Saving California – Tax Cannabis Act 2010

The State of California will put its "Tax Cannabis Act 2010" on the November ballot. It has posted numerous reasons on its official website. Most importantly, “California’s laws criminalizing cannabis (marijuana) have failed and need to be reformed. Despite spending decades arresting millions of non-violent cannabis consumers, we have failed to control cannabis or reduce its availability.”

In lay terms, “Cannabis is a $36 billion market. We’re almost bankrupt, so we might as well give the people what they want, while we cash in and tax and control the product.”

How this will affect the U.S. Rasta, or Rastafari Movement is another issue for debate.

Rastifarians are a strict religious sect that only accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia as “Jah” (God). It uses cannabis in many of its religious ceremonies and has a large following in California, where members hold religious ceremonies on Hollywood Boulevard, in LA.

Rastifarians are not political. Many of them can’t stand long enough to go to the polls. Ras Sam Brown, of Jamaica was the first Rasifarian in history to run for political office in 1961. He formed the Suffering People’s Party and only received 100 votes.

I think Billy Bob Thornton made a movie about a similar character. You know the one; he would assume a prone position out on the tarmac as jumbo jets were taking off, so that he could sail with the draft.

The group fears a drop in membership once the Tax Cannabis Act passes.

Recently, there have been international crack-downs on cannabis coffee shops in the Netherlands, as rich Californians, who were not Rastafari, had been taking regular vacations there to take advantage of the relaxed cannabis laws. Now that the State is going bankrupt, many are no longer financially able to make the constant trips and have lobbied for change. They don’t accept I.O.U.s in Denmark.

Will the Tax Cannabis Act pass?

An overwhelming majority of Californians say “yes,” as they were getting fed-up with the folks in Denmark, who used to rub it in every time they saw Americans visiting their country and even put a video up on YouTube to torment them.

Folks near Joshua Tree National Park are hoping the State makes cannabis its National Tree. They will introduce a forest mascot soon.