Los Angeles's May 21 elections will decide more than just who will become the city's next mayor, as many residents are becoming increasingly vocal about another important decision for the L.A. Three different measures are on the city ballot that would have serious ramifications for the medical marijuana community.

The U.S.'s relationship with marijuana has been notorious for its inconsistent and confusing nature. State laws are often superseded by federal ones, some areas in the country or even a single state are more lax than others, and then there are the vague definitions of who should actually be considered for medical marijuana. California is no exception.

"Where marijuana rules are concerned, California has been in chaos for way too long," says San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. "Cities have been looking for state guidance, dispensaries feel at the mercy of changing rules and patients who need medical cannabis are uncertain about how their legitimate medical needs will be filled."

There are three different measures that will be voted upon in hopes of clearing up some confusion and legitimizing the medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles. Each has received its share of backers and detractors both from within the medical marijuana community and outside of it:

Measure FWould put no limits as to the number of pot shops in Los Angeles, but would subject those shops to city audits, cannabis testing, would require they be a certain distance away from schools, and would increase the tax on marijuana.

Initative Ordinance EWould only permit shops in existence before the failed 2007 moratorium on new pot shops (about 130) to continue to serve Los Angeles. However, there would be no tax increase on medical marijuana.

Proposition DDeveloped as a counter to the first two measures, Proposition D would also only allow the older pot shops to stay in business. Like Measure F, it would also raise the tax on marijuana, specifically from $50 to $60 for every $1000 of gross receipts.

Medical marijuana is not currently legal under federal law, despite being allowed at the state level in both Colorado and Washington. Los Angeles' burgeoning medical marijuana community is a good indicator that California could soon join their ranks, and on the whole it appears that the U.S. is slowly leaning in favor of legalizing cannabis. A new poll suggest that 52% of U.S adults back legalization, and only one third find it to be a moral issue at all.

The three measures will be voted on in the May 21 Los Angeles elections, and only the one that receives the most votes will be enacted. For that to happen, however, the measure must still receive over 50% of the total votes.