In 2014. the Brownie Mary Democrats were successful in getting CaDEM to include in their state party platform a call for legislators and Democrats to “Support the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana, in a manner similar to that of tobacco or alcohol.” Two years later, the party further supported the legalization of cannabis with its full support of Prop. 64 in 2016.

BMD worked alongside other organizations and individuals for the passage of Prop. 64, but we always recognized that Prop. 64 was written so it would pass, not to be cannabis legalization nirvana. In the last seven years, problems have arisen with the implementation of Prop. 64 resulting in a dysfunctional regulatory process, unfair and crippling taxation, a stranglehold by local governments over the normalization of cannabis accessibility and the inability of policing agencies to rein in illegal cultivation, manufacture and sales operations.

There are currently approximately 8,500 cannabis businesses statewide, many teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, with another 10,500 already inactive or out of business due to unfairly high taxes and regulations.

The current situation allows illegal markets to thrive to the point that they dwarf the legal market. An estimated 2/3^rd of all cannabis sales are made illegally significantly reducing tax revenues while allowing unscrupulous growers to circumvent environmental regulations and sell untested and potentially harmful products to anyone, anywhere and at any time.

Seven years after the passage of Prop. 64, a limited amount of legislation has been introduced to solve these problems, but it has proven to be a cumbersome, time-consuming process which more often than not, fails to get enacted.

The Brownie Mary Democrats have concluded that to rectify these problems that make legal access difficult, expensive and oppressive that only a significant revision of Prop. 64 can correct these problems and save the cannabis industry before it collapses.

The authors of Prop.64 wisely included a provision that is almost never found in other voter approved initiatives – amendments do not need to be approved by a vote of the people – Prop. 64 can be amended by a vote of the legislature.

BMD has begun the process of amending Prop. 64 so that the good parts are left in, the bad parts are excised and new parts are written so that taxes are reasonable, regulations don’t require businesses to hire lawyers to be compliant and cannabis will be available throughout the state safely, reliably, legally and affordably.In a nutshell, the Brownie Mary Democrat’s Prop 64 Amendments seek to treat cannabis in the same way that alcohol is treated by:

1. Lowering the state excise tax on cannabis from 15% (set to increase to 19% in July) to the same tax rate paid for hard liquor which is 3%.

2. Requiring local jurisdictions to treat cannabis like they are required by state law to treat alcohol and cease the blanket prohibition of cannabis businesses abiding by the same licensing, regulation and taxation polices that are used for sales of hard liquor.

You are cordially invited and encourage to attend the inaugural presentation and initial public release of the proposed amendments to Prop. 64 at the 2025 CaDEM State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center (800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802) on Saturday, May 31. We have scheduled an open meeting at 4:30 p.m. in meeting room 262BC.

In addition to CaDEM state delegates, local, state and federal elected officials and candidates for office as well as all other interested parties have been invited. As a supporter of the Brownie Mary Democrats and the implementation of reasonable, realistic and rational laws and regulations that will make cannabis accessible safely, reliably, legally and affordably, your presence at this historic will be greatly appreciated.