Notes

Legalizing Cannabis in California
Crime and Public Policy book chapter 13 written in 2011 talks about the ramification of decriminalization of cannabis. The author suggests that cannabis be regulated in the same in the same way alcohol is regulated. This type of regulation placed on cannabis would eliminate the massive drain on the criminal justice system resources for what is considered a victimless crime. The other suggestion based on statistic is the process of decriminalization of cannabis within society would reduce occupancy in our prison system. Cannabis is not considered a high-priced drug that forces people to committed violent crime do to possion and use. Intoxication of cannabis doesn’t make most of it user aggressive and this would support an untested theory. Theory being that legalization cannabis would not like lead to additional pharmacologic crime as long as it was not used as a substitute for alcohol.
It is interesting to see the history of cannabis and how the drugs laws have changed in the last 110 years. The legalization of Cannabis has come full circle in California. The war on cannabis has gone on in California for more than a century. Marijuana, the Mexican word or slang term for cannabis has long been a thorn and a cost to California especially. Cannabis was not always illegal in California. California along with other states such as Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, produced large quantities of Apocynum cannabinum 
also known as Indian Hemp. In 1870 until 1900s’ majority of rope, cordage, clothing and medical cures were made from or with Indiana Hemp or otherwise known as the cannabis plant. Lamp oils were most often made from Hemp seed oil. Linseed oil, oil often produced from Hemp, was used in paints and varnishes. This was an Important and well sort after resources that was heavily imported for Russia. Indiana hemp or Cannabis was grown in many areas of California such as the Courtland in the lower Sacramento Valley, Rio Vista in Solano County, and Lerdo near Bakersfield. The state would soon be recognized a problem the drug, marijuana showed up in large qualities in a Mexican inhabited Sonoratown neighborhood in Los Angeles California in 1914. This would be the first of thousands of raids that would be launched in the war on Marijuana. The war on marijuana in California was strengthen by California State Board of Pharmacy in which it put cannabis on the state’s Poison Act, effectively banning its sale and forming an anti-drug campaign. Not only was the state waging war on cannabis next was the federal government.
In 1921, which would be the earliest known reference to the drug enforcement agency was originally called Narcotic Division. This division operated under the Federal Bureau of Internal Revenue.

As the years progressed the war became more aggressive from the state and government side. Anti-narcotics sentiment in the use of cannabis as hemp fibers, medical and personnel use, hardened as did penalties. The sale of Cannabis which was illegal, initially was misdemeanor punishable by a $100-$400 fine and/or 50-180 days in jail for first offenders. The time punishable became harsh for possession, initially treated the same as selling, cost up to 6 years in prison.

Many groups of Californians fought the war on cannabis and made many great strides. In 1937 the pressure of legalizing cannabis was strong. The Marihuana Tax Act was passed and upheld by the United States Customs and Border Patrol. This was supposed to be a simple tax on the legal sale of Cannabis, but becomes expensive and complicated that cannabis became unaffordable to most Americans.

In 1944 New York Academy of Medicine conducted numerous studies that involved cannabis for both medical and personal use. These studies would set the fight for Californians for cannabis. Another important event which would become a noteworthy Cannabis event was Supreme Court ruling in 1969, Leary v. United States. This case involved Dr. Timothy Leary, who was arrested for possession of cannabis in early 1965. Dr. Leary paid and conformed to the difficult process of the Marihuana Tax Act which was enforced by the United State Boarder portal and allowed enter Texas where he was arrested. brought be for the supreme court, the ruled in Dr. Leary favor but also would eliminate the Marihuana Tax Act.

At the time of his arrest Dr. Leary’s was famous in the medical groups for his work with cannabis and other psychotropic drugs. One of Dr. Leary most notable studies was, the Harvard Psilocybin Study. Dr. Leary not only took the fight to the court but he also became political when he ran against Ronald Reagan for Governor of California in 1969.


According to the California criminal justice system more than 2.7 million Californians have been arrested for this crime. Most of those arrested for marijuana have been minorities most notably Hispanics and Africa Americans.

In 1972, Proposition 19, California would publish a ballot which allowed voters to vote on the decriminalize of personal use and cultivation of cannabis. The proposition shot down by voter over 2/3 of voters voted no.