SACRAMENTO - Californians will get a chance this November to vote on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Initiative will be on the ballot California as an initiated state statute.

A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of legalizing marijuana and hemp under state law and enacting certain sales and cultivation taxes. A "no" vote is a vote against legalizing marijuana and hemp under state law and enacting certain sales and cultivation taxes.

Although many marijuana legalization initiatives were proposed and circulated, this initiative is the most likely to reach the ballot in November.

The initiative's proponents received financial backing in the amount of about $2.25 million, including $1 million from Napster founder and former Facebook president Sean Parker, and $500,000 from the Drug Policy Action, which is backed by billionaire George Soros. The "Adult Use of Marijuana Act".

California voters were first presented with a marijuana related ballot measure in 1972, when Proposition 19 appeared on the ballot. The measure would have decriminalized marijuana use and possession for people 18 years of age or older upon voter approval. In 1996, California became the first state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana when voters approved Proposition 215, and in 2010, voters were given the chance to vote on the legalization of recreational marijuana again with the appearance of Proposition 19. The measure was defeated.

Story Date: July 13, 2016