Despite long standing California medical marijuana laws, already loose enforcement and the November ballot initiative (prop 19) to decriminalize marijuana, my governor signed a bill yesterday that decriminalized possession of up to 1oz for any use (not just medical).

$100 fine, no trial, no jail time.

http://thenewsoftoday.com/schwarzenegge ... p-19/3047/

Prop 19 is split about 50-50 in polling but I believe those results are tainted by people who don't want to admit they'd vote for the measure.

Pass the cheetos NY, Cali has the munchies.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Right on, Cali!

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

I need to move to California then.

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Took my chances on a big jet plane...

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

If prop 19 passes, marijuana will be treated exactly as alcohol.
The marijuana clinics will be open to the general adult public.

I believe it will pass too.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I'm glad it's getting decriminalized there, that money saved can go after harder drugs that are way more dangerous than pot.

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How much does weed cost in those clinics anyways?

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Great job, Cali! Rub some of that off onto our legislators here in New York, would you?

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Wheelhouse

Slightly more than black market.
But they usually have a wide selection and are close, safe and convenient.

/or so I've been told

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Yet it may be legal, or close to it, at the state level, if a Federal guy wants to, he can arrest you since its still illegal at the national level, reason why some of those clinics get shut down, because of the FEDS.

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Right, but the feds don't go after individuals, which is what all these laws address.
The clinics all have to carry very expensive insurance specifically to cover their business in case of a raid.

What these laws do is keep the low level offenders and personal recreational users out of jail and the courts.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Now how about some taxation?

My life would be complete if I could walk into a gas station and pick up a pack weed cigarettes and enjoy them at the bars during the summer.

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Wheelhouse

Very nice... I wonder what the chance of this happening in New York anytime soon is.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Pretty decent, as long as they can tax it like smokes.

Yea same here, I think it would complete a lot of people.

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Well here's my take on that...

The only reason it costs so much now is because it's illegal. Everyone is calculating potential tax revenues based on current market prices.
As soon as you legalize the use and production, economics says those prices tank.
I bet the market price drops 10 fold and tax revenues will never be what is projected.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Unless they make the taxes insanely high, which in all honesty, I wouldn't care too much about as long as it wasn't out of control based on what prices are right now.

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Wheelhouse

But that's not the plan...in the text of prop 19 the fiscal impact focuses on savings via reduced strain on courts and prisons.
It'll be taxed around the same levels as alcohol but less than tobacco (at least initially).

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I wasn't thinking that much about it. Was really just making a 'It's NY, tax everything' joke.

Even if revenues aren't that big, they'd still do it. It makes total sense to add $250m in tax revenue to close a $4b budget hole. :p

Honestly, I think if they were to legalize it the prices would be slightly higher than a pack of cigarettes.

They wouldn't make nearly the amount they are projecting because the legalization would drop the price by a lot. But they would still add millions in tax on the product.

They should just do it and see how much money it would rake in.

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