California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative 2008

Purpose of Act:
This Act is an exercise of the police powers of the State for the protection of the safety, welfare, health, and peace of the people and the environment of the State, to protect the industrial and medicinal uses of cannabis hemp, to eliminate the unlicensed and unlawful cultivation, selling, and dispensing of cannabis hemp; and to encourage temperance in the consumption of cannabis hemp euphoric products. It is hereby declared that the subject matter of this Act involves, in the highest degree, the ecological, economic, social, and moral well-being and safety of the State and of all its people. All provisions of this Act shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of these purposes: to respect human rights, to promote tolerance, and to end cannabis hemp prohibition.

This is a volunteer-driven proposal to bring a close to the prohibition of cannabis and hemp for commercial production.

This proposal aims to (full text version):

• Re-legalize Cannabis Hemp, within the state of California, for (a) industrial products, (b) medicinal preparations, (c) nutritional products, (d) religious and spiritual products, and (e) recreational and euphoric use and products.

• Provides for amnesty, immediate release from prison, jail, parole, and probation, and clearing, expungement, and deletion of all criminal records for all persons currently charged with, or convicted of any non-violent cannabis hemp marijuana offense.

• Restores Cannabis medicinal preparations to the list of available medicines in California, and encourages medical research of Cannabis medicine.

• Allows for the non commercial cultivation and consumption (with quantity limitations) of Cannabis marijuana by adults 21 and over.

• Allows for commercial crop cultivation, research, and development of Cannabis hemp for industrial applications.

• Protects medicinal cannabis patients, caregivers, and physicians. Prohibits taxation of medicinal cannabis. Prohibits California law enforcement personnell from aiding or assisting in the enforcement of federal cannabis hemp marijuana laws

• Restores and allows for the use of Cannabis for spiritual and religious practices.

• Allows for the use of Cannabis for recreational or euphoric purposes by adults 21 years and older.

• Protects jobs of medicinal cannabis patients and other cannabis users. Prohibits the testing for inert and/or residual cannabis metabolites for the purpose of employment or other impairment. More Info

• Requires the development of a uniform standard of impairment based on performance testing, to restrict persons from operating a motor vehicle, heavy machinery, or other conduct in a manner that would affect public safety.

• Allows for the commercial cultivation, license, sale, taxation, and regulation of cannabis hemp marijuana in a manner analagous to California's wine industry model.

In order to get this on the 2008 ballot, the proposal is required to have over 400,000 signatures. Here is a website where you can find out about volunteering to get signatures: volunteering information.

Other websites with helpful and interesting information:

• Youth Federation
• History of Cannabis|Hemp - 10,000 years of cultivation; the Emperor Wears No Clothes
• Hemp Initiative on MySpace
• Manitoba, Canada's Agriculture Information
• Hemp Museum Online
• the Billion $ Crop - Cannabis|Hemp Article from Popular Mechanics
  
• Richard Davis' Hemp Museum Video
• Hemp Paper Supply - vote with your dollars -> print on hemp
• Carol Moran - CEO of Living Tree Paper says, "hemp can 'single-handedly stop worldwide deforestation.'" (from About.com's 'Pot For Paper')