Marijuana legalization supporters say bill could save billions

The Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act, introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, last month, is meant to regulate marijuana like alcohol and tobacco by permitting taxed sales to those 21 and older.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, the bill could generate more than $1 billion in tax revenues and reduced enforcement costs. The bill would create a structure where producers or distributors would have to pay a $50 per ounce excise tax, or about $1 per joint.

Ammiano's spokesman Quintin Mecke said the bill is the first of its kind, but the concept behind it is not a new one, especially with the gaining momentum of states legalizing medical marijuana.

”The attitude in general across the country and many states has shifted in regards to medical marijuana,” Mecke said. According to the NORML, 13 states have legalized medical marijuana since 1996.