Source :https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/22/16808964/california-weed-laws-legal-prop-64-safe-labs
Weed has long been a fact, not a sin, in California, which became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 and has had a thriving underground recreational market for decades. But those who use and sell recreational weed have long been punished in numbers that belie the general population’s sentiment toward the drug; between 2006 and 2015, more than half a million marijuana arrests were made here. Black and Latino Californians have been arrested for marijuana-related crimes at far higher rates than white Californians. Legalizing recreational weed won’t just be a rubber stamp on an already-running industry; it’ll seriously impact the state’s economy, criminal justice system, and the thousands of workers currently involved in the supply chain.
Medical marijuana already brings in an estimated $50 million to $109 million in taxes every year. The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts California will eventually make more than $1 billion annually from taxing recreational marijuana. Local taxes may also be applied and the seed-to-sale costs are likely to increase as growers, manufacturers, distributors, and testers adhere to the state’s stringent regulations. Some believe that, even after legalization, the black market will continue to thrive because many California consumers will want to continue to pay what they’re used to paying.
