cannabisnews.com: Voters To Decide On Pot Voters To Decide On Pot Posted by CN Staff on July 24, 2002 at 13:51:24 PT By Adriel Hampton of The Examiner Staff Source: San Francisco Examiner There's no doubt -- from the average Jane to the district attorney and just about all the rest of our public officials -- this city likes its pot. An overwhelming majority of the San Francisco voters lined up to legalize medical cannabis with Proposition 215 in 1996, and last year The City went on record as a sanctuary for ill tokers. This year, voters get a chance to tell The City whether that's worth suing for. One of The City's more adroit politicians, Supervisor Mark Leno, the man who gave city workers sex-change benefits, now gives the voters a say in whether The City should fire up the grow lights and hydroponics. "This is groundbreaking," Leno told The Examiner, adding that it wasn't anything new on the world scale. "The nations of Canada and Holland provide government-grown and distributed medicine," Leno said. The City and County of San Francisco, however, is not a nation. Our nation, with the same anti-pot tactics that drive this new plan to the ballot, just says no to drugs, even medical pot. Short of secession from the union or getting Congress to act, that's not going to change. "As I've said to other media outlets, whether the law is popular or not, we enforce it," said Richard Meyer, public information officer for the local field division of the Drug Enforcement Agency. In other words, the narcs who bust local pot clubs wouldn't flinch at torching city crops and suing -- backed by a bank that won't break. Leno said it is important to let the voters speak, important that this is not just another act of "that crazy Board of Supervisors." So while it's couched as a vote of "Should we grow or not?" it's really about whether to continue fighting the feds. "In order for us to be out there saying we want to continue to put resources into this, we would be remiss in not having some impression from the voters," said Supervisor Matt Gonzalez. If pot clubs are illegal, Leno and other proponents argue, cities must look at other ways to back the intent of Prop. 215. John Shanley, spokesman for the city attorney, said only that medical pot farming is a "policy decision for the board." Leno was more frank. It asks voters, "Should The City break the law?" Leno said.Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA)Author: Adriel Hampton of The Examiner StaffPublished: July 24, 2002Copyright: 2002 San Francisco ExaminerContact: letters examiner.comWebsite: http://www.examiner.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmSan Francisco Puts Growing Marijuana on Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13517.shtmlSan Francisco Eyes Marijuana Farminghttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13512.shtmlSupes To Feds: Pot OK in The Cityhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11453.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #15 posted by ekim on July 24, 2002 at 19:59:52 PT FOM resent email and added this thread well better late than never. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by ekim on July 24, 2002 at 19:47:47 PT Jack A. Cole, Executive Director, Dear Mr. Cole Please post upcoming events you are having on www.cannabisnews.com we are very interested in your outstanding work. Would you update us on your latest event at the Falls. See this link and read down to the bottom comments. Thank you for all you are doing for the people. Mike [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 16:09:26 PT BGreen Thanks! I tried .com and .net and .org. http://www.leap.cc [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Sam Adams on July 24, 2002 at 16:02:26 PT If they're going to have a ballot question.... Why mess around? Just ask, should cannabis be legalized, grown by the city, and sold out of vending machines around the city? It would pass 2 to 1. They could ask any question in SF and it will pass. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by BGreen on July 24, 2002 at 15:56:11 PT Ekim and FoM The url listed at the end of Comment #5 takes you right to the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition website. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by goneposthole on July 24, 2002 at 15:53:34 PT The patronizing federal gov Whether it is popular or not, we put up with it.Bush and Company will go one day, much to our dismay.If they resign enmasse, or finish the interminable term, I don't care. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 15:45:54 PT ekim I looked before and just looked again and can't find it. I heard them say it but I still can't find it. I don't know where it is. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by ekim on July 24, 2002 at 15:37:08 PT Law Enforcement Against Prohibition HI FOM do you know how to get ahold of these people. If so maybe they could post here so many can see what they are doing. I don't know if it was last weekend or this comming one. With a line up like what is posted every one should know about this group. mike [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 15:29:33 PT Pictures from The Press Conference Today http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5359 [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The C-I-R-C-L-E on July 24, 2002 at 15:15:43 PT The US Capitol Is there any news on the Barney frank press conference yet? [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by ekim on July 24, 2002 at 15:14:21 PT Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 Source: Zephyr, The (IL) Copyright: 2002, The Zephyr Contact: editor t... Website: http://www.thezephyr.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1566 Author: Jack A. Cole, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against ProhibitionDRUG WAR HAS FAILEDEditor:Executive members of a unique drug-policy organization will be gathering in Niagara Falls, Ontario this weekend to discuss strategies for ending the "War on Drugs."The advisory board for the organization is made up of: Honorable Warren W. Eginton, Judge, US District Court, Bridgeport, Connecticut; Honorable Gary E. Johnson, Governor of the State of New Mexico; Honorable John L. Kane, Judge, US District Court, Denver, Colorado; Sheriff Bill Masters, Sheriff of San Miguel County, Colorado; Mr. Joseph McNamara, former Chief of San Jose, California Police Department; Mr. Patrick V. Murphy, former Police Commissioner, New York City Police Department; Mr. Nick Pastore, former Chief of New Haven, Connecticut Police Department; and Honorable Robert W. Sweet, Judge, US District Court, New York City, New York.But what makes this newly formed international group so unique is that its membership consists of current and former drug-warriors who believe the drug policies of the United States have failed in their intended goals of reducing drug use, addiction and crime. Fighting a war on drugs has only expanded and intensified the drug problems of the United States and many other countries. Modeled after "Vietnam Veterans Against the War," the membership of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition believes a system of regulation rather than prohibition is more effective in lowering the incidence of crime, death, disease, and addiction.I was a member of the New Jersey State Police for 26 years and served in their narcotic bureau for over twelve years, mostly as an undercover agent. I can bear witness to the abject failure of the war on drugs. After three decades of fueling the war with over half a trillion tax dollars and increasingly punitive policies, illicit drugs are easier to get, cheaper, and more potent than they were 30 years ago. While our court system is choked with ever-increasing drug prosecutions our quadrupled prison population has made building prisons this nation's fastest growing industry. With two million people incarcerated -- more per capita than any country in the world -- innocent victims still die in our streets while drug barons and terrorists grow richer every day.The message LEAP hopes to send is not about glorifying or promoting drug use. However, to continue treating drug use as a law enforcement issue rather than a medical one is folly.It is poignant that LEAP is meeting in Niagara Falls two weeks before the Hells Angels hold their national convention there. The anticipated spread of this group into Ontario has caused great concern to both the citizens of the region and the policing authorities. Although this is an entirely legitimate concern, a policy of continuing to use the same old law enforcement tactics against them is doomed to fail.We must attack criminal and terrorist organizations where we can have the greatest effect -- removing their sources of funding. Over $400 billion is spent on illegal drugs each year and organizations such as the Hells Angels make obscene profits from the sale of some of those drugs. LEAP maintains that if we remove those profits their activities will be severely curtailed. End drug prohibition today and tomorrow no criminal or terrorist will make a single dollar from selling drugs.Jack A. Cole, Executive Director,Law Enforcement Against Prohibitionwww.leap.ccMedford, Mass. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by VitaminT on July 24, 2002 at 15:10:00 PT CNN is such a frustrating site! It always bounces me to Sports illustrated! They must be swamped!I could spit nails!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on July 24, 2002 at 15:09:18 PT Final tally 92% pro 8% against Who are these 8%? I wonder, if we could look at the IP addresses of the votes, how many of the 8% are from .gov addresses? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 14:41:30 PT Cross Fire Tonight at 7 PM ET Keith Stroup and Asa Hutchinson on Crossfire Tonight at 7 pm et. You can email in your questions and they might be used on the air. Here's the link!http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/crossfire/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 14:32:03 PT CNN POLL: Question Of The Day Should the Federal Government Legalize Medical Marijuana? Current Results: Yes -- 85% -- 685 votes No -- 15% -- 122 votes Total: -- 807 votes http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/wolf.blitzer.reports/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment