As voters head to the polls this November to decide on whether or not to make the recreational use of cannabis legal for anyone 21 and over they will need to decide whether this is something that will benefit the State of California and more importantly our families.

Tax and Regulate 2010 is a ballot initiative that was funded and proposed by Richard Lee who is the owner of one of the largest cannabis dispensaries in Oakland.   He proposes that by legalizing and taxing cannabis the state will be able to benefit from the profits currently being generated through marijuana sales.

Currently in California collectives (dispensaries) that provide medicine to patients are not allowed to make a profit.  They have to be set up not-for-profit.  That system is obviously broken.  No one is going to work full time, risk going to prison or being robbed for FREE.   In addition they have to invest considerable amounts of money to get one started with the threat of local law enforcement and the city shutting them down with the stroke of a pen.

Under the current system patients are required to see a doctor prior to being able to use cannabis.  The benefit to having patients see their doctors first is that they will get a complete review of their medical history and receive a full physical exam.  I can’t tell you how many cases of untreated and undiagnosed high blood pressure I see every day.  There is a lot of preventative medicine that takes place in my office every day.

If Tax and Regulate passes patients will no longer have to go to their doctors.  People will be able to decide themselves if cannabis is drug that they can benefit from.  no more blood pressure checks, heart and lung exams and doctor supervision.   If this passes it will be a setback for the medical community.   The only people that will benefit are big business and dispensary owners that want to distribute this drug to ANYONE who wants to experiment with it.   More people driving intoxicated, more experimental use and less medical supervision.

Tonight Dale Clare with Oaksterdam University is holding an online Q&A about Tax/Regulate 2010.  I reserve the right to hear what their thoughts are (proponents of this proposition) before I cast my vote this November but at this point it will take some convincing to get a YES vote from me.