Potimus Prime

Due to the escalation persecution of California medical marijuana dispensaries by the Obama administration, several retired police offers and judges will hold a press conference in Santa Ana today to announce and garner support for a statewide ballot initiative to regulate marijuana in the same fashion as wine. These retired law enforcement officials propose that passing this voter initiative will give California a platform to opt out of the Controlled Substances Act entirely.

“For the federal government to interfere with state and local implementation of California’s medical marijuana law is tantamount to a government bailout for criminal gangs and violent drug cartels. For some reason the federal government wants to force legal medical marijuana patients toward a dangerous criminal market and away from an above-ground industry that pays over $100 million per year in state taxes and provides jobs for thousands of our citizens. California voters can tell the feds to back off and let Californians implement our own laws by voting to regulate marijuana like wine next November.” said James Gray, former superior court judge from Orange County.

The press conference will be taking place at the Plaza of the Flags, which is behind the Santa Ana Courthouse (Located at: 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701), it is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM.

Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/454723

If State Legislature passes a bill sponsored by Tom Ammiano to reduce the criminal penalties for growing marijuana, California could see marijuana growing turned into a wobbler offense — giving district attorneys the choice to charge the offense as a misdemeanor or a felony. AB 1017 cleared committee on Wednesday (05/18/2011) and will see its way to the Assembly floor.

Patrick Goggin, a San Francisco lawyer who has worked on hemp legislation in Sacramento, said Ammiano’s bill has a good chance of passing through the assembly and the senate. The question will be whether Gov. Jerry Brown, who is close with the prison guards union, is willing to sign it, he said. (Source: The Bay Citizen)

California seems to be gung-ho for legalization, and they appear to be on the right tracks. With luck and perseverance, other states will soon follow suit in wake of the Golden State’s actions: reducing possession of marijuana (up to 1oz) penalties to an infraction that surmounts to a $100 ticket and cultivation to a possible misdemeanor.

Remember to let your Assembly Member know you support AB 1017!