cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Group Brings Effort to Juneau





Marijuana Group Brings Effort to Juneau
Posted by CN Staff on September 25, 2002 at 13:52:14 PT
By Timothy Inklebarger
Source: Juneau Empire AK
An office space that has sprouted up in downtown Juneau is the new headquarters of a group aiming to legalize marijuana through a statewide ballot initiative.In a storefront space at 217 Seward, a sign on the door quotes former Gov. Jay Hammond: "It's hypocritical to punish users of marijuana while legally sanctioning the use of alcohol." A freshly painted mural of marijuana leaves emblazons the front window.
Inside the space a wall is being constructed to separate the back office from a reception area up front, while petitioners mill around organizing campaign material.The group Free Hemp in Alaska is giving its legalization initiative a second run after a similar one failed in the 2000 general election.Al Anders, the treasurer for the group and Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor, said the office space has been paid for by a Juneau donor, but he hopes the campaign ultimately will raise enough money to pay the cost itself. A lack of money hurt the group's effort in the 2000 initiative, Anders said.The 2000 initiative would have made consumption of marijuana legal for adults 18 and over, and granted amnesty and paid restitution to those convicted of crimes involving the drug.The new initiative would eliminate civil and criminal penalties for growing, using or selling marijuana, and would allow for laws limiting marijuana use in public.Free Hemp in Alaska organizer Evan Pederson, 22, said the message the group got from voters in the last election was "tone it down." He said the provisions granting amnesty and restitution made a lot of people vote against the measure even though they support legalization."By taking those provisions out it will win a lot of people who were on the fence," Pederson said.That initiative failed statewide, with 59 percent voting against it and 41 percent voting for it. In Juneau, 53 percent voted no and 47 percent voted yes.Free Hemp in Alaska has until Nov. 19 to collect the 28,782 signatures needed to be certified for the 2004 primary election. Pederson said petitioners are going door-to-door and stationing themselves in front of local businesses to collect signatures.A similar effort is under way in Anchorage, where the group's headquarters is located.Pederson said petitioners have collected over half of the signatures needed to make it onto the November ballot. He said the Juneau group has 15 paid petitioners on staff and about 10 volunteers. Anders said petitioners are paid 50 cents a signature.Once the signatures are collected and the petition is certified, Pederson said, the group will begin a public relations campaign that will run until the August 2004 election.Wev Shea, an Anchorage attorney who fought the legalization effort in 2000, said he plans to do so again."I can't wait," Shea said.Shea served as U.S. attorney in Alaska from 1990 to 1993, noting that his key focus was prosecuting drug cases.Regardless of whether the initiative passes, Shea said, federal law will take priority over state law. Passage of the measure, however, would prevent federal authorities from using state personnel or resources to enforce the law.Prior to 1990, Alaska permitted adults 18 and over to possess under four ounces of marijuana in a home or other private place. A ballot initiative made it illegal, with 54 percent voting in favor of the law.Shea was not aware of any opposition group working to block the initiative, but he added that if the hemp group's petition is certified he would be involved in any group that opposes it.Complete Title: Marijuana Legalization Group Brings Effort to Juneau Source: Juneau Empire (AK)Author: Timothy InklebargerPublished: Thursday, September 19, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Southeastern Newspaper CorpWebsite: http://www.juneauempire.com/Contact: letterstotheeditor juneauempire.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Free Hemp in Alaskahttp://www.freehempinak.org/Alaska's Voters to Decide On Legalizing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7305.shtmlHigh Hopes in Alaska for Sweeping Pot Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7173.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on September 25, 2002 at 14:09:57 PT
2004 is shaping up to be a great year! 
Bush will get bounced from the White House amidst massive popular dissatisfaction with the Mideast War (yes, attacking Iraq triggered an all-out regional war with the US and Israel squaring off against Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and others).But seriously, the revised AK initiative is definitely going to pass, and other national drug policy groups are planning more state initiatives for 2004 also. "I can't wait!"
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Comment #2 posted by malleus on September 25, 2002 at 14:08:03 PT
They fear Canadian weed relegalization
It's the only reason why, after so long, the DEA is beefing up it's presence there. Why else bother with an area that was understaffed for so long? Evidently the harder stuff wasn't as popular in Alaska as a DEA presence would warrant. So what's left? Uh huh, you guessed it. 
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 25, 2002 at 13:56:02 PT
Where Marijuana is Wanted There is the DEA
DEA Bolsters its Alaska PresenceDRUGS: Agency upgrades Anchorage to district office. By Tataboline Brant, Anchorage Daily News Published: September 25, 2002The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is beefing up its presence in Alaska to crack down on the increasing flow of illicit drugs into the state and to curb the illegal substances being manufactured here.The DEA upgraded its Anchorage resident office to a district office in June -- the first step in a long-term plan that includes upgrading a Fairbanks post and opening bureaus in Juneau and the Mat-Su Borough."We were unstaffed for a while, and we're stepping up to the plate on that," said Zoran Yankovich, who was promoted in June to assistant special agent in charge of the new office. "We're showing that we care about places in rural America." The DEA is the premier agency for domestic enforcement of federal drug laws and has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations abroad, according to its Web site. Yankovich, a 15-year veteran of the DEA, cited increased drug activity as a primary reason the agency is putting more resources in Alaska. Hard numbers were not available Tuesday, as Yankovich was traveling."Seizures have increased over the years," Yankovich said. "Most of the (illicit) drugs found here are imported except marijuana." Drug trends in Alaska are no different than in the Lower 48, "except Alaska is the end of the road," Yankovich said. "We're a consumer state."Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/1838175p-1952898c.html
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