California will vote in November on a proposal to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol or tobacco, but local legislators said any similar initiative in Indiana remains remote.
"The current system is an utter failure," said Aaron Smith, Marijuana Policy Project California policy director. "More teens are smoking marijuana than cigarettes."
If approved by the people, the proposal would allow adults 21 and older to posses up to an ounce of marijuana and for the state, along with counties and cities, to tax marijuana sales.
Smith said revenue from the taxes could reach $1.4 billion.
In a state where government employees and even teachers are being laid off, Smith said the tax would bring in much needed funds. Also, by regulating its production and sale, the business of marijuana could be taken out of the hands of drug dealers.
"This is about whether we should take a drug that's already used and popular and bring it into the regulated market," Smith said.
Counties and cities would also be able to ban the sale of marijuana within their boundaries, similar to dry counties in which the sale of alcohol is banned.
Next to tax revenue, money could also be saved by the calming the police's war against marijuana, which Smith said soaks up hundreds of millions of dollars from the state's budget every year.
Other states could soon consider similar ballot measures.
"California is traditionally a trailblazer on these issues," Smith said, adding that western states would be the first to follow and that shifts at the federal level will likely follow.
State Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, did not share similar enthusiasm.
"I don't think you'll see anything like that in Indiana in the near future," Alting said.
As the father of two teenagers, he said he needs to "live in the real world" and realize the possible negative impacts to society that would negate the benefits of regulation and taxation of marijuana. Instead, Alting sees a different method of expansion to marijuana usage.
"What would get most states' attention would be the medical use rather than what they're doing in California."
State Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-West Lafayette, expressed similar convictions saying that legalization "won't happen in Indiana for quite some time," and she would not support it now because it is too controversial.
Yet, like Alting, she said legalizing marijuana for medical use would be acceptable.
"I think everybody would look at that."
News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Exponent
Author: Jonathan Oskvarek
Contact: The Exponent - Purdue's Student Newspaper
Copyright: 2010 The Purdue Exponent
Website: The Exponent - Purdue's Student Newspaper
"The current system is an utter failure," said Aaron Smith, Marijuana Policy Project California policy director. "More teens are smoking marijuana than cigarettes."
If approved by the people, the proposal would allow adults 21 and older to posses up to an ounce of marijuana and for the state, along with counties and cities, to tax marijuana sales.
Smith said revenue from the taxes could reach $1.4 billion.
In a state where government employees and even teachers are being laid off, Smith said the tax would bring in much needed funds. Also, by regulating its production and sale, the business of marijuana could be taken out of the hands of drug dealers.
"This is about whether we should take a drug that's already used and popular and bring it into the regulated market," Smith said.
Counties and cities would also be able to ban the sale of marijuana within their boundaries, similar to dry counties in which the sale of alcohol is banned.
Next to tax revenue, money could also be saved by the calming the police's war against marijuana, which Smith said soaks up hundreds of millions of dollars from the state's budget every year.
Other states could soon consider similar ballot measures.
"California is traditionally a trailblazer on these issues," Smith said, adding that western states would be the first to follow and that shifts at the federal level will likely follow.
State Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, did not share similar enthusiasm.
"I don't think you'll see anything like that in Indiana in the near future," Alting said.
As the father of two teenagers, he said he needs to "live in the real world" and realize the possible negative impacts to society that would negate the benefits of regulation and taxation of marijuana. Instead, Alting sees a different method of expansion to marijuana usage.
"What would get most states' attention would be the medical use rather than what they're doing in California."
State Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-West Lafayette, expressed similar convictions saying that legalization "won't happen in Indiana for quite some time," and she would not support it now because it is too controversial.
Yet, like Alting, she said legalizing marijuana for medical use would be acceptable.
"I think everybody would look at that."
News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Exponent
Author: Jonathan Oskvarek
Contact: The Exponent - Purdue's Student Newspaper
Copyright: 2010 The Purdue Exponent
Website: The Exponent - Purdue's Student Newspaper
