Marijuana activists hail legalization as the beginning of the end of the war on drugs

A buoyant crowd gathered here Tuesday night to celebrate California becoming the largest state to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, bringing a major industry out of the shadows, and perhaps signaling the end of a failed war on drugs.

“I have an enormous feeling of gratitude to the voters of California, and a love for them for making this incredibly valuable and precious plant freely available again,” said Steve DeAngelo, founder of the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the state, Oakland’s Harborside.

He stood in the middle of a throng of well wishers at Verso, a South of Market nightclub. “Now the world’s sixth largest economy signals the beginning of the end of the global war on cannabis,” he said.

“It’s a game changer,” said California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of the first major political figures to support legalization. “We have to be careful not to overstate this, but California is just too big. It will force a new conversation in Congress to address banking issues in the short term and to address the preposterous nature of the Schedule 1 status.”

(Under federal law, cannabis is classified as among the most dangerous illegal drugs, with no known medical benefits. That Schedule 1 status has made banks reluctant to do business with marijuana entrepreneurs, forcing them to deal in all cash. Many legalization proponents consider this to be the most dangerous aspect of the industry.)

A who’s who of marijuana activists gathered at Verso, to celebrate the passage of Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. In this very blue city in a very blue state, the mood was somewhat subdued given the unexpected strength of Donald Trump’s presidential bid.

“What makes us great today is that we don’t tolerate our diversity, we celebrate our diversity,” Newsom told the crowd. “The return on pluralism has never been higher. Trust me, guys, the best is yet to come.”

Newsom also celebrated the passage of another of his signature initiatives, Proposition 63, which will require background checks for ammunition sales.

“We want to see the country go in the right direction, but regardless of what happens tonight, if we legalize marijuana, we will do a service to people who are in jail in this state for marijuana offenses, and all over the country,” said Amanda Reiman of Drug Policy Alliance, the national drug law reform group that has backed Proposition 64. “It is not an overstatement at all that California will push this issue at the federal level.”

“This will put over half the nation in states that live with some kind of cannabis legislation,” said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Assn. “It will give cover to other states to legalize.” Recreational marijuana was on the ballot in four other states Tuesday.

Some provisions take effect Wednesday.

Adults older than 21 can possess, transport, buy and use up to an ounce of pot, or eight grams of concentrates. They can also cultivate six marijuana plants, as long as they are out of public view. They may not smoke in public.

Also starting Wednesday, criminal penalties for most marijuana offenses are reduced to misdemeanors, and people with marijuana convictions can petition courts to have their records expunged, or changed to conform with the new law.

Almost from the beginning, Proposition 64 seemed on track to easy passage. Attitudes toward marijuana have changed since 2010, when California voters turned down Proposition 19, which would have legalized cannabis for recreational use.

Since then, four states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational pot.

If money is the best way to gauge the prospects of a California initiative, Proposition 64 opponents were doomed almost from the start.

Yes on 64 raised $23.5 million, with more than a third of that coming from former Facebook president Sean Parker, who has never publicly explained why he is passionate about marijuana legalization. No on 64 raised only $2 million, most of it from Pennsylvania activist Juliet Schauer, a retired art professor.

For many people in the room, the most important aspect of the law is the way it wipes marijuana crimes off the books. About 1 million people who have been convicted of marijuana related crimes will be eligible to clear their records, Newsom said. Another 6,000 inmates serving sentences in county jails will be able to apply to have their sentences reduced.

“This is a profoundly important moment from a social justice lens,” Newsom said.

Opponents warned of a bureaucratic nightmare, as the state tries to mesh the new law with regulations developed last year for the state’s 20-year-old medical marijuana market.

“This thing is not fully cooked,” said Andrew Acosta, No on 64 spokesman. “It will be a giant mess.”

He worries about minors obtaining marijuana from home delivery services, which have proliferated in the state, and about how children will be impacted by potential cannabis marketing campaigns.

Newsom and other proponents say the new law includes safeguards that will keep marijuana and marijuana advertising away from minors.

“We should not advertise something like cannabis to an audience that is susceptible.” he said. “Full stop. This is a drug. We have to protect our kids.”

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT