The Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act (A.B. 2254)
A.B. 2254, introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), is sensible legislation that would make California a model for fiscally sound and effective marijuana policy. A.B. 2254 removes state-level criminal penalties for private adult use, possession, and limited cultivation of marijuana. It also replaces California’s $14 billion underground marijuana market with a controlled system that would be regulated and taxed in a manner comparable to alcohol.
A.B. 2254 …
• Removes criminal penalties for personal marijuana possession and cultivation for adults over the age of 21. Adults 21 and up could use marijuana at home or at a home with the consent of a resident 21 years of age or older. Using marijuana in public would be a $100 fine.
• Allows persons 21 or older to grow up to 10 mature plants. If a garden is outdoors, it couldn't be visible to the public.
• Makes possession and sales of marijuana paraphernalia legal for adults 21 and up.
• Institutes a regulatory system for commercial growers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers, to take effect 30 days after a change in federal law allowing states to set their own marijuana policies. The system would be similar to alcohol regulation, and a fee of $50 per ounce of marijuana would be assessed on retailers.
• Allows cultivation of industrial hemp.
• Does not affect the rights of employers to drug test and terminate or deny employment to individuals based on their marijuana use.
• Does not impose new taxes on medical marijuana patients.
A.B. 2254 will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety sometime in early 2010.
