According to a recent report from Bloomberg, support is growing in California for the legalization of recreational use marijuana. Bolstered by successful ballot issues last year in Colorado and Washington, the campaign for legalizing marijuana in California has begun. It won't be easy to get the issue on the ballot in 2014, though. The campaign will have to collect more than a half million signatures of supporters by February 24 to qualify for ballot placement.
However, a recent poll shows that more than half of Californians support legalizing marijuana and support among likely voters is even stronger. And the growing number of people in California in support of legalization is a reflection of the nation as a whole, where 52 percent of Americans are in favor of decriminalizing the drug. Support is especially high among young people.
In spite of public opinion, which is swinging toward legalization, marijuana possession, cultivation and use continue to be illegal in most cases -- with the exception of medical use by medical cannabis card holders -- and in most states. Additionally, federal law classifies marijuana as an illegal substance. While the U.S. Department of Justice has agreed not to interrupt the process of regulating recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington following voter approval last November, it also doesn't seem to be overly inclined to declassify marijuana as a prohibited substance at the federal level.
If you have been charged with marijuana possession in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Perris, Banning, Hemet, Corona, Winchester or Riverside, it is important to understand how the laws can impact you. The Law Office of Nic Cocis may be able to help you get your charges reduced or to be acquitted of them. You may also be able to serve time in a treatment facility in lieu of jail. For more information, contact us or call (951) 695-1400. We can help!