As California voters go to the polls next month to vote on the legalization of recreational marijuana, voters in San Jose will consider a proposed marijuana business tax, which if passed would make San Jose the highest-taxing city in the state for medical marijuana facilities.

In less than a month, Berkeley voters will decide whether to pass two measures that together would represent an unprecedented expansion of the city’s medical marijuana industry, allowing the city to license and tax six cultivation facilities.

With election day now less than a month away, California’s Proposition 19 tax and regulate marijuana legalization initiative is leading in most polls (although a Monday Reuters/Ipsos poll showing it losing by nine points sent a chill down the spines of supporters) and is well-positioned to make California the first entity anywhere to legalize marijuana. But what happens in the next 27 days is crucial, as proponents and opponents alike seek to come up with the votes to prevail.

Estimates show more than 600,000 people in the United States can now possess and use marijuana legally, according to a Denver Post survey of medical-marijuana states. Given the current growth rates in some state medical-marijuana programs and the potential for other states to join in – Arizona and South Dakota voters will decide this year – that number could soon top 1 million state-legal marijuana users nationwide. Already, more than a quarter of the United States population lives in a state with a legalized marijuana program.

Advocates argue trial was unfair and urge an appeal after medical marijuana defense is denied

The second time was the charm for anti-medical marijuana San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Last year, she failed to convict San Diego medical marijuana dispensary operator Jovan Jackson on distribution charges. But on Tuesday, after Dumanis convinced the trial judge to not allow Jackson to mention medical marijuana in his defense, a state court jury found him guilty of three counts of marijuana possession and distribution.

The city issues fewer and fewer medical marijuana ID cards every year. But that doesn’t mean less and less people are using medical marijuana.

Jovan Jackson Accused Of Illegally Possessing, Selling Pot

In light of the Berkeley City Council’s proposed ballot measure to create seven new “cannabusiness” facilities, the Medical Cannabis Commission – which will likely be reconstituted under the measure – met Thursday to develop a comprehensive rubric to evaluate applications for facility permits.