In February, Assemblyman Ammiano introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the commercial production and sale of cannabis for adults age 21 or over. The proposal — Assembly Bill 390: The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act — is the first bill ever to be introduced in the California legislature that seeks to tax and control the sale of cannabis.

Says Ammiano: "With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes. California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana."

In July, a revised budgetary analysis by the California State Board of Equalization estimated that the passage of Ammiano’s bill would raise approximately $1.4 billion in annual new state revenue.

Tom Ammiano says, “Yes we cannabis” and so should you! Meet Tom and hundreds of other likeminded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Assemblyman Tom Ammiano:

Ammiano Proposes Bill To Tax And Regulate Marijuana

Associated Press — Calif tax officials: Legal pot would rake in $1.4B

CBS 5 interview

Detailed conference agenda, speakers list, and information on conference social events – including Saturday night’s ‘can’t miss’ 2008 Extravaganja party at the Oasis Nightclub (which will feature fire dancers, live performances by from Los Marijuanos and the Extra Action Marching Band, and a laser light show) – are available here.

Rooms at the Doubletree Hotel are sold out, but alternative hotel accommodations are still available here. On site registration will available throughout the conference. Discounted day passes will also be available for purchase at the registration desk.

Featured guests at this year’s conference include longtime Democrat Berkeley City Councilman Kriss Worthington, Doors keyboardist and author Ray Manzarek, and Saturday Keynote Luncheon Speaker, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco).

Plenary sessions at this year’s conference include:

• Getting the Story Wrong: How the Media Lie About Cannabis

• The Legal Marijuana Generation: Growing Up and Raising Children in the Age of Legal Pot

• The War on Pot Is a War on Young People

• What If We Arrested 20 Million Americans and Nobody Noticed?

• The Politics of Marijuana and Health

• Drug Testing and Cannabis: The Case Against Legally Sanctioned Discrimination Via Forensics

• Pot Culture: A Round Table Discussion of Cannabis in Society, Entertainment, Music and American Culture

In addition, on Sunday, October 19, NORML’s Legal Committee and the faculty of Oaksterdam University will co-sponsor a special, third-day session, entitled “Everything You Wanted To Know About Medical Cannabis, But Knew Better Than To Ask John Walters.”

This unique, one-day seminar will guide attendees through the maze of conflicting federal, state, and local medical cannabis laws and regulations, and will offer step-by-step instruction regarding how to establish a legal medical marijuana business in the state of California.

Learn from the nation’s top experts on cannabis and cannabis policy. Strategize with the country’s leading marijuana activists and reformers. See what cognitive freedom and tolerance looks like in Oaksterdam, the most cannabis-friendly neighborhood in North America.

Don’t delay; register today and join us this week for an unforgettable three days of pot, policy, and politics at the 37th annual national NORML Conference.