Measure M
Los Angeles Elections | March 7, 2017
This would allow the city to treat marijuana sales and usage a lot like it treats liquor sales.
Our LA voter guideFlexible Regulation, Real Revenue
Measure M gives the City of Los Angeles ongoing authority to set marijuana regulations rather than locking rules in place, though any new regulation would require public hearings with local groups first. Right out of the gate, it establishes where cannabis businesses can locate (not near schools, for instance), how they get permitted, and how the city penalizes non-compliance — including the ability to have LADWP shut off a business's water and power.
The city would also gain room to update related laws, including DUI rules, as recreational cannabis settles in. On the money side, Measure M lowers the medical marijuana tax to 5% while raising the recreational tax to 10%, a shift projected to add roughly $100 million to the city's general fund within a few years — the same fund that pays for police, fire, parks, and libraries.
Treating cannabis regulation the way the city already treats liquor sales — with the flexibility to adjust as circumstances change — is a sensible framework. It also matters that Measure M is effectively the last option standing: Measure N, which would have competed with it for votes, has been abandoned by its own original backers, who are now urging a Yes on M as well.
Why We Love It
- Gives the city ongoing regulatory flexibility, with public hearings required before new rules
- Concrete enforcement tools for non-compliant businesses (including utility shutoffs via LADWP)
- Projected to add roughly $100M to the city's general fund, funding police, fire, parks, and libraries
- Lowers the medical marijuana tax to 5% while modestly taxing recreational sales at 10%
Considerations
- Raises the tax rate on recreational cannabis sales to 10%
- Opens the door to new DUI-law changes whose specifics aren't yet set
We Recommend This To Readers Who:
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Want the city to keep pace with a changing cannabis market
Measure M lets the city adjust regulations over time rather than being locked into today's rules.
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Care about new revenue for public services
The tax changes are projected to add about $100M a year to the general fund.
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Want clear rules on where cannabis businesses can operate
Measure M sets location and permitting requirements from day one.
A Closer Look
Vote Yes on M (No on N)
Measure M gives the city a sensible, liquor-sales-style framework for regulating cannabis while generating meaningful new revenue for city services — and with Measure N's own backers now behind it too, it's the clear choice.
