Is Marijuana Legal in California?

As with most complex issues, there is no simple answer to the question is marijuana legal in California? At the local level in the state of California marijuana is currently legal for medical use only with a prescription. This law is complicated by the fact that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Currently there is a measure on the ballot to make marijuana legal in California for recreational use by all. If the measure passes, it will still be illegal at the federal level.

Federal officials have been reluctant in recent years to go after medical marijuana growers or users in possession of the drug, but they have gone after larger growers, distributors and others that blatantly sell the drug in large numbers.

The ballot measure is not as clear cut as it seems. Voters may think that they are innocently voting for or against legalizing marijuana, but what does that mean exactly? If this measure passes it will open up a huge can of worms that will be difficult for California to deal with and puts the state up against the feds. Even those that want the drug to be legalized do not support the measure because of some controversial issues.

Can people drive in California under the influence of marijuana under the new law? Because it is impossible to test to see if someone is currently under the influence of marijuana it will be difficult for law enforcement to detect the drug. Marijuana stays in the system of an individual for almost a month. Tests that show whether THC is in the system, do not show if it is currently in their system and at what levels. If it is legal, will people high on pot be able to legally drive around? It is unclear how law enforcement would stop it.

What if one of my employees in under the influence of marijuana on the job if the new law passes? Employers will be stuck between a rock and a hard place. They will not be able to legally terminate an employee who is under the influence of marijuana on the job.

Voters who are unfamiliar with the herb may think that this proposition is harmless, but they may not want their local police on the job under the influence or drivers in the lane next to them on the freeway under the influence.

If California wants to legalize marijuana they will need a responsible proposition instead of the current ambiguous version that is currently on the ballot for November.