California Legalize Psychedelics for Medical and Therapeutic Use Initiative (2024)
| California Legalize Psychedelics for Medical and Therapeutic Use Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Drug crime policy and Healthcare | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Legalize Psychedelics for Medical and Therapeutic Use Initiative (#23-0032) was not on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
The initiatives would have legalized the use of psychedelics for medical or therapeutic use and established a regulatory framework for the possession, use, cultivation, and distribution of entheogenic plants and substances.[1][2]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[3]
| “ | Decriminalizes psychedelics for personal use, medical treatment, and research. Initiative statute.[4] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[3]
| “ | For individuals 18 and over, decriminalizes personal possession, cultivation, and use of psychedelic plants and substances, including psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine, LSD, MDMA, mescaline, and peyote. Allows medical professionals to recommend psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions and other health disorders. Allows research into therapeutic and medical applications of psychedelics. Allows businesses to grow and manufacture psychedelics, and to sell psychedelics to individuals for medical purposes. Requires psychedelics businesses with 50+ employees to hold annual employee votes regarding unionization. Authorizes resentencing, reduction, or dismissal of prior psychedelics-related convictions.[4] | ” |
Fiscal impact
The fiscal impact statement was as follows:[3]
| “ | Potential reduction in state and local regulatory revenues that could result in regulatory costs exceeding revenues by more than $100 million annually. Alternatively, changes in regulatory costs could be roughly offset by changes in regulatory revenue. The actual effect would depend on the way the measure is legally interpreted and implemented. Uncertain net effect on state and local tax revenue that would depend on the way the measure is legally interpreted and implemented. The potential revenue decrease could reach the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The potential revenue increase would likely be significantly smaller. Net reduction in state and local costs that could eventually reach around a few million dollars annually related to enforcing entheogenic substance-related offenses; handling the related criminal cases, resentencing, and sealing of records in the court system; and incarcerating and supervising people convicted of entheogenic substance-related offenses.[4] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. Petitions are allowed to circulate for 180 days from the date the attorney general prepares the petition language. Signatures need to be certified at least 131 days before the general election. As the verification process can take multiple months, the secretary of state provides suggested deadlines for ballot initiatives.
The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2024 ballot:
- Signatures: 546,651 were required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was 131 days before the general election, which was around June 27, 2024. However, the process of verifying signatures can take multiple months and proponents are recommended to file signatures at least two months before the verification deadline.
Signatures are first filed with local election officials, who determine the total number of signatures submitted. If the total number is equal to at least 100 percent of the required signatures, then local election officials perform a random check of signatures submitted in their counties. If the random sample estimates that more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, the initiative is eligible for the ballot. If the random sample estimates that between 95 and 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, a full check of signatures is done to determine the total number of valid signatures. If less than 95 percent are estimated to be valid, the initiative does not make the ballot.
Details about this initiative
- The initiative was filed on October 27, 2023, by David Hodges, Tomas Garrett, Chelsea Candelaria, Carsten Fisher.[2]
- The initiative was filed on January 2, 2024.[2]
- The campaign did not submit a sufficient number of signatures by the deadline.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Attorney General's Office, "Full text," accessed October 31, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 California Secretary of State's Office, "List of petitions," accessed May 12, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed October 20, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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