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AP19:079
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2019
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575
Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Expands Legalization of Cannabis and Hemp. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that the proponents of a new initiative were cleared to begin collecting petition signatures today.
The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponents and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponents and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:
EXPANDS LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS AND HEMP. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Repeals existing conflicting laws regulating cultivation, sale, and use of cannabis and hemp. Legalizes cannabis and hemp, as defined. Expands judicial relief, including release from custody, for existing cannabis/hemp convictions. Prohibits permit, license, and tax requirements for personal uses; increases amount allowed for personal use. Prohibits commercial regulation beyond manner applicable to beer/wine; limits retail tax to 10%. Allows doctors to recommend cannabis without prescription; prohibits taxation of medicinal cannabis. Limits cannabis testing for employment or insurance purposes. Bars state or local aid to enforce federal cannabis/hemp laws. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Reduced state and local tax revenues related to the production and sale of cannabis, likely in the mid-to-high hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Reduced state and local license fee revenue – likely in excess of $100 million annually – which could result in some of the regulatory costs being supported from other fund sources (such as the state General Fund). (19-0010.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1872 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 19-0010.
The proponents of the measure, Berton Duzy and Michael Jolson, must collect signatures of 623,212 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2018 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponents have 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than April 20, 2020. The proponents can be reached at (805) 402-1212 and bduzy@prodigy.net. Their address is 2242 Ralston St., Simi Valley, CA 93063.
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