Difference between Prop19 and Prop 215
The issue of marijuana legislation is something that has caused a fair amount of controversy, with society widely polarized on the key points of the issue. With prop 19 and prop 215 having achieved widespread press recently, it appears that the issue will further divide the public…
Definition
Prop 19 or Proposition 19 is a California ballot initiative that is known as the Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Act. Proposed on November 2, 2010, Prop 19 was eventually defeated, with as many as 54% of voters in the state having voted 'No', with 46% having voted 'Yes'.
Prop 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, is a California law that deals with medical cannabis use. The law was passed on November 5, 1996, via an initiative process, and it was voted in by 55.6% of all voters and opposed by 44.4%. The law was authored by Dennis Peron, Anna Boyce, Valerie Corral, Dale Gieringer, and many others.
Implications
If Prop 19 had been passed, numerous marijuana-related activities would have been legalized, enabling the local government to regulate cannabis use. The government would have also been allowed to collect fees and taxes related to marijuana, and to impose numerous criminal and civil penalties.
Prop 215 allows patients and their caregivers to possess and even cultivate marijuana for medical use, provided they do so under doctor's orders. This law has allowed the protection of a network of collective and cooperative distribution of marijuana. As you can imagine, the law has caused a fair amount of controversy and conflict between rights advocates and those pushing for a stronger federal government.
In Comparison
Under Prop 19, individuals would have been allowed to sell as much as 1 ounce of marijuana, provided they did so legally according to the laws of the local municipality.
In comparison to Prop 215, Prop 19 would also allow individuals to sell large amounts of marijuana for commercial cultivated for commercial use. This would have been a particularly significant event, given that as much as 22.3 million pounds of marijuana was estimated to have been grown in the United States in 2006. This amount was worth about $35.8 billion, with $13.8 billion or 8.6 million pounds having been grown in California…and that was all illegally. With the passage of the initiative, the figure would have no doubt been much higher.
Similarities and Differences
Prop 19
- A California ballot initiative known as the Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Act
- Was eventually defeated, with as many as 54% of voters in the state having voted 'No'
- Would have legalized numerous marijuana-related activities
- Would have allowed the government to collect fees and taxes related to marijuana
- Would have allowed individuals to sell as much as 1 ounce of marijuana legally
Prop 215
- Also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996
- Was passed on November 5, 1996, via an initiative process
- Voted in by 55.6% of all voters
