Summary of California Proposition 215 - The Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

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Summary
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California Proposition 215
The Compassionate Use Act of 1996

Author

Dennis Peron

Sponsor

Californians for Medical Rights

Opponents

Citizens for a Drug-Free California

Analysis

Approves marijuana cigarettes as a safe and effective medicine for treating nausea, AIDS wasting, glaucoma, arthritis, spasticity, migraine headaches, and "any other illness for which marijuana provides relief."

Attempts to invalidate federal Food and Drug Administration regulations that govern approval of new medications, federal drug-control laws, and international drug-control treaties.

However, federal law and international treaties prevail over state law.

Funders

For Proposition 215
Californians for Medical Rights:
George Soros
Peter Lewis
Life AIDS Lobby
George Zimmer
John Sperling
Dennis Trading Group
The Social Policy Forum
Laurance Rockefeller
Rich Goldman
James Edward Zimmer
Marsha Rosenbaum
Alameda Medical Marijuana PAC
Americans for Medical Rights Foundation
Richland Mills Company
L.F.P., Inc.
Richard Wolf (FL)
Gail Zappa
Tara Foundation
Ellen Rosenbaum
Robert W. Hail (NV)
Smaller Contributions
In-Kind Contributions
Total Californians for Medical Rights

Californians for Compassionate Use:

Southern Californians for Compassionate Use:
Dale H. Gieringer
The Drug Policy Foundation
Contributions Under $10,000
Total Southern Californians/Compassionate Use
Total Proponents

Against Proposition 215
Citizens for A Drug-Free California
California Narcotics Officers' Association PAC
Contributions Under $10,000
Total

$ 550,000
$ 500,000
$ 369,750
$ 260,000
$ 200,000
$ 100,000
$    63,632
$    50,000
$    25,011
$    25,000
$    25,000
$    19,500
$    17,585
$    10,000
$    10,000
$      5,000
$      5,000
$      5,000
$      5,000
$      1,000
$    33,186
$    33,760
$2,313,424

$     40,486

$      44,885
$      26,500
$      54,385
$     125,770
$2,479,680

$    12,000
$    21,612
$    33,612

(State Campaign Disclosure Statement)

Status

Passed November 1996

Ranking

Compared to other states, California ranks:
9th in past-month drug use
9th (tied with 1 other state) in marijuana use
5th (tied with 2 other states) in drug use other than marijuana
4th (tied with 1 other state) in past-year drug dependence
6th (tied with 3 other states) in drug or alcohol dependence
(1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse)

Details, Use
Details, Dependence