cannabisnews.com: Group Pushing Local Marijuana Law





Group Pushing Local Marijuana Law
Posted by CN Staff on February 03, 2006 at 18:41:22 PT
By Rosanna Mah, The Independent Staff Writer
Source: Los Angeles Independent
California -- A marijuana advocacy group is putting together a signature-gathering drive for a ballot initiative that will require the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station to make enforcing adult marijuana offenses its lowest priority.But both supporters of the proposed measure and officials agree that passage of the initiative would be largely symbolic.
City Councilman John Duran pointed out that unlike the city of Oakland, which has passed a similar initiative, West Hollywood does not have direct supervision and oversight of the sheriff’s station, whose services are contracted by the city. Duran said he planned to bring the issue for a council vote in the first week of March to avoid the costly initiative process, “because a lot of the things they are seeking in the initiative are already current practices of the city.”The proposed initiative is an effort to decriminalize marijuana use by having West Hollywood officials specify in their contract with law enforcement officials that any investigations, citations, arrests, property seizures and prosecutions for adult marijuana use will be made its lowest priority. It also calls on city officials to establish a policy that supports federal and state taxation and regulation of marijuana.The marijuana initiative — which targets personal use — will not apply to cases involving drug-dealing to minors, or sale, distribution, cultivation, or use on public property as well as driving under the influence. West Hollywood residents Jessica Canada and Lars Hedman, who are affiliated with the newly-formed West Hollywood Civil Liberties Alliance, have filed a notice of intent at the city clerk’s office to begin circulating the petition.The West Hollywood city attorney has 15 days to review and prepare a ballot title and summary.Once the measure is prepared, initiative backers must collect over 3,500 valid signatures, over the next 180 days, to qualify for the November ballot.Writer Mike Grey of Los Angeles, co-chair of the Alliance, said that a recent poll showed that around 80 percent of West Hollywood voters would pass the drug reform measure. He said similar efforts are underway in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara.“This is not going to be an earth-shaking event in West Hollywood,” said Grey. “but I think this will be significant in Los Angeles County. ... We hope that the Los Angeles City Council and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will begin to discuss this issue of marijuana use more openly.” But officials say it should not come as a surprise if arrests statistics on pot busts are already low in some cities including West Hollywood, a liberal city known for its friendly laws towards medical marijuana use.“I imagine if you look at the statistics, you wouldn’t find a lot of arrests on adult use of recreational use of marijuana in their own private residences,” said West Hollywood City Attorney Mike Jenkins. “It’s not the product of anything official, it’s probably what you would find in the statistics for any law enforcement agency.”Capt. David Long, who heads the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, said he did not believe that pot busts in West Hollywood were “very high” but emphasized that drug laws in the state of California still prohibit recreational use of marijuana.“I don’t think it’s very high,” said Long. “This is the first I’ve heard of this [ballot initiative], and I haven’t had a chance to research it.“I don’t know how much time we spend on marijuana cases ... but people don’t usually go to jail for the use of marijuana. They go to jail for the sale of marijuana. [Typically] it’s just a citation, they go court and it’s like a speeding ticket so long it’s under a specific amount and for personal use — where it’s less that an ounce — but ... it’s a citable fine.”Bruce Margolin, a criminal defense attorney and co-chair of the initiative, said the petition was a “public expression” of how people feel about the federal and state governments’ failed war on drugs. Margolin, who supports the legalization of pot use, said California wastes over $150 million of taxpayer dollars annually on enforcing marijuana laws that harshly penalize pot users for a nonviolent offense.“During my 38 years as a criminal defense attorney, I have seen many young people go to jail along with robbers and murderers because of marijuana convictions, and it’s a tragedy,” said Margolin, director of the L.A. chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML).Margolin said that marijuana use among adults should be a constitutional right, not considered a criminal offense.If West Hollywood voters approve the measure, it will follow the footsteps of other cities, such as Seattle, Denver, Oakland, Calif., and Columbia, Mo. that passed similar initiatives ordering police to make low-level marijuana arrests their lowest priority.Source: Los Angeles Independent (CA)Author: Rosanna Mah, The Independent Staff WriterPublished: February 1, 2006Copyright: 2006 Los Angeles Independent Newspaper GroupContact: editor laindependent.comWebsite: http://www.laindependent.com/NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 04, 2006 at 10:25:01 PT
I Can See The Reverse Logical Conclusion
The impact on forcing laws against medical marijuana may have an unintended impact on state Representatives:" Fine! If the Federal Government will not allow Medical Marijuana, we'll just legalize Recreational use!"Problem solved.
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Comment #6 posted by charmed quark on February 04, 2006 at 06:21:56 PT
OT: Acomplia
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/13788638.htmThe above is another story about the new weight-loss drug that works by blocking the cannabinoid-1 receptor in the brain. It can also be used to aid in stopping smoking.What interested me was the statement in the article that the drug, in addition to helping lose 5 to 10% of body weight, also raises good cholesterol (HDL), loweres triglycerides, and improves blood sugar and blood pressure. This is a holy 5 out of 7 in reducing the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The article says half of the improvements in HDLs and triglycerides is independent of the weight loss and directly due to the drug.Side effects are the exact opposites of what THC helps - dizzyness, nausea, maybe depression.So, as a medical user of Marinol, I wonder if this drug can have the negative effect of lowering HDL and raising triglycerides? It docks with the same receptor that Acomplia blocks. Anybody here with good medical knowledge? I wonder if whole cannabis, with its CBD and other cannabinoids, has a different effect.-CQ
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Comment #5 posted by mayan on February 04, 2006 at 05:38:54 PT
Bass Ackwards
Writer Mike Grey of Los Angeles, co-chair of the Alliance, said that a recent poll showed that around 80 percent of West Hollywood voters would pass the drug reform measure. He said similar efforts are underway in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara.This is making the San Diego,San Bernardino and Riverside(?) county supervisors look incredibly stupid. While they are using the taxpayer's money in an attempt to overturn the MEDICAL cannabis law that those very same taxpayers passed, other municipalities in the state are moving towards easing the ban on RECREATIONAL cannabis! Other news...Medical pot moratorium extended:
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060204/NEWS01/602040312/1006/news01 SOUTH AFRICA-SWAZILAND: Marijuana - hope for the homeless:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51526&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=SOUTH_AFRICA-SWAZILANDAmsterdam 'no toking' signs being pilfered:
http://dwb.newsobserver.com/24hour/world/story/3133269p-11839098c.htmlBREAKING INTO THE MAINSTREAM...Editorial in Miami Herald Questions Official 9/11 Story:
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20060201151741309Questions remain from 9/11 report, professor says: 
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/163875/3/Experts Claim Official 9/11 Story is a Hoax: http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20060130/bs_prweb/prweb339303_5
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Comment #4 posted by potpal on February 04, 2006 at 05:08:29 PT
headline
Often times the headline will give away which way a news org really is leaning.Group 'pushing' local marijuana law...Why not 'seeking' or 'requesting'...no...they're 'pushing' it, like drug dealers do. Deliberate knock.
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 04, 2006 at 04:46:33 PT
If Only We Would Use Our Time Effectively
If only we spent as much time investigating and filing charges on our federal, state, county and municipal representatives, law enforcement and administrative officials who insist on jailing innocent Cannabis Consumers as we do on voter initiatives and law suits, our time spent would be much more effective at changing the laws.Think about it, get those busted who seek to bust us. Let them know how it feels to have people seeking to put them in jail. The ensuing media circus would send a strong message to these hateful members of government. To coin a conservative view point about wire tapping, if they're not doing anything wrong, they have nothing to worry about. I suggest that nobody's perfect.
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on February 03, 2006 at 22:34:21 PT
lowest priority.???
How about NO PRIORITY!Take it off the books, My children.+ PLUS + PLUS + On topic.This morning, - 2:3:6 I wrote this on My place where I write:"Nothing is by coincidence; NOTHING."Now, just, not even 15 minutes ago (20 now), I notice and call to confirm, My local grocery; City Market's store number is 420.!Again:Nothing is by coincidence; NOTHING.Let Us put some things into perspective, which is not coincidence;Summit County Colorado, is High;It has the 2 highest peaks on the entire Continental Divide;And those are also the only 2 peaks on the Divide that are 14,000 feet above sea level (Grays   14,270' and Torres   14,267); They are next to A-Basin which is considered (so some) as the center of the universe; & untill recently, it was the highest lift served ski area on the Continent;Colorado, which has the highest, lowest elevation of any state in the US;And the grocery, I've shopped at for $25 years, I now find out is City Market # 420.What will be revealed next?And by the way, I don't think they have one product with hemp.I go to Alpine Market for that; did today, in fact.This is not too much. 
The Green Collar WorkerCarpenterFrom Stoner & Climax
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Comment #1 posted by ekim on February 03, 2006 at 20:33:27 PT
anyone going to vegas next week end see Norm
if you can take a copy of the leap promo--thousands are waiting to see it --they just dont know it exists.Feb 10 06 Las Vegas Futurists 06:00 PM Norm Stamper Las Vegas Nevada USA 
 Advisory Board member and speaker Norm Stamper has a discussion and book signing at Borders Books in Las Vegas. Sponsored by the Las Vegas Futurists. http://www.profuturists.org/ " "Anyone concerned about the failure of our $69 billion-a-year War on Drugs should watch this 12-minute program. You will meet front line, ranking police officers who give us a devastating report on why it cannot work. It is a must-see for any journalist or public official dealing with this issue." http://www.leap.cc -- Walter Cronkite http://www.leap.cc "Coming Saturday, Feb. 11th, 7pm EST: Catch Jack Cole's upcoming interview on our biggest Internet Broadcast to date! Tune in to Free Talk Live! For a list of affiliates & networks go to: http://freetalklive.com/affiliates.php or just go to http://freetalklive.com/tunein.php and listen over the Internet!" 
http://www.leap.cc/events
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