New Initiatives To Legalize Pot, Prosecute Pedophiles
Sacramento, CA — State officials have cleared new initiatives for marijuana legalization and more options for prosecuting pedophiles to seek voters’ support.
The Marijuana Legalization Initiative Statute would make marijuana and hemp legal and impose sales and use taxes, including some on medical marijuana. It would additionally allow the state legislature to license and tax commercial activities; create a commission that would make recommendations to the legislature; and permit some local control over marijuana possession, cultivation and consumption.
Fiscal impacts to state and local governments, according to the state legislative analyst and finance director, are estimated at tens of millions to possibly one hundred million dollars each year in reduced law enforcement costs. They also indicate potential net tax revenue gains in the low hundreds of millions annually; of which a portion would need to be allocated for regulating the industry, providing education, research and substance abuse counseling.
The Childhood Sexual Abuse Statutes of Limitations Initiative would, if passed, eliminate the statute of limitations for civil actions relating to sex crimes committed against children, moving forward from the date of it becoming law. It would also remove similar blocks for certain felony prosecutions of criminal offenses. While officials estimate minor negative financial impacts to state courts and the state and local criminal justice system, impacts on individual local government entities could substantially vary.
Proponents of the two measures now have 180 days and a May 9 deadline for circulating petitions and collecting the necessary number of (365,880) registered voters’ signatures to make the ballot.
