Measuring Psilocybin Magic Mushroom Micro Doses in Laboratory for A Scientific Experiment. (Photo: Shutterstock/Microgen)
With Sen. Wiener proposing to decriminalize schedule I drugs, the Globe looks into California’s prior and future drug decisions
The decriminalization of drugs, especially harder drugs in the FDA’s schedule I territoryhas always been an odd issue in California. Growing up in Ohio, California was always the punchline of drug jokes by our very decidedly not funny D.A.R.E. officer circa 2001. California was seen back then as the gateway for drugs, and you can bet any jokes on TV about marijuana would involve California. The Simpsons, Family Guy, even top rated shows like Friends and Home Improvement got in on it. You know you’re an easy joke when the ABC TGIF lineup makes fun of you.
And this was because of Proposition 215 back in 1996. California became the first state to allow for medical marijuana, and by the early 2000’s seven other states, mostly Western states with the exception of Maine, were influenced by California to pass their own. Despite a botched attempt to decriminalize it back in 1972California was leading drug legalization. But California soon lost that distinction. As the 2000’s rolled along, a few laws further softened marijuana prosecution. But the movement hit by a serious blow in 2010 when Prop 19, which would lave legalized marijuana recreationally, failed. Instead, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize it for recreational use in 2012.
Taxes in both states far exceeded expectations, with Colorado raking in over $140 million in taxes per year. Other states looked at Stickyrado and British Columbia’s noisy neighbor to the South and were suddenly thinking, “We want some of that green stuff. And the tax money would be good too.” Alaska, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada also proceeded to pass recreational laws, with dozens more also passing decriminalization and medical laws.
In 2016, California finally passed its own measure, Proposition 64, leading to the first recreational sales to happen in 2018 – and the first legal laws since weed was first made illegal in California in 1913… which seems odd, since Sears, Roebuck was still selling Cocaine-based medicine for kids until until it was outlawed the next year.
Since then, 10 other states have legalized it recreationally, with California annually collecting around $800 million in taxes through marijuana sales. Currently, marijuana abuse penalties, such as being high while driving, are treated just the same as a DUI while under the influence of alcohol.
Here’s the odd thing though:While the U.S. Government has been sort of tolerant with marijuana legalization, and will likely legalize it nation-wide sometime soon if President Biden actually wants to fulfill that promiselegalizing harder drugs is somewhat unchartered territory.
To Read The Rest Of This Article By Evan Symon on California Globe
Published: March 10, 2022
Founder & Interim Editor of L.A. Cannabis News
