Their are many pros to prop 19 as well as cons. I believe the pros out weight the cons. Some of the pros would be a common sense control of marijuana, it will help stop wasting taxpayer dollars on failed marijuana prohibition. Controls and taxes marijuana like alcohol, and will only be available to adults. Adds criminal penalties for giving i to anyone under 21 years of age. weakens drug cartel and enforces road and workplace safety. It will generate billions in revenue, and save tax payers money. When marijuana is illegal, the government ends up spending unnecessary money just to jail illegal marijuana users.
Some people may argue that smoking marijuana isn’t a serious or dangerous crime and it’s comparable to drinking with less health consequences. The passing of prop 19 would solve California’s overcrowded prison issue; there would be more cells to contain vitally “danger to society” criminals. The legalization of marijuana also allows the government to stop spending money they don’t have. Arguments in favor of prop 19 believes that it will reduce racial bias in cannabis arrests and crime in CA and Mexico.
According to Washington Post’ Hector Aguilar Camin, If the initiative passes, it won’t just be momentous for California; it may, at long last, offer Mexico the promise of an exit from our costly war on drugs. Create 60,000 to 110,000 new jobs in ca and generate between 1. 2 billion and 1. 4 billion in new direct tax revenue annually. Some argue that it will significantly reduce environmental damage to california public lands from illegal grow operations. It will reduce state expenditures by over $200 million in law enforcement costs for arrests, prosecution, and imprisonment of cannabis users.
It will also reduce funding to drug cartels, who currently get about 70% of the revenue from illegal cannabis sales, their revenue will decrease to nearly nothing. By legalizing marijuana, the government would have more control over production. Legalizing proposition 19 would give the government control over distribution that would protect the public’s health. Without the FDA to inspect marijuana products, there are merchants who could lace marijuana with dangerous substances. If marijuana were to be legalized, there would also be decreased violence due to drug wars.
If proposition 19 were to pass, the government would have more control, there would be cleaner drugs sold, and there would be less violence and lives lost. Those opposed to prop 19 include the Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD) because it allows drivers to smoke marijuana until the moment they climb behind the wheel. It endangers public safety, and jeopardizes $9,4000,000,000 in school funding, billions in federal contracts, and thousands of jobs. Prop 19 is also opposed by California’s Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, Firefighters, and District Attorneys.
They all say “vote no on prop 19. Protestors who are against prop 19 argue that the way it is written it “will prevent bus and trucking companies from requiring their drivers to be drug free. Companies wont be able to take action against a “stoned” driver until after they he or she wrecks, not before. Some say that it will endanger school children because “a school bus driver will be forbidden to smoke on school grounds or behind the wheel, but could arrive at work already high. If passed it could cost k-12 schools as much as $9. 4 billion in lost federal funding because the schools will not be in compliance with federal government grant requirements.
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/19/arguments-rebuttals.htm
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_19,_the_Marijuana_Lega
