The following comes from a September 12 Catholic San Francisco article by Valerie Schmalz:

If voters legalize marijuana in California on Nov. 8, the cannabis industry can expect sales to increase to $6.5 billion by 2020, a new cannabis industry marketing report predicts.

Meanwhile, a just released Colorado study of the effects of legalization found marijuana-related traffic fatalities increased 62 percent from 71 to 115 persons from 2013 to 2015, youth use increased 20 percent and adult use increased 60 percent based on questions about past-month use. Marijuana-related hospitalizations nearly doubled from 6,305 in 2011 to 11,439 in 2014, two years after the Rocky Mountain state legalized recreational use, according to the September report by Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which tracks the impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado.

Cannabis investors can expect 18.5 percent sales growth a year in California if Prop. 64 passes, according to 2016 “The State of Legal Marijuana Markets,” published by New Frontier Data and ArcView Group, which says, “…legalization of cannabis is one of greatest business opportunities of our time and it’s still early enough to see huge growth.” In 2015 medical marijuana sales in California were $2.7 billion, the study noted.

The California Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops, has officially taken “no position” on the ballot initiative. However, the conference notes the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches the use of drugs except on strictly therapeutic grounds is a “grave offense,” and the Vatican Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry in 2001 stated that the use of cannabis is “incompatible with Christian morality.”

The measure “allows marijuana growing near schools and parks because it forbids local governments from banning indoor residential growing of marijuana if the crop is limited to six plants,” the Catholic conference’s summary of opponents’ arguments states. In addition, black market and drug cartel activity will likely increase as organized crime has skyrocketed in Colorado and the measure “places no limit on the number of marijuana shops that can be placed in a single neighborhood with poor, underprivileged neighborhoods likely the ones to be most affected,” the conference summary stated.