cannabisnews.com: Casual-Pot-Smoking Measure is Certified Casual-Pot-Smoking Measure is Certified Posted by CN Staff on June 30, 2004 at 21:55:35 PT By Laura Counts, Staff Writer Source: Oakland Tribune Oakland -- Local support for recreational pot smoking will be tested in November under a largely symbolic ballot measure. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters late Monday certified the 20,000 signatures required to get the Oakland Cannabis Initiative on the ballot, said City Clerk Ceda Floyd. The initiative directs local police and prosecutors to turn a blind eye to recreational use of marijuana by adults at least 21 years old, giving it the lowest priority for enforcement that police already give to medical cannabis users. The initiative also would put Oakland at the forefront of the marijuana legalization movement. Although the city cannot legalize pot, it could set up a system to tax and regulate sales as soon as state law allows. Federal law still considers all marijuana use, even medical, to be illegal. In addition, the measure would set up a citizens' committee to oversee implementation and urges the city to lobby for marijuana law changes. "This is a historic initiative because it would be a large U.S. city making it clear that policies around marijuana don't make any sense," said Judith K. Appel, director of legal affairs for the Oakland-based Drug Policy Alliance. "I think we'll find the people would rather have their police resources go into problems they are more concerned about." Both Seattle and Mendocino County have passed measures requiring law enforcement to give a low priority to adult marijuana use. Several city councils and other governing bodies have passed similar resolutions. But Oakland would be the first to move toward further regulation of sales, Appel said. The measure was backed by the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance, a group of pro-marijuana advocates and individuals. It has the support of Councilmembers Nancy Nadel (Downtown-West Oakland) and Desley Brooks (Eastmont-Seminary), along with Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley -- whose aide, Joe DeVries, is one of the main organizers behind the measure. They argue that regulation would take the drug off the street, and taxing marijuana would generate cash for the city. A January poll of 600 voters found strong support for such a measure. Oakland police say they already give a low priority to possession of small amounts of marijuana. The measure does not specify any guidelines on how much pot -- an ounce or a pound -- an adult would be allowed to possess for personal use, however. Oakland has strongly supported medical marijuana. The city deputized the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative as its official agent to dispense marijuana to those with a doctor's prescription. A new city law allows four permitted dispensaries in the city, which caused some to close down. The City Council is scheduled to vote July 20 to place the cannabis initiative on the ballot, Floyd said. The vote is just a formality, and the council will not weigh in on the measure one way or another. Note: Oakland Cannabis Initiative has 20,000 signatures required.Source: Oakland Tribune (CA)Author: Laura Counts, Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. Contact: triblet angnewspapers.com Website: http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Oakland Civil Liberties Alliancehttp://www.taxandregulate.com/Pot Initiative Backers Turn in 32,000 Signatures http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19043.shtmlOakland Pot Measure Seeks a Shift in Priorities http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19042.shtmlPro-Marijuana Advocates Seek Oakland Vote http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18371.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 01, 2004 at 08:57:59 PT Thanks sukoi I added it to my What's New page.http://freedomtoexhale.com/prohibition.pdf What's New in Drug Policy Reform [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Ganda on July 01, 2004 at 08:11:02 PT How about a petition to grow your own? Most cannabis users would like to be able to grow a few plants, which would be cheaper and wouldn't have to buy off dodgy people for a little bit of ganja. They have to get it from somewhere, so why not try and make it legal, say for x amounts of plants, or a certain amount of space allowed like x by x. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by sukoi on July 01, 2004 at 07:04:25 PT An excellent article From Ethan Nadelmann: This week's issue of National Review, America's leading conservative magazine, has a marijuana leaf on the cover and features an article by yours truly, making the case for ending marijuana prohibition. The article is entitled "An End to Marijuana Prohibition."Here is the link to the article (pdf. Format):http://drugpolicy.org/docUploads/archive/nadelmann_marijuana_article.pdf [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by billos on July 01, 2004 at 05:44:54 PT Joel Steinberg released after 16 years............ for beating his 6 year old daughter to death. I assume he was not in possession of cannabis at the time of his arrest for he certainly would be in prison for the rest of his life. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Zero_G on July 01, 2004 at 00:47:30 PT Hey John Ashcroft Sing this!:LEONARD COHEN LYRICS"Democracy"It's coming through a hole in the air, from those nights in Tiananmen Square. It's coming from the feel that this ain't exactly real, or it's real, but it ain't exactly there. From the wars against disorder, from the sirens night and day, from the fires of the homeless, from the ashes of the gay: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. It's coming through a crack in the wall; on a visionary flood of alcohol; from the staggering account of the Sermon on the Mount which I don't pretend to understand at all. It's coming from the silence on the dock of the bay, from the brave, the bold, the battered heart of Chevrolet: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. It's coming from the sorrow in the street, the holy places where the races meet; from the homicidal bitchin' that goes down in every kitchen to determine who will serve and who will eat. From the wells of disappointment where the women kneel to pray for the grace of God in the desert here and the desert far away: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. Sail on, sail on O mighty Ship of State! To the Shores of Need Past the Reefs of Greed Through the Squalls of Hate Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on. It's coming to America first, the cradle of the best and of the worst. It's here they got the range and the machinery for change and it's here they got the spiritual thirst. It's here the family's broken and it's here the lonely say that the heart has got to open in a fundamental way: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. It's coming from the women and the men. O baby, we'll be making love again. We'll be going down so deep the river's going to weep, and the mountain's going to shout Amen! It's coming like the tidal flood beneath the lunar sway, imperial, mysterious, in amorous array: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. Sail on, sail on ... I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean I love the country but I can't stand the scene. And I'm neither left or right I'm just staying home tonight, getting lost in that hopeless little screen. But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags that Time cannot decay, I'm junk but I'm still holding up this little wild bouquet: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.thanks to Leonard Cohen... [ Post Comment ] Post Comment