New California Marijuana Legalization Initiative Filed

The Drug Policy Alliance has filed a marijuana legalization initiative with the California Secretary of State's office. But it's not clear whether backers will try to get it on the ballot next year.

The initiative, The Control, Regulate, and Tax Marijuana Act, would legalize the possession of up to an ounce by persons 21 or over and allow people to grow up to four plants. It would leave the rest of the state's marijuana laws and its medical marijuana laws unchanged, but would create statewide regulation of adult sales and commercial cultivation, with a 25% retail sales tax.

The initiative is backed by the Drug Policy Alliance, which says that given impressive recent poll numbers, it wanted to have something ready for 2014 just in case.

It's not clear whether there will actually be an effort to get this on the ballot for 2014, or if this is more like a place marker for 2016. Look for a firm decision on that next month.

Another initiative, The California Cannabis Hemp Initiative of 2014, was submitted in August and is now in its signature gathering phase. It has until the end of February to come up with 504,000 valid voter signatures, but it has not received big money backing, making the effort to get on the ballot an uphill battle.