MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION SUPPORTERS SAY BILL COULD SAVE BILLIONS

Supporters of a bill to regulate marijuana for recreational use are
saying the bill would help close the gap on California's continual
budget deficit.

The Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act, introduced by
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, last month, is meant to
regulate marijuana like alcohol and tobacco by permitting taxed sales
to those 21 and older.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws, or NORML, the bill could generate more than $1 billion in tax
revenues and reduced enforcement costs. The bill would create a
structure where producers or distributors would have to pay a $50 per
ounce excise tax, or about $1 per joint.

Ammiano's spokesman Quintin Mecke said the bill is the first of its
kind, but the concept behind it is not a new one, especially with the
gaining momentum of states legalizing medical marijuana.

"The attitude in general across the country and many states has
shifted in regards to medical marijuana," Mecke said. According to
the NORML, 13 states have legalized medical marijuana since 1996.

Mecke said marijuana has already become a $14 billion industry in
California, and it is time to focus on keeping the industry under
control and making it safe.

Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos said he supports the
bill, but doesn't know if it will garner enough support to pass.

"I think there is a strong argument that responsible adult behavior
should not be a crime ... we allow adults to drink and many can't be
responsible and fair enough -- we punish them," he said.

Gallegos said the bill would have a huge impact for the county in
terms of crimes associated with the black market sales of marijuana.

"It would probably reduce the value of marijuana pretty
significantly, so we'd probably see a reduction if not a complete end
to the ancillary crime associated with marijuana," he said.

In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force
referred a total of 394 cases to the District Attorney's Office,
Gallegos said. Out of those, 356 were filed and 28 were rejected. The
year's case load left 108 defendants convicted so far, but not all
the cases have been resolved yet, he said.

Gallegos said each case takes half an hour just to review, so the
numbers illustrate how much time and resources his officer spends on
marijuana-related cases.

He said he hopes the bill will get rid of the ambiguity of
Proposition 215 laws and redirect funds towards more regulation.

Mecke said the bill won't abolish Proposition 215 altogether, but
would instead allow medical marijuana to be exempt from the tax
system in order to protect patient access.

Former Assemblywoman Patty Berg of Eureka had talked about
introducing a similar bill while in office, but said she couldn't
take on another issue. When reached at her home in Eureka, Berg
applauded Ammiano's efforts.

"I think the time has come. I did in fact want to carry that bill.
I've supported medical marijuana since it's been law and I just think
what Tom (Ammiano) is doing is the right thing," she said.