California Reduced Marijuana Penalties Initiative (2012)

Not on Ballot
This measure was not put on an election ballot

A California Marijuana Penalties Act (#11-0040) was approved for circulation in California with a circulation deadline of April 5, 2012. However, its sponsors did not submit petition signatures to election officials by the deadline.

If the initiative had qualified for the ballot and the state's voters had approved it, it would have:

• Limited punishment to $250 fine or community service for possession, cultivation, sale, or transportation of up to two ounces of marijuana.
• Limited punishment to six months in county jail and/or $500 fine if violator is less than 21.
• Retained existing penalties for marijuana offenses on school grounds and for offenses involving sale to a minor, employment of minor in criminal marijuana enterprise, or driving under influence of marijuana.
• Made property forfeiture laws inapplicable to marijuana offenses involving two ounces or less.
• Retained laws regarding marijuana in the workplace, driving under influence, and medical marijuana.

Similar initiatives

The "Reduced Marijuana Penalties" initiative was not the only marijuana-related initiative vying for a spot on California's November 6, 2012 statewide ballot. The others were:

• The Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Initiative. Sponsors of this initiative did not file signatures by their March 26, 2012 filing deadline.
• The Repeal Cannabis Prohibition Act. This initiative, according to the Los Angeles Times, is "the one apparently with the most vocal support within the movement."
• The Cannabis Hemp and Health Initiative.
• The Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control and Taxation Initiative.

A group of people closely associated with the Proposition 19 effort, including Richard Lee, had also indicated that they might attempt to qualify a marijuana legalization initiative for the 2012 ballot. However, in September 2011, Lee told a group at the International Cannabis and Hemp Expo in Oakland that this effort was falling apart: "It’s pretty much dead. The funders didn’t come through."

Text of measure

See also: Ballot titles, summaries and fiscal statements for California's 2012 ballot propositions

Ballot title:

Reduced Marijuana Penalties. Initiative Statute.

Official summary:

"Limits punishment to $250 fine or community service for possession, cultivation, sale, or transportation of up to two ounces of marijuana; limits punishment to six months in county jail and/or $500 fine if violator is less than 21. Retains existing penalties for marijuana offenses on school grounds and for offenses involving sale to a minor, employment of minor in criminal marijuana enterprise, or driving under influence of marijuana. Makes property forfeiture laws inapplicable to marijuana offenses involving two ounces or less. Retains laws regarding marijuana in the workplace, driving under influence, and medical marijuana."

Summary of estimated fiscal impact:

(This is a summary of the initiative's estimated "fiscal impact on state and local government" prepared by the California Legislative Analyst's Office and the Director of Finance.)

"Unknown savings to state and local governments on the costs of enforcing certain marijuana-related offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders."

Path to the ballot

See also: California signature requirements

• Bill Zimmerman submitted a letter requesting a ballot title on September 15, 2011.
• The ballot title and ballot summary were issued by California's attorney general's office on November 7, 2011.
• 504,760 valid signatures were required for qualification purposes.
• The 150-day circulation deadline for #11-0040 was April 5, 2012.

External links

Suggest a link

• Letter requesting a ballot title for Initiative 11-0040