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BREAKING – California Legalizes Cannabis; Is this the Tipping Point for Cannabis?
Californians have always taken pride in being the trendsetters for the rest of the country. But when four states legalized recreational cannabis before them, officials like Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom took California’s lackadaisical attitude toward recreational cannabis as a personal affront.
According to the Los Angeles Times, that all changed tonight as voters stood united and passed Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. With the passage of Proposition 64, adults 21-and-older are permitted to possess, transport and consume cannabis recreationally.
National Impact
Could California be the tipping point that advocates have been waiting for? Last week Troy Dayton, CEO of Arcview said, “What we’ve seen before has been tiny compared to what we are going to see in California.” Along with California, four other states have recreational measures on the ballot, but thus far California is the only one that has been victorious.So far two states, Florida and North Dakota have passed resolutions to legalize medical cannabis, with Arkansas and Montana still undecided. That brings the total to 5 states that allow recreational cannabis and 27 states that allow medical cannabis.
Economic Impact
Cannabis investment companies estimate that Prop. 64 will add $8.38 billion dollars in annual sales to the already highly lucrative medical industry’s’ $2.83 billion dollars. In addition to the increased revenue, recreational cannabis should provide the state with an influx of new jobs. The Marijuana Policy Group recently found that the Colorado cannabis industry created 18,000 jobs in 2015.
“The exponential increase in mainstream venture capital interest will attract talent from the established industries that the state has long supported from tech to aerospace and agriculture, which will be a boon for innovation and job creation across the diverse spectrum of cannabis companies,” said Mike Bologna, Chief Executive Officer of Green Lion Partners.
Societal Impact
Taking the economics out of the equation, legalization in California will also end the unfair and often racist practice of incarcerating individuals for minor drug offenses.
“I believe that one of the greatest social impacts that hasn’t been publicized enough is that non-violent criminals who are in prison because of activities associated with cannabis will be released,” said Derek Peterson of Terra Tech Corp. “Not only will this save the state taxpayer dollars, but it will allow these people a second chance to be productive members of society.”
Another positive aspect is altering the plant’s perspective, from “gateway drug” to something that offers significantly more benefits that alcohol or tobacco. This is also a possible death blow to the ill-conceived “war on drugs.” Without cannabis users to kick around, the non-war should begin to unravel.
How is This Going to Work?
Now for the tricky part, you will legally be allowed to possess up to an ounce of cannabis the day after the results are finalized, but getting it legally outside of the current medical system is a bit more complicated. This is because recreational growers will not be licensed until as late as 2018, so procuring recreational cannabis may be a grey area for a while. Once you have it you are fine, but you may be breaking the law obtaining it. It’s like in Pulp Fiction when John Travolta’s Vince is describing smoking cannabis is Amsterdam, “Yeah, it’s legal, but it aint a hundred percent legal.”
At this point you’re probably thinking to yourself, “I’ll just go to Colorado and bring back their cannabis.” Unfortunately, transporting cannabis or any Schedule I substance across state borders is a federal felony. Starting tomorrow you can grow up to six plants, but if you want to get it now, you’ll need to be friends with someone who has their medical card. They can acquire cannabis and “gift” it to you, but money cannot exchange hands because then you would be selling it to your friend, and that is a no-no unless you are licensed to sell cannabis, which you undoubtedly are not.
Another point of confusion is, can companies still check for cannabis in drug tests to determine employment eligibility? Since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, Prop. 64 allows companies to maintain a drug-free space and continue to conduct drug tests looking for cannabis in your system. As one employer said, “If it’s in your system, you don’t get a job. That’s our policy, and it won’t change.”
Taxes and jobs are a great feather in the cap of legalization, but at its core legalization is just the right thing to do. Cannabis has been a proven remedy to a number of ailments and has countless holistic applications. For too long prohibition has deprived society from this miraculous plant, but tonight we have seen a great victory and major step forward towards the end of prohibition.
