cannabisnews.com: Oakland Pot Measure Seeks a Shift in Priorities





Oakland Pot Measure Seeks a Shift in Priorities
Posted by CN Staff on June 22, 2004 at 07:44:54 PT
By Eric Bailey, Times Staff Writer
Source: Los Angeles Times 
An alliance of marijuana legalization activists in Oakland announced Monday that they are close to placing a measure on the November ballot that would require police to essentially look the other way when dealing with marijuana possession by adults.The measure also would require the city to regulate and collect tax revenue for adult cannabis use if the state ever allows it. The extra tax dollars would be earmarked for police and other cash-strapped municipal services.
Efforts to make marijuana use the lowest law enforcement priority mirror a similar initiative approved by Seattle voters last fall. But the push for marijuana taxation is the first such effort in the nation, backers of the Oakland measure say."This law will keep cannabis off the streets, away from children and out of the hands of dangerous drug dealers, by making it available in licensed businesses, not on neighborhood street corners," said Dale Gieringer, president of the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.But foes say it is a misguided effort meant to foist a dangerous drug on an unsuspecting public."I'm very concerned about the message this sends to the rest of the nation and world," said Richard Meyer, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman in San Francisco. "I think the marijuana lobby is trying to deceive the people again that marijuana use is harmless. That's far from the truth."Under state law, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is a misdemeanor, while anyone caught with more can face felony charges. The possession of any amount of cannabis is prohibited under federal law.Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/measure.htmSource: Los Angeles Times (CA)Author: Eric Bailey, Times Staff WriterPublished: June 22, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:CaNORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/Pro-Marijuana Advocates Seek Oakland Vote http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18371.shtmlAdvocates Get Down To Grass Taxhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18363.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by kaptinemo on June 23, 2004 at 12:50:19 PT:
While we're on the subject of toys
Remember the old "See and Say" ones, that had a large plastic ring and a rotating pointer in the center surrounded by pictures? The kid would rotate the pointer at a particular picture, such as an animal, and then pull the string, to be rewarded with the animal's sound effects.Let's see now. Hmmm. How would a "DrugWar See & Say" work?ONDCP Head: "Marijuana has no medical uses." (followed by flatulence)ONDCP Number Two: "Well funded legalizers...well funded legalizers."Attorney General: "We couldn't find Osama, but we brought down Tommy Chong!" DEAWatch poster: (pictured with staring eyes and saliva flying) "Jail the N****rs! Jail the Sp**s! Jail the G***s! Jail the White Trash! Jail the ~ ...."(unintelligible as the spring winds down)Police spokesperson: "Sophisticated grow op...sophisticated grow op."Gee, this is fun. I invite others to suggest their own sound bites...
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on June 22, 2004 at 19:02:13 PT
He would be. Job security shakiness.
"I'm very concerned about the message this sends to the rest of the nation and world,"
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on June 22, 2004 at 18:58:31 PT
E_Johnson
Excellent! I did laugh out loud.
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Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2004 at 15:23:05 PT
Chatty Cathy's famous sayings
Hi! My name is Chatty Cathy!Marijuana today is 10, 20 or even 50 times as potent as what baby boomers smoked when they were young.I have a job working for the government. Do you?Let's all pull our pants down and get a urine test. Wouldn't that be fun?
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on June 22, 2004 at 13:45:50 PT:
Let Herr Meyer speak
I'm old enough to remember plush toys that had mini phonograph records in them. When you pulled the string, it wound a spring-powered mechanism that provided the energy for the phonograph. But needless to say, after too many pulls, the internal record became scratchy and unintelligable. After a while, you stopped playing with it and moved on. The analogy is obvious, as Mr. Meyer seems to have as much of a repertoire as one of those busted-record plush dolls. Pull his string and you get the same old spiel. Pathetic.It's been my experience that the more public exposure such as Mr. Meyer receive, the more obvious the threadbare nature of their spiel has become. And of course, we aren't the only ones noticing it. Such one-note wonders tax the already brutally short-term memories of many Americans and are tuned out as a matter of self-defense against terminal ennui.It's been said here long ago: The antis ran out of original lies many years ago, and have been relegated to disinterring moldy ones, spraying them with the latest anti rhetorical perfumes, and putting them on display. I can't think of a better way of dealing with the matter than simply allowing him to continue.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 22, 2004 at 11:55:53 PT
Thanks EJ
That is just so cool!
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2004 at 11:38:18 PT
By request
All together now:My baloney has a first nameIt's R-I-C-H-ardMy baloney has a last nameIt's M-E-Y-E-RThe public snubs him more each dayHis agency is doomed they sayBecause every word from the DEA is B-O-L-O-G-N-A
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Comment #2 posted by Max Flowers on June 22, 2004 at 08:45:01 PT
Meyer again?!
Shut the F up, Meyer. There you go again with the ridiculous "sends the wrong message" speech. Is that the best you've got?E_Johnson, I think it's time for the Oscar (Richard) Meyer song again please...
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on June 22, 2004 at 08:42:32 PT
Parasite
"I'm very concerned about the message this sends to the rest of the nation and world," said Richard Meyer, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman in San Francisco. "I think the marijuana lobby is trying to deceive the people again that marijuana use is harmless. That's far from the truth."He's an insult to anyone who ever actually worked to produce something in their lives. We're all working to support him and his family, so he can sit around all day doing nothing and releasing the same exact sound bite every few weeks. Bloodsucker. 
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