Breaking - Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders Endorses Proposition 19

From The New York Times (via @TaxCannabis on Twitter):

Last week, proponents secured what they view as a major endorsement, that of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the former United States surgeon general and the first black to hold that position.

In a statement to be published in a voter guide, Dr. Elders said the legalization bill would help divert law enforcement resources to more serious threats. “We can let police prevent violent crime, or we can accept the status quo, and keep wasting resources sending tens of thousands of nonviolent marijuana consumers — a disproportionate number who are minorities — to jail,” Dr. Elders wrote.

Dr. Elders has never been afraid to speak up for the truth over "conventional wisdom," propaganda, and politics.

It's a shame that, even after hearing arguments from Assemblyman Ammiano and Alice Huffman of the California NAACP, the California Democratic Party couldn't follow Ammiano, Huffman, and Dr. Elders's courageous example and endorse this historic ballot initiative.  They better hope, politically, that the Republicans don't have their finger on the pulse of California better than they do this time.

CBS Poll Puts Prop 19 Support Ahead 10% From Opposition

From CBS 5:

Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana, and allow marijuana to be regulated and taxed in California, is supported among those likely voters surveyed by 50% to 40%, although 11% remained uncertain how they would vote on the issue.

The poll found younger voters support the measure, while older voters oppose it. Democrats and Independents tended to support pot legalization, while Republicans generally opposed the idea.

The CBS 5 poll of 614 likely California voters was conducted by the polling firm SurveyUSA from July 8 through July 11 and has a four-point margin of error.

Feinstein supports campaign to defeat marijuana legalization measure

From the LA Times:

California's senior U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has endorsed "No on Prop 19," the main opposition campaign to Proposition 19.  She issued a statement today calling the measure "a jumbled legal nightmare that will make our highways, our workplaces and our communities less safe."

Dale Sky Clare, a spokeswoman for Tax Cannabis 2010, responded that she was not surprised by the lack of support from Feinstein and other top officials. "I'm just not putting a lot of faith in politicians to lead," she said. "The voters have always led on this issue."

California voters, please take a moment and contact Senator Feinstein.  Ask her if she is aware that:

1. Regarding highways: Proposition 19 specifically states, "nothing in this Act shall permit cannabis consumption by the operator of any vehicle, boat or aircraft while it is being operated, or that impairs the operator;" (proposed Health and Safety Code, Article 5, Chapter 5, Division 10, Section 11300(c)(iii)).
2. Regarding workplaces: "No person shall be punished, fined, discriminated against, or be denied any right or privilege for lawfully engaging in any conduct permitted by this Act or authorized pursuant to Section 11301 of this Act. Provided however, that the existing right of an employer to address consumption that actually impairs job performance by an employee shall not be affected" (proposed Health and Safety Code, Article 5, Chapter 5, Division 10, Section 11304(c)). [Emphasis added.]
3. Regarding our communities -- detailed studies (such as this one, this one, or this one) have shown that drugs are not a major cause of crime.  In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drugs and the results, both on public health and safety, have been largely positive-- certainly better than the status quo in America.

High times with legalized pot? It all depends

From The San Francisco Chronicle:

Foes of the ballot measure say legalizing casual cannabis use will lead to pot farms everywhere, rampant drug use and dangerous dopers on the highway. Proponents say cannabis is no more dangerous than alcohol, and that bringing California's biggest cash crop - an estimated $14 billion a year - out of the shadows of illegality will create jobs and inject millions of dollars into governmental coffers.

Well written and balanced, this article also calls attention to the highly speculative nature of the RAND study's figures.

There's just one question we need to be asking: does the damage done by using cannabis, to individuals or society, outweigh the damage of our current prohibition?  All evidence points to a clear and decisive NO.

Marijuana, Accutane, and the Suspension of Science By the Cultural Left

From Townhall.com

Townhall columnist Hugh Hewitt attempts to argue against Proposition 19 by painting Prop 19 proponents as ignorant, and the younger demographic that tends to support it as impulsive risk-takers.  I'll more fully explore the health risks and benefits of cannabis in another post, but for now, I'll just point out that, as he says, "Anyone with a bookmark to Google can quickly access the studies that detail the known long term and serious side-effects of chronic marijuana use," but they can also see all the counter studies that show no greater mortality for cannabis users, and that cannabis (even smoked) does not cause cancer.

DEA Flouts Mendocino Medical Marijuana Ordinance by Raiding First Grow Permit Applicant

On July 7, the DEA conducted an armed raid on the Mendocino County property of Joy Greenfield, 68, the first applicant under the Mendocino County sheriff's new cultivation permit program. Sheriff Allman has been highly supportive of efforts to bring local growers into the permit program, and confirms Ms. Greenfield was in full compliance with local law.

Despite Obama's pledge to end raids on individuals who are acting in accordance with local medical marijuana laws, when Ms. Greenfield informed the DEA agent in charge that she was a legal cultivator under the sheriff's program, the agent's comment was "I don't care what the sheriff says."

Ms. Greenfield called the raid a "slap in the face of Mendocino's government." I think it's a slap in the face to law and liberty everywhere.

From California NORML News

The Politics of Cannabis and Color

Norm Stamper, a 34-year veteran police officer and former chief of police in Seattle, speaks out in support of Alice Huffman, leader of the California NAACP, after she came under attack from Bishop Ron Allen and other California African-American leaders for endorsing Proposition 19.

From The Huffington Post

Steven Greenhut: Can GOP quit weed whacking?

Very well written opinion piece from the director of the Pacific Research Institute's CalWatchdog Center and former Orange County Register coumnist Steven Greenhut.  He makes excellent arguments why true small-government conservatives and classic Republicans should be supporting Proposition 19 (and why the lack of support from gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and the California Republican Party may be a tactical error).

From the Orange County Register

Opposition to pot measure gains slightly in poll

In contrast to earlier results, 48% of likely voters are now against Proposition 19, survey finds.

Disappointing news from a Field Poll which shows that support for Prop 19 has slipped to 44%.  Similar polls in May showed a slight majority favored the initiative.

"The poll found a very high level of awareness of the initiative with more than three-quarters of likely voters saying that they have heard about it. Those voters back it 48% to 44%. But likely voters who had not heard about the measure until they were told about it by the poll takers oppose it by 2 to 1."

In other words, the more people know about Proposition 19, the more they are for it.  Many people's first reaction is skepticism and negativity.  Talk to people, explain the measure, and correct misconceptions.

From Los Angeles Times