it’s over 1.25 oz.
In Missouri - it’s over 1.2 oz.
In Mississippi - it’s over 1.05 oz.
In New York - it’s over .88 oz… 0.88 oz …huh?
Pity the fool that gets caught in New York with 0.89 oz.
(Shoulda taken out those sticks and stems and seeds that you don’t need).
And check this out…
In Ohio possession and cultivation of less than 3.5 ounces of cannabis
and a gift of 0.7 ounces or less of cannabis is a minor misdemeanor
(same class as minor traffic violations)… 3.5 oz - Yea Ohio!
To get a complete list of Places that have decriminalized non-medical cannabis
in the United States, go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Places_that_have_decriminalized_non-medical_cannabis
_in_the_United_States
Feel free to pass this information on to your friends or post it on your blog.
If you missed the last post just click on the July 2009 Archive and click:
Medical Marijuana Taxed.
Alaska, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, cannabis, Colorado, governator, Hawaii, Maine, marijuana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oakland, Oregon, Proposition Z, pumping iron, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.