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Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Marijuana Legalization. Initiative Statute. 

SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla today announced the proponents of a new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures.  

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows: 

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Legalizes under state law marijuana use, growth, cultivation, possession, transportation, storage, or sale. Creates commission to regulate and license marijuana industry. Applies general retail sales taxes to marijuana, unless medical or dietary exemptions apply. Permits taxes on nonmedical marijuana sales, up to 10% of retail price. Prohibits discrimination against marijuana users or businesses. Prohibits Legislature from enacting marijuana laws. Imposes personal liability on law enforcement for wrongful marijuana destruction or assisting with certain marijuana investigations. Requires voter approval to zone beyond set limits. Nullifies other local regulations. Exempts medical marijuana collectives from licensing and local zoning. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Net reduced costs ranging from tens of millions of dollars to potentially exceeding $100 million annually to state and local governments related to enforcing certain marijuana-related offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Net additional state and local tax revenues of potentially a few hundred million dollars annually related to the production and sale of marijuana, a portion of which would be required to be spent for specific purposes such as education, public safety, and drug abuse education and treatment. (15-0020.) 

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1683 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 15-0020.  

The proponents for the measure, John Lee, Dege Coutee, Dave Hodges, Omar Figueroa, Jennifer Nicoletto, Michael Grafton, Shona Gochenaur, Teresa Randolph Denise Dorey, Jason Bennett, Gregory Ledbetter, Jon Martinelli, Michael Goldman, Elihu Hernandez, Gilbert Canedo, Archie Hinkle and Sandra Bacon Tercero, must collect signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify it for the November 2016 ballot. The proponents have 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials by December 21, 2015.  The proponents can be reached at john@afpr.us. No phone number was provided.

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