Today Californians will vote on Proposition 19, which, if passed, would legalize the possession of marijuana up to 28.5 grams for people 21 years old or older. In addition, it will allow growing of marijuana at a personal residence in a space up to 25 square feet.
Yet no matter what the results at the polls say, marijuana will remain illegal, according to local experts.
Martin McMahon Jr., a professor at UF’s Levin College of Law, said that federal law will prevent Proposition 19 from branching out to other states, such as Florida. Since the federal government has already announced that it will continue to enforce federal laws banning marijuana, he said he doesn’t see the bill going far, or California making much revenue off the ballot.
Paul Doering, a professor in the College of Pharmacy at UF, has a different take on the proposition. He sees the measure as being more about making money than getting high as the tax revenue from the law could generate $1.4 billion a year.
The most opposition is ironically seen from those who are selling because, for the most part, they would be out of business, Doering said.
According to Doering, the legalities of the proposition present a multi-faceted nightmare.
The passage of this bill, he said, will do nothing but open a can of worms. It presents medical, economic, religious and numerous other concerns. So many issues crash into each other with this initiative.
“It’s like the California artichoke,” Doering said. “You peel back one issue, and there are still more.”
The most common misconception about marijuana, Doering said, is its safety. According to Doering, the jury is still out on whether the drug is safe. He called marijuana the “fixin’ to” drug because often, users get so sucked into smoking that they lose motivation in other aspects of their life.
“Have you ever heard the song ‘Because I Got High’ by Afroman?” Doering asked. “Where do you think he got the motivation?”
