02: Will California Really Get it Right with AUMA? – Amanda Reiman PhD

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Today’s show is very timely and important, especially to the people of California who will have their chance in November to vote on the full legalization of marijuana for adult use.  Today, we will be talking about this upcoming historical ballot measure with one of the nation’s foremost experts on cannabis… Amanda Reiman PhD.

I talked with Amanda about the present state of medical cannabis back in January of this year for episode #42 of the essential boomer podcast. It was that interview… that inspired me to go on to create this podcast.

For you that don’t know her, Amanda is the Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy at the Drug Policy Alliance, which is the nation’s leading organization promoting drug policies that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.

Amanda works to develop the Drug Policy Alliance’s marijuana reform work as it relates to litigation….legislative and initiative drafting…campaign strategy…policy advocacy…media relations…fundraising, and public education in the local, state, federal, and international jurisdictions in which the Drug Policy Alliance is active. Needless to say, she is one very busy lady….and I can’t think of a better person to talk to about the upcoming ballot initiatives for the legalization of cannabis in California. So let’s go to the interview.

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Amanda answers the following questions:

• Let’s start of by telling us a bit about yourself, who you are and what you do?
• So California looks like it’s finally ready to legalize cannabis. There must be 20 or so different statewide ballot measures that actually filed… Yet the Adult Use Of Marijuana Act or AUMA for short, seems to have been catapulted into the spotlight with major funding by billionaire and nabster co-founder Sean Parker and the subsequent endorsement by Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. So, assuming that AUMA will be on the ballot in November, Can you give us an overview of what it is and what it will do?
• How much tax money does it look to take in and where will it be spent?
• How do you think that AUMA would affect our economy and jobs?
• So what do you think? does AUMA really get it right for California, as the advertising slogan states?
• How is AUMA different compared to the other states that have already legalized recreational cannabis?
• AUMA has huge financial support…. Is it also supported by the existing cannabis community?
• One of the concerns I’ve seen is the low limits for legal possession, which I believe would be limited to one ounce, and the potential penalties for possessing more than an ounce, which I read may be fines or jail-time. Wouldn’t this potentially lead to more arrests and more peopled jailed for possession? What do you think?
• I know that one of the fears by some people is that AUMA will decimate California’s small marijuana operations thus leading to big Marijuana operations much like the big tobacco giants. What do you think?
• Do you have any final words that you would like to share with our listeners about AUMA and how it would affect us Californians?

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