California to legalise recreational marijuana, over 600k signatures gathered already

California to legalise recreational marijuana, about 600k signatures gathered already

California residents will get to vote on the legalization of recreational cannabis this November after campaigners gathered more than 600,000 signatures to put it on the ballot.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced on Tuesday that the initiative, which required just over 402,000 signatures, had passed.

If the initiative passes, one in six Americans will live in states where cannabis is legal, including all four states along the Pacific coast, ABC reports.

The new law would allow anyone over the age of 21 to buy up to an ounce of marijuana or edibles at licensed premises – and be entitled to grow up to six plants for personal use.

Maine and Nevada will also vote on legalization in November.

Colorado voters legalized the substance in 2012.

Marijuana sales would be subject to a 15 percent sales tax and counties could impose their own fees on top of that. Cultivation taxes will also apply, at $9.25 per ounce of flowers and $2.75 per ounce of leaves.

Taxes collected from marijuana sales in other states have surpassed those collected from alcohol taxes.

In Colorado, the industry is worth $1 billion and the state collected more than $135 million in taxes and licensing fees last year, with more than $35 million of that being channelled into the state’s school system

California, the most populous state in the US and the world’s sixth largest economy, is estimated to raise up to $1 billion per year.

Costs related to processing and imprisoning people marijuana-related offences would also be greatly reduced.

The initiative states that marketing standards and restrictions will be applied and advertising to minors would be prohibited.

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