The Jack Herer initiative to legalize marijuana receives official title and summary

November 18, 11:08 PMSanta Cruz County Drug Policy ExaminerJ. Craig Canada

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(AP Photo/Russel A. Daniels)

The Office of the California Attorney General released the official title and summary of the Jack Herer California Cannabis Hemp Initiative Wednesday.  The proponent has until 19 Apr 10 to gather 433,971 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2010 ballot.

Three other initiatives are currently gathering signatures and the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 has announced they have at least 500,000 signatures and are confident they will have enough to qualify.

The official title is "Changes California Law to Legalize Marijuana and Release Non-Violent Marijuana Offenders from Jail."  Thus, it will be easy to differentiate from the other three as it is the only one that does not contain the word "tax" as well as the only one to contain the word "jail".

The official summary is as follows:

Repeals state laws that make it a crime to possess, cultivate, transport, distribute, or use marijuana or hemp. Provides persons convicted or serving time for non-violent marijuana offenses be immediately released from prison, jail, parole, or probation, and have their convictions erased. Authorizes Legislature to adopt laws to license and tax commercial marijuana sales. Allows doctors to prescribe or recommend marijuana to patients, regardless of age. Prohibits testing for marijuana for employment or insurance purposes. Bars state from aiding enforcement of federal marijuana laws. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Savings in the several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on the costs of incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Unknown but potentially major tax and fee revenues to state and local government related to the production and sale of marijuana products. (09-0044.)