ABSTRACT
California’s 2010 Proposition 19 (and the similar AB 2254 Ammiano Bill) would have allowed local jurisdictions to legalize the production, sale, purchase, and possession of cannabis for California adults, as well as for small-scale home cultivation. Although neither measure succeeded, Prop. 19 was endorsed by over 46 percent of the electorate, and similar propositions are expected on the 2012 ballot. Other states will undoubtedly entertain related proposals in coming years. The central question in this chapter is: if we were to permit legal access to cannabis for adults, are there better approaches than that envisioned by Proposition 19? This chapter will not actually address whether we should legalize cannabis (see MacCoun & Reuter 2001, 2011), but rather, ask if we decide we are going to do it, how should we do it?
