Dear Assemblymember Smith

We the undersigned are in opposition to the currently introduced version of California bill 1725 which adds a up to 3 years felony charge for cultivation of more than 6 plants. 

We are California residents who support fair cannabis policy, which implementation would empty state prisons of non-violent offenders, ending the failed drug wars.

We understand that solutions to unregulated mega commercial grow operations were in fact not found in prop 64, but that prop 64 created a flourishing of the unregulated market via a loophole in 64 which assigns a flat $500 fine across the board no matter if it's 7 plants or 7000 - for the exploiters of this clever loophole $500 is a drop in the bucket and just a cost of doing business.

We support a solution similar to boots on the ground sheriffs in this recent youtube video by Vice magazine https://youtu.be/fSjzOYmFIsg?t=167

In summary, closing the loophole with having the fine/penalty match the taxes that would owed to the state for the size of crop they were pushing under the radar.

WITH ZERO JAIL TIME or felony charges.

Alongside that, we support an amend to ab1725 that the cannabis from all state, county and city raids not be destroyed, but tested and packaged and distributed as donations to compassionate care programs to verified medical cannabis patients and due to the signing of Ryan's Law to hospice care patients who prefer medical cannabis treatment.