California Voters went to the polls yesterday and there were more decisions to be made other than whether or not to support Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.
California voters in Sacramento strongly supported a new marijuana tax on commercial cultivation. However, the total votes in favor of the tax tallied just shy (65.2%) of the two thirds needed to enact the measure. If approved, a 5 percent business tax on indoor marijuana cultivation would have been instituted.
The tax would have raised revenues for youth programs. Sacramento City Councilman, Jay Schenirer, has been vocal in his support of the cultivation tax. “I think if you’ve got two-thirds of the people saying this is an important issue for them, that means we need more resources for young people,” he said Tuesday night.
In nearby Nevada County, another marijuana measure was presented to voters. Measure M, failed by a margin of 58-42. If measure M passed it would have banned outdoor marijuana grow operations. Nevada County has long been known for its cannabis culture and this could have played a role in Measure M’s defeat.
Resident Silas Hurd’s situation may have also contributed to the measure failing. The boy suffers from severe seizures and used medical low-psychoactive marijuana to treat his condition. His family felt that a potential local ban could reduce access to medical marijuana for Silas. “We did it,” Silas’ father Forrest Hurd said late Tuesday. “And now we have a chance to draft a law to protect the environment, protect to our neighbors and protect our children.”
In November California voters will be considering other marijuana-related issues. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Auma) will be on the ballot in November for California voters. If passed, Auma will permit adults 21 and older to posses up to one ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to 6 ounces.
