00_iyc_tjd_hc_summit_800px.jpg. Share this article. Good intentions do not guarantee good regulations. Unintended consequences often eclipse the improvements a rule aims to make, ultimately causing more harm than good.
The state's voters legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Prior to Tuesday's vote, 23 states and the District of Columbia had legalized marijuana for medical purposes, while Colorado and Washington were the only states to allow recreational marijuana use.
Recreational use of marijuana (also called cannabis) is illegal under California law. It is likely that a legalization initiative, probably the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Initiative, will be on the ballot November 2016, with a good chance of passage. Medical use, however, has been legal since Proposition 215, the âCompassionate Use Act,â passed in 1996 (Cal. Health & Safety (H&S) Â§ 11362.5). In 2003, Senate Bill 420 (Cal. H&S Â§ 11362.7 et. seq.) created a system of optional medical marijuana ID cards (Cal.