TWO MARIJUANA INITIATIVES ENTER CIRCULATION

Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced Tuesday that the proponents
of two new initiatives may begin collecting petition signatures for
their measures.

The first measure would legalize marijuana and allow it to be
regulated and taxed. The measure permits people 21 years old or older
to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use, but
prohibits people from possessing marijuana on school grounds, using it
in public, smoking it while minors are present, or providing it to
anyone under 21 years old.

The second measure would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana, and
repeal state laws that make it a crime for people to use, possess,
sell, cultivate, or transport marijuana. It would require the
Legislature to adopt laws regulating and taxing marijuana within one
year of passage.

The proponents of both measures must collect the signatures of 433,971
registered voters -- the number equal to 5 percent of the total votes
cast for governor in the 2006 gubernatorial election -- by Feb. 18,
2010, in order to qualify it for the ballot.

A third measure -- supporting the repeal of all state laws currently
making it a crime for people 21 or older to use, possess, cultivate or
transport marijuana, except those laws that make it a crime to drive
under the influence -- has been in circulation since Sept. 8.