cannabisnews.com: Measure Would Set Stage for Legal Pot Measure Would Set Stage for Legal Pot Posted by CN Staff on October 27, 2004 at 08:06:24 PT By Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle Oakland voters will have a chance Tuesday to set the groundwork for decriminalizing marijuana and making private, adult cannabis use the lowest enforcement priority for police. Supporters say Measure Z will allow Oakland police to focus on fighting violent crime and reducing the homicide rate instead of on nonviolent marijuana offenses. Opponents say the measure would weaken Oakland's ability to maintain peace in neighborhoods where young men often lose their lives over drug sales. Most of the 72 homicides recorded this year were drug-related, police said. Beyond making pot enforcement the lowest police priority, Measure Z would require the city to lobby the state to legalize adult marijuana use and allow local government to tax the drug. If marijuana use ever becomes legal, Measure Z would require Oakland to develop a plan for licensing and taxing its sale, use and cultivation. In a September poll commissioned by the measure's backers, 65 percent of 400 likely voters said they probably would vote for Measure Z, and 70 percent of respondents supported legalization. "Oakland voters clearly understand the war on drugs has been a failure and detrimental to our community," said Judy Appel, staff attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance Network. "Criminalizing marijuana has unfairly imprisoned thousands of nonviolent offenders, including a disproportionate number of people of color. Meanwhile, our police are wasting time and energy they could be using to focus on violent crime." Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/27/BAGL39H2M41.DTLSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - Page B - 5Copyright: 2004 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Related Articles & Web Sites:Yes on Zhttp://www.yesonz.org/California NORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/Not The Time, Place for Measure Z http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19676.shtmlMeasure Z Would Ease Pot Use Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19657.shtmlMarijuana Issues Raised in Measure Zhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19628.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 21:14:44 PT john wayne That's a good question. I think the coca leaf will be legalized when enough people that care about the coca leaf rise up and try to get the laws changed like so many people are trying to do with Cannabis. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by john wayne on October 27, 2004 at 21:05:48 PT z will pass but so what? Oakland cops already don't enforce the MJ laws. The feds have to get the CHP (yes, that CHiPs) to bust anybody growing these days. What about the thriving crack trade along certain parts of McArthur Blvd? It's orderly enough after all these years, and safe enough for white boys to score (ahem) thanks to all those cops driving around. But when will the far healthier coca leaf will become available to the low-income areas? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 12:24:49 PT Campaign 2004 -- Berkeley Berkeley voters are known for their fondness of flora. That's why the city's mayor fears they could rush to support what he claims are two well-intentioned but misguided measures on Tuesday's ballot -- to give citizens oversight over trees on public land and to allow marijuana clubs in commercial areas without a public hearing. "It's a problem. It makes me nervous,'' said Mayor Tom Bates, who opposes both Measure S, the "Public Tree Act of 2004,'' and Measure R, the "Patients Access to Medical Cannabis Act of 2004.'' A whopping 85 percent of Berkeley voters supported the 1996 state initiative that allows medical use of marijuana in California, and they may not see the consequences of the new measure, Bates said. Snipped:Complete Article: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/27/BAGL39H2M61.DTL [ Post Comment ] Post Comment