Why you should vote yes on Prop. 19?

• By Cali Shaye
• Legalize Marijuana
• 14 years ago
• 4

First I feel I should tell you about my own background with marijuana. For the majority of my childhood my mom spent her time locked in a room selling, buying, and smoking. I basically raised my younger siblings for most of my youth. Fast forward through a bunch of stuff and I am back to living with my mom after she goes to jail, comes out, and goes into rehab. Throughout the next few years she, after rehab, goes to NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings almost every day. I attend almost every single one with her because I like to hear people talk. To this day she still goes, as of a few months ago, I no longer do.

I feel after years of attending NA meetings for a substance I never once took, NOR HAVE I TOOK, I have the clear head to say that the substance has become misrepresented. Almost everyone in NA had some sort of issues going on in their lives that caused them to go to using the substance. I believe that more than half of them, if they had not found marijuana, would have done something else. I think that, like and addicted WoW teenager, they simply continued because it is what they knew, it was their comfort zone.

I think that some people also got the facts mixed up about what Proposition 19 will do.

-People will not be able to use the substance at work.
-People will not be able to use the substance in public.
-People will not be able to use the substance while minors are present.
-People will not be able to use the substance if they are under the age of 21.
-People will not be able to use the substance under the current prohibitions of driving while impaired.

What it will do is…
-Draw in a lot of income from taxes.
-Decrease the amount of people in jails. Now days jails are profitable business and that is why some higher up desk jockeys do not want to see the prop passed. Not to mention that I do not consider the substance to be even close to as high risk as alcohol.
-People (21 or older) will be able to carry up to one ounce.
-May grow marijuana in a PRIVATE residence in a space of 25 square feet. Only for personal use.
-Local government may authorize the retail sale of up to 1 ounce of marijuana per transaction, and regulate the hours and location of the business.
-Local government may authorize larger amounts of marijuana for personal possession and cultivation, or for commercial cultivation, transportation, and sale. AKA, putting the power back into the hands of local governments and the people of that local area.
-Allows the collection of taxes specifically to allow local governments to raise revenue or to offset any costs associated with marijuana regulation. More local power.

I do not want you to feel that there is a need to argue about positions. I just want people to educate themselves. I have clearly stated my bias but I have tried to include all the information I know. If you feel something has been left out please say so. We all want what is best, this is what I feel is best.