Jacob Sullum on Marijuana Legalization in California
Possessing up to an ounce of marijuana in California is an "infraction" punishable by a $100 fine. In other words, state law treats pot smoking as a transgression akin to jaywalking or fishing without a license. Yet growing and selling marijuana are felonies that can send you to prison for years. If consuming marijuana is not a crime, asks Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, how can it be a crime merely to help someone consume marijuana? That is a question voters will confront next fall if the California Cannabis Hemp Initiative qualifies for the ballot.