Proposition 19 on the November ballot is an attempt to legalize marijuana use for recreational purposes. It is a follow up to the so called Compassionate Use Act which was a voter imitative that passed in 1996.

This law allowed people to obtain a small amount of marijuana from a licensed party with a  doctor’s prescription.

In my opinion, passing proposition 19 would be a bad idea just like the passage of the above mentioned

I believe pot should not be legalized for several reasons one being that the argument for tax increases doesn’t seem realistic. Also some claim legalizing pot would take the profit away from drug cartels in Mexico.

This argument seems flawed to me cartels will just move on to intimidating and racketeering by threatening those who grow the drug legally to get a cut of profits.

Or possibly even start a turf war over profits which are already happening in parts of Mexico amongst the cartels.

Also legalizing this drug could lead to the demand by users of other illegal drugs for their substance of choice to be legalized. This argument was dismissed by those who helped legalise medical marijuana.

But so was the argument that law would lead to the attempt to legalise the drug for recreational use and here yet here we are

There are arguments from both sides of the issue those who support prop 19 say it would be a good way to create new revenue for the cash strapped California through taxes. While others argue there in no way to be sure how much revenue if any would be brought it in or if taxation is even realistic.

One problem I see with this is it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make sure taxes are collected on the growth and sale of this drug.

According to the BOE (The California State Board of Equalization) report found at the ‘No on Prop. 19′ site at http://www.noonproposition19.com/  published on September 23, 2010 proposition 19 will not bring in the 1.4 billion dollars in tax revenues supporters claimed it would. According to the BOE,  the proposition does not include any standard for how much local jurisdictions should tax on the sale of the drug.

The BOE stated in part of its report, ‘that proposition 19 does not contain any new responsibility, rule, or law applicable on a state-wide level…it is not possible to estimate the potential revenue gain.’

The California NAACP  which also supports the passing of Proposition 19 says that many minorities are locked up for small amounts of marijuana more than non minorities and this law would change that. Those also for the proposition argue that pot is no more dangerous then some legal substances such as alcohol and cigarettes.

Those against the proposition include a bipartisan group of lawmakers and candidates throughout the state of California including Governor Schwarzenegger: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, and Attorney General Jerry Brown, Republican candidate for Governor Meg Whitman, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Carly Fiorina, the California League of Cities, and the California State Association of Counties

There is also strong opposition to Prop 19 in law enforcement from Sheriff Margaret Mimms and Fresno police chief Jerry Dyer locally and state-wide including Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris.

There are other ways to close the California budget crisis and I don’t believe legalizing pot is the way for the State of California to go about doing it.