cannabisnews.com: Time To Endorse Alternative To The 'War on Drugs' Time To Endorse Alternative To The 'War on Drugs' Posted by CN Staff on October 29, 2004 at 08:46:57 PT By Nate Miley, Alameda County Supervisor Source: Contra Costa Times The federal government's war on drugs has failed. It has destroyed lives, increased violence, failed to reduce drug use, unjustly targeted the African-American community and people of color, wasted billions of dollars on prosecuting and jailing nonviolent drug users, and untold billions more in the wasted potential of all those who have become "drug war casualties".On Tuesday, Oakland voters have a historic opportunity to embrace a rationale, alternative approach by voting for Measure Z, the Oakland Cannabis Initiative. Measure Z would make private adult marijuana offenses the lowest police priority in Oakland, and direct the city to support changes in public policy aiming to regulate, license and tax the sales of marijuana to adults as soon as possible under California law.This we know: current drug policy is an abject failure. Most egregious is the criminalization of marijuana as a "schedule one" drug, requiring it to be treated the same as cocaine and heroin, resulting in the imprisonment of thousands of nonviolent offenders, including a disproportionate number of people of color. Each year, California spends $150 million to arrest, prosecute and imprison marijuana offenders. In Oakland, there were 1000 marijuana arrests just last year.It's time to send a clear message to John Aschroft and George W. Bush: this war has been a catastrophic public policy failure and we will no longer participate in it. If our goal is to decrease drug use, reduce violent crime, decrease taxpayer waste, and increase funding for our deteriorating schools, libraries, and health care system, then by all measurable standards the current war isn't working. Measure Z offers Oakland alternative, proven solutions, not more of the same. Consider the facts:Drug use decreases when it is decriminalized, regulated and taxed. Measure Z calls for the regulation and taxation of marijuana, not criminalization. A RAND Corp. study found for every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment it saves taxpayers $7.46 in societal costs (crime, violence, loss of productivity, etc.).Decriminalizing marijuana would save millions in taxpayer dollars, and generate millions more in tax revenue. It makes more economic sense to raise money by taxing and regulating the adult use of marijuana than spending money on criminalizing it.Violent crime is reduced when drug dealers don't have control of the market. In countries where the sale of cannabis has been de facto legalized, drug abuse and violent crime is lower than in comparable prohibitionist countries, including the U.S. Measure Z allows police to focus time and energy on violent crime instead of small time marijuana users.The population of marijuana prisoners remains 1,500 percent higher than 25 years ago, and the U.S. just set a new record for marijuana arrests in 2003. Oakland should no longer accept a drug policy that violates civil rights, wastes critical tax dollars, and unjustly jails and discriminates against people of color.Measure Z offers a sensible alternative to a failed policy. On Tuesday, cast your ballot for change and common sense, vote "yes" on Measure Z. Related Article: Measure Z Will Hurt, Not Help Oakland By Danny Wan, City Councilman District 2, Grand-LakeMeasure Z does not deliver on its supporters' promises, but is costly for Oakland and its residents.Despite the lofty rhetoric about the failings of the federal drug war, Measure Z will do nothing to abate the federal war on drugs. And contrary to claims by supporters, Measure Z will not allow Oakland to regulate or tax marijuana sales, because only the State has the power to regulate distribution and sale of marijuana.Neither is there anything in Measure Z to help establish positive alternatives for young people in Oakland, whom Measure Z proponents claim they want to help.So, what's in it for Oakland?Measure Z will make Oakland the only city in California, perhaps the nation, to stop local enforcement of state laws against cultivation, distribution and sales of marijuana, in unlimited quantities, for the benefit of recreation users. It is sure to cause a huge increase in the supply of marijuana available in Oakland without providing any resources to enforce against sales to minors. In the meantime, Measure Z forces city hall to create yet another bureaucracy to "study" an area of law completely controlled by state and federal laws.Our neighborhoods (especially the flatlands) will bear the brunt of the increased narcotics sales activities. One Oakland resident expresses the sentiment of many I have heard from: "I for one do not want to be a guinea pig," she said, "Oakland simply does not have the luxury to volunteer their town as a test case for the big social experiment. And of course, the brunt of the new measure will mostly impact citizens in the flatlands and already destitute neighborhoods."While I might agree that decriminalization of marijuana coupled with the power to regulate and tax could be a good thing if enacted statewide; Measure Z does not do that. As long as marijuana sales are illegal in California, state law prohibits the city of Oakland from regulating or taxing it. It makes no sense to decriminalize marijuana without the balancing effects of regulation and taxation.Oakland already has a successful compassionate-use program for distribution of marijuana to medical patients who have a doctor's prescription for it. Let's not jeopardize that medical marijuana program by inviting a challenge from the federal government based on Measure Z. Please vote "no" on Measure Z.Source: Contra Costa Times (CA)Author: Nate Miley, Alameda County SupervisorPublished: Friday, October 29, 2004Copyright: 2004 Knight RidderContact: letters cctimes.comWebsite: http://www.contracostatimes.com/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 #4 posted by FoM on October 29, 2004 at 11:28:33 PT Presidential Poll from MSNBC Bush, Kerry or Nader?Who would you choose if election were today? If the presidential election were held today, who would you vote for? Current Results:* 37268 responses George W. Bush -- 35% John Kerry -- 64% Ralph Nader -- 1% http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6092749/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by afterburner on October 29, 2004 at 11:16:43 PT Before U Vote, Check this Long But Revealing Video High Society: Fahrenheit 420 — The temperature that bushes burn! High Society with Pot-TV Running Time: 1 hr 12 min Date Entered: 21 Jul 2004 http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-2836.html "As if we're going to let Michael Moore have all the fun! Sam, Prescott, Sr. and Dubya Bush are all stars of this show! We explore their connection with WW1, Skull & Bones, WW2, the CIA, Operation Zapata, 11/22/63, Operation Chaos, Charles Manson, Altamont, Ely Lilly, Iran Contra, the Panama Invasion, Barry Seal & World War 3. Check the info box for sources to the facts (and opinions) behind this jaw-dropping, head-shaking show. Much more interesting than a stain on a blue dress! Special cameo appearance by Noelle Bush and the Bush Twins!" Well worth the time! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 29, 2004 at 09:38:09 PT Dankhank Way to go! I'm so darn excited about all that is happening. What a time this is! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on October 29, 2004 at 09:18:58 PT LTE printed yesterday Here is the text of the LTE that was printed in the Lawton Constitution newspaer, Lawton, OK.Dear Sirs:Your Red-Ribbon week story “Teachers key in drug fight” was tops until Col Chaplain Broome offered to teach us of the harm irresponsible use of legal and illegal drugs causes. A child shouldn’t take an aspirin before checking with parent or guardian. Truth and Accuracy is so important in this whole endeavor. I spoke to Col. Broome. Broome told me that he did a “Drug Statistics or some such” search on the net and collected his facts. “Cocaine and crack are priced out of reach of most people …” is laughable. Crack has always been called “poor man’s cocaine,” typically sold as five and ten dollar “rocks.” Broome claimed that Marijuana is linked to cancer, asthma and chronic lung disease. He’s correct but wrong about why. Google, (a verb), Marijuana and each of those conditions online; you will find much to consider.In 1974 a National Institute of Health-sponsored study at the University of Virginia intending to prove Marijuana degrades the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice -- lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia. Did we get that? A substance that slowed Cancer growth, and the study is suppressed, all further study is stoutly opposed, unless looking for ill effects caused by Cannabis, for nigh on thirty years. A study, in Madrid, Spain in Feb 2000, stated that injecting THC, the primary cause of the “high” from Marijuana, into incurable brain tumors in rats destroyed the tumors. What more could we have learned with thirty years of research instead of denial? Few of us are perfect, but isn’t truth worth extra effort? Finally, we have been trying to control drug use with guns and cages for ninety years. Can we try something else?The paper has such a cheesy website that the last time you looked FOM, you didn't believe it really was a newspaper.It hasn't changed, won't be able to see the editorial online so I put it hereWant some giggles? Call 1800 364 3636, ask for editorial desk, ask for Don Hale and tell him to get a better website so you can read what Dankhank has to say.Assuming you're REALLY bored, today... :-)Peace ... Hemp N Stuff [ Post Comment ] Post Comment