cannabisnews.com: Vote Changes Little About City Pot Policy





Vote Changes Little About City Pot Policy
Posted by CN Staff on November 04, 2004 at 07:18:22 PT
By Heather MacDonald, Staff Writer
Source: Oakland Tribune 
Oakland -- Although adult, private use of marijuana is now the Oakland Police Department's lowest priority, the new law is all but certain to face additional challenges. According to unofficial election results, Measure Z won 64 percent of the vote, delighting supporters who said Wednesday they hope the victory heralds the end of the war on drugs in Oakland and starts a chain reaction that ends with legalization of marijuana in California. 
"With a couple more percentage points, we could have raised taxes," said Joe DeVries, one of the authors of the measure, referring to the two-thirds margin needed to levy assessments in California. "But we're not going to gloat." Measure Z also requires the city to lobby the state to legalize adult possession, cultivation, distribution and use of marijuana and set up a system to tax and regulate the sale of the drug if it is decriminalized. But City Attorney John Russo said both of those provisions are unconstitutional and cannot be implemented by city officials. And since the Oakland Police Department does not have the manpower or the will to arrest adults privately smoking marijuana, little will change, Russo said. "Measure Z doesn't change anything about the way the city does business," Russo said. Mayor Jerry Brown said the Police Department will continue to police the open-air drug markets that lead to many of Oakland's murders and use common sense in enforcing marijuana laws. "It's symbolic more than anything else," Brown said. Although Russo said he would be reluctant to challenge the measure in court, "I hope it is thrown out," De La Fuente said. "It clearly goes against state and federal law.It's far from a done deal." DeVries said he is disappointed by De La Fuente's comments, adding that a legal challenge of the ordinance would be a waste of taxpayers' money. "With 64 percent of the city voting for it, you'd think they'd want to represent us," DeVries said. "The will of the people is clear." Later this week, supporters of the measure will begin setting up an advisory panel of citizens and law enforcement officials to draft reasonable policies to allay concerns that dozens of smoke shops will spring up overnight, DeVries said. "We want to work with the city," DeVries said. "We want them to work with us." The successful campaign was largely funded by national groups dedicated to the legalization of marijuana, including the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project. The results of the election are expected to be certified by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters on Nov. 30.Note: Measure changes little about pot policy.Source: Oakland Tribune (CA)Author: Heather MacDonald, Staff WriterPublished:  Thursday, November 04, 2004 Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. Contact: triblet angnewspapers.com Website: http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/California NORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/Voters: Make Pot a Low Priorityhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19762.shtmlMeasure Z is a Step in The Right Directionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19739.shtmlMeasure Z Would Ease Pot Use Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19657.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on November 04, 2004 at 10:24:04 PT:
Sam, the truth is indeed slipping out
But there's more to these statements than meets the eye. What we are seeing here is the Great Disconnect becoming ever more evident. Namely, the one where the will of the people, lawfully made manifest, is being thwarted by those who are sworn to uphold it.Those engaged in this had better watch out, as patience for this kind of behavior, given the present political climate, is bound to be quickly exhausted. People are realizing just how much the power infrastructure has been ignoring the democratic process, and after this election, I expect to see even more moves to hold politicians, police and bureaucrats accountable for failing to adhere to the democratically arrived decisions. That's what happens when the polity gets as polarized as the American one has become. The game of politics is no longer something that you can concede with grace; now, it's gotten vicious. People are aware more than ever that it has ALWAYS been a zero-sum game, in which losing can not only be irritating but catastrophic. And when politicians don't do as you tell them to, then it's time to install some who do.
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Comment #2 posted by siege on November 04, 2004 at 10:15:39 PT
challenge 
Russo said he would be reluctant to challenge the measure in court, "I hope it is thrown out," De La Fuente said. "It clearly goes against state and federal law. It's far from a done deal."
Well Pro. 215 did the same it went against state and federal law allso and what has happyen there. Russo and De La Fuente is this why you are reluctant to challenge it in court. If some one thrown it out the challenge
is ON then it will be in court.Requiring our law enforcement to fight a "war" on drugs drains resources and focus away from violent crime. Oakland police make about 1,000 marijuana arrests every year. Meanwhile, no arrests were made for half of the murders last year. [[Most]]
homicides go unsolved.http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_2433804
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on November 04, 2004 at 07:25:34 PT
Whoops!
A crack opened and a little of the truth slipped out:Mayor Jerry Brown said the Police Department will continue to police the open-air drug markets that lead to many of Oakland's murders and use common sense in enforcing marijuana laws.So, if murders are occurring, I guess those markets aren't being policed very well, are they? Or perhaps it's impossible to police them, isn't it?
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