Bid to legalize marijuana in California takes key step

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By John Hoeffel, LA Times

Proponents of an initiative to make California the first state to legalize marijuana have collected about 693,800 signatures, virtually guaranteeing that the measure will appear on a crowded November ballot.

"This is a historic first step toward ending cannabis prohibition," said Richard Lee, the measure's main backer.

Advocates, trailed by television cameras and photographers, dropped off petitions with elections officials in the state's largest counties, including Los Angeles, where organizers said 143,105 voters signed.

Lee, a successful Oakland marijuana entrepreneur, bankrolled a professional signature-gathering effort that circulated the petition in every county except Alpine, which only has about 800 registered voters.

The initiative would make it legal for anyone 21 and older to possess an ounce of marijuana and grow plants in an area no larger than 25 square feet for personal use. It would also allow cities and counties to permit marijuana to be grown and sold, and to impose taxes on it.

Four legalization initiatives have been proposed, but Lee's is the only one that is likely to make the ballot. To qualify, it needs 433,971 signatures. Elections officials have to validate the signatures, a process that will take at least six weeks.

Polls have shown growing support nationwide for legalization. In California, a Field Poll taken in April found that 56% of voters in the state and 60% in Los Angeles County want to make pot legal and tax it.

Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director, gave the initiative 50-50 odds. But he said the state's endless financial woes could make a difference. "The voters are going to be looking for any way to minimize the pain with budget cuts," he said.

He also said baby boomers could play a crucial role. "They grew up with marijuana and, in many respects, don't believe as much all the horror stories," he said.

The initiative's supporters are counting on this formula, but they are not taking chances. Lee hopes to raise $10 million to $15 million. His firm has already spent more than $1 million on the measure.

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