Reason for Legalization
The promise of new tax revenue amounting to millions of dollars was the major argument put forward by advocates of recreational marijuana. The California voters were convinced to vote for the legislation because local municipalities and the state would receive more than $1 billion in taxes.
The state’s legal analysts argued that some of the proceeds from both state and local taxes would be channeled to youth programs, marijuana research, and substance abuse treatment. Consequently, the recreational use of commercial marijuana was approved overwhelmingly by California voters.
Implementation Hurdles
The state of California has 58 counties, but only 45 counties were able to embrace the new legislation on commercial marijuana. Commercial marijuana operations that include cultivation, manufacturing and sales were completely banned in 13 counties. Apart from that, a selected number of operations were not allowed in 38 other counties.
Legal advisors to most municipalities observe that cities are very cautious in their approach to this matter. Most of them are still waiting for further directions from the state or expanding the existing bans.
Some of the major reasons why local government officials and legal experts have taken a cautious approach in regard to this legislation include: the fear of federal crackdown, increasing public safety concerns and quality of life issues.
Marijuana farmers in California still find it difficult to peacefully go on with their daily activities because of the existing legal challenges. Cities and countries that want some legal advice on how to deal with this issue can consult the Palm Springs municipal law firm.
