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| Regulation Would Take It Out of Criminals' Control |
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Posted by CN Staff on March 02, 2009 at 20:42:02 PT By Tom Ammiano Source: San Francisco Chronicle 
San Francisco, CA -- What if California could raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to preserve vital state services without any tax increase? And what if at the same time, we could, without any new expense, help protect our endangered wilderness areas while making it harder for our kids to get drugs?That is precisely what the Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act (AB390) that I recently introduced would do. The legislation is the logical next step in California's and hopefully the nation's public policy toward marijuana. I introduced AB390 not only to address California's growing economic crisis but, more importantly, to begin a rational public policy discussion about how best to regulate the state's largest cash crop, estimated to be worth roughly $14 billion annually. Placing marijuana under the same regulatory system that now applies to alcohol represents the natural evolution of California's laws and is in line with recent polls indicating strong support for decriminalizing marijuana. To understand the reasoning behind AB390, it is helpful to understand how we got here. The state first prohibited marijuana in 1913. When Congress later passed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, marijuana was temporarily labeled a "Schedule I substance" - an illegal drug with no approved medical purposes. But Congress acknowledged that it did not know enough about marijuana to permanently classify it as Schedule I, so it created a presidential commission to review the research. In 1972, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse advised Congress to remove criminal penalties on the possession and nonprofit distribution of marijuana. "Neither the marijuana user nor the drug itself can be said to constitute a danger to public safety," concluded the commission, led by then-Gov. Raymond Shafer of Pennsylvania. President Richard Nixon and Congress ignored the report. Since then, more than 14 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges and marijuana has remained listed as a Schedule I substance - actually treated by federal law as more dangerous than cocaine and methamphetamine. Snipped Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/3bC6DKO8 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Everybody Must Get Stoned Reefer-Tax Madness Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #12 posted by itsonlyaplant on March 03, 2009 at 18:33:30 PT |
| I must admit I had never heard of Rep. Ammiano before his historic announcement, BUT now I have and I respect him very much for his address of the TRUTH. I am also gald to at last see an elected official recognize the Shafer commission that ol' trickie Dickie swept under the rug after he got pissed at when they found and reported what he didn't want them to find and report (godd@$!*d hippies). It seems that some of our elected officials do have some integrity after all. WAY TO GO REP. AMMIANO YOU'RE MY NEW HERO!!!! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by Hope on March 03, 2009 at 09:15:45 PT |
| Good job, Tom Ammiano. A lot of people appreciate what you are doing. It's good to see part of his entourage realize that the Emperor, that good old "Rule of Law" guy, has some serious problems with his raiment. I appreciate Tom Ammiano's courage. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by Hope on March 03, 2009 at 08:54:40 PT |
| It's a very big deal to get arrested, Kevin! Why don't you know it? It is a big deal in anyone's life to get arrested by police, by government authorities. A big deal. It's a huge deal. Birthday parties will more likely be forgotten than getting arrested. Being arrested should be and is a very big deal. What's wrong with people that are getting used to it? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by Hope on March 03, 2009 at 08:25:31 PT |
| Kevin thinks getting arrested is no big deal? I have to admit it's rather come to that, hasn't it Kevin? Everybody get's arrested... all the time. No big deal. It's a part of life, isn't it? "Arrests result in little or no consequence"? Arrests are a huge "consequence". When you see that guy arrested for a little pot, you are watching someone being fed into a huge, lumbering, unstoppable, massive rendering machine... for having a plant. Consequences? Seeing people lose jobs or not get them because of the cigarette they smoked or the brownie they ate last weekend doesn't bother you? Obviously not. Seeing Americans get used to being arrested doesn't bother you? Getting used to it? It's no big deal? When someone ties someone's hands and takes them where they don't want to go... it's a big, big, very big deal. Ever heard of people's criminal records, which are supposed to be a big deal, and are, being checked when you're trying to find a job? Arrests show up... not just convictions or any of the things you think are not so serious. Do you not feel anything when you see people cuffed and marched or dragged away by government authorities? It's a big deal! Wake up, Kevin. Don't you see what's going on? Doesn't it bother you? Arresting people is no big deal? Arresting people is a very big deal and there should be a very, very good reason for doing it. Cannabis, in any amount or configuration is not a good reason for doing it. What's wrong with people that think it's no big deal to be arrested, bound, and hauled to a cage? Does he have to wait until it's him or one of his kids or his neighbor's to realize the big deal of it? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 03, 2009 at 05:45:40 PT |
| Good comment on the article. The fear factor Kevin Sabet pushes doesn't get it anymore. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #7 posted by knightshade on March 03, 2009 at 05:38:14 PT:
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| to address tintalas concern... wouldnt legalizing cannabis include the hemp strain? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by OverwhelmSam on March 03, 2009 at 05:05:30 PT |
| Good Morning Cannabis News! You've seen and seeing is believing. Time to crank it up: Ladies and Gentlemen (Do you want it?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbrobv2ByNA [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by Question Authority on March 03, 2009 at 00:38:10 PT |
| Kevin Sabet said, "Although there are thousands of arrests for marijuana possession every year in our state, most of these arrests result in little or no consequences." Then why arrest them? Your article is a great compilation of all the mendacity of the past 30+ years. Here's a British headline for you: British Study Doubts Marijuana Causes 'schizophrenia-like psychosis' Sunday, May 13 2007 @ 01:43 PM EDT Edited by: Michael Hess Marijuana Science and Health Briefs IACM via BBSNews 2007-05-13 -- British scientists analysed symptoms of 757 subjects, who developed schizophrenia, of whom 182 (24 per cent) had used cannabis in the year prior to first presentation to a psychiatrist due to the disease. There were no significant differences in the symptoms between cannabis users and non-users that have been observed in some small studies. In addition, cannabis users who developed schizophrenia had no greater family history of schizophrenia. The authors concluded that this "argues against a distinct schizophrenia-like psychosis caused by cannabis." Every point you make is a lie. You are not just a tool, you are the entire toolbox, Mr. Sabet. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by fight_4_freedom on March 02, 2009 at 23:11:01 PT |
| And You're right, this guy can be trusted. "Kevin Sabet, a senior drug policy adviser in the Clinton and Bush administrations, is a native of Anaheim." [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by Dankhank on March 02, 2009 at 22:50:27 PT |
| went there and vented a bit ...
damn ... thought I was over it. :-) [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #2 posted by tintala on March 02, 2009 at 21:55:50 PT:
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| PLLLLLEEEEEESSSSSEEE < lets not forget hemp, we need it bad, right now! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 02, 2009 at 20:46:01 PT |
| By Kevin Sabet Monday, March 2, 2009 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/02/ED05167QS6.DTL [ Post Comment ] |
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