The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act has gotten enough voter signatures to be on California’s November ballot. California Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act: Part 1 summarizes the arguments for passing this voter initiative. Polls show that of voters that have decided, 59% support the act. However, opponents say the bill will not be worth the tax pay day it will provide. These opponents fall into two major camps – those who believe the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis will cause medical or crime problems, and those who believe it will hurt the quality of marijuana.
Arguments against legal marijuana – Medical
The medical uses of marijuana are fairly well-accepted by some doctors. Public health could be harmed if marijuana is made legal for recreational use.
Lung tissue can be seriously hurt by long-term smoking of any substance, and marijuana is mainly smoked. Studies have also found that heavy pot smoking can permanently harm short term memory and reaction time. These opponents argue that legalized leisure marijuana would increase the use of marijuana, which would be a hazard to public health.
Criminal arguments against legal marijuana
The California Peace Officers Association has spoken out against the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act. The Association lobbyist has been quoted in several news sources as saying “We have enough problems with alcohol and abuse of pharmaceutical products. Do we really need to add yet another mind-altering substance to the array?”
No matter what California voters do, opponents point out that marijuana is still considered a Schedule I illegal drug by the federal government. While enforcement on medical marijuana has been lax, marijuana use, sale, and possession stay serious federal crimes. If marijuana were to be legalized in California, it could draw organized crime and drug cartels to the state.
The quality argument against legalizing pot
An emerging coalition between marijuana growers and those who want to keep it illegal is emerging. Some marijuana growers are speaking out in opposition to the voter initiative, saying that legal pot might be economically damaging. Economically, growers fear that legalized marijuana would significantly reduce the sales price of their cash crop. This would put their livelihood and the economic base of much of Humboldt county at risk, sending numerous of them to credit counseling. As in a lot of other markets, growers worry that legal marijuana would mean corporations would begin producing competition to their crops. Like several other small-scale growers in America, the growers would be compelled to compete against agribusinesses, which could drive up the price while driving down the price of their crops.
California’s Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act has strong arguments both for and against passage. The debate about legalization has been raging for over a hundred years, and when California voters go to the polls in November, the result will be closely viewed and hotly debated for a long time to come.
