cannabisnews.com: Should Californians Approve Prop. 19? No
function share_this(num) {
 tit=encodeURIComponent('Should Californians Approve Prop. 19? No');
 url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/25/thread25950.shtml');
 site = new Array(5);
 site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500');
 return false;
}






Should Californians Approve Prop. 19? No
Posted by CN Staff on September 19, 2010 at 06:22:00 PT
By Blair DiSesa Henley, Special To The Bee 
Source: Sacramento Bee
Sacramento, CA -- In November Californians will vote on Proposition 19 – a measure that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana use for those 21 and older. Its outspoken opponents point to everything from an increase in "drugged driving" to decreased scholastic performance as possible outcomes. But instead of spewing hypothetical projections (that are routinely swatted away by the bill's backers), they need only to look at Maastricht, Netherlands, for an indisputable, empirical case study to bolster their cause. Maastricht is an unassuming Dutch border town with a problem. It is being overrun by foreigners seeking a consequence-free opportunity to buy marijuana in one of the area's "coffee shops."
The New York Times recently reported that the city is inundated with up to 2 million drug tourists annually, and the resulting rise in crime and traffic has led Maastricht and other Dutch border cities to lobby for a change in policy. Despite what the European Union's free trade laws currently mandate, these towns want to stop selling to foreigners.You don't have to be a genius to see where this is headed. The illegal immigration issue will seem like no problema when you see the convoy of cars with out-of-state license plates streaming like eager ants over the California border toward the nearest pot picnic. Making matters worse, those priced out of the marijuana market by the going rate of $300 for an ounce of the most potent pot could see an 80 percent drop in that price if Proposition 19 passes, according to a study by the California-based Rand Corp. The Golden State is already struggling with what the Dutch have called the "back door" problem. Since medical marijuana was legalized in California nearly 15 years ago, the government has been able to regulate the sale of the drug, but has had trouble monitoring where dispensaries are obtaining their supply. In Maastricht, this quandary has led to a booming industry steeped in money laundering and organized crime. Imagine the regulatory chaos if we start seeing hash houses popping up on street corners. And what's to stop the sale of California-grown marijuana on the Internet?  Snipped   Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/2WcYxxAVSource: Sacramento Bee (CA)Author: Blair DiSesa Henley, Special To The Bee Published: September 19, 2010Copyright: 2010 The Sacramento BeeContact: opinion sacbee.comWebsite: http://www.sacbee.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help 
     
     
     
     




Comment #4 posted by John Tyler on September 20, 2010 at 20:25:18 PT
cannabis tourists = prosperity
2 million cannabis tourists (maybe more) annually to California would be great! It would bring in a much needed boost to the California economy, through the travel and entertainment industries. The tourists will have to stay somewhere, they will have to dine somewhere, and they will want to have a good time. It will be their vacation. They will be bringing in lots of money. Increase employment, increased business, increased tax revenues. It is a win, win, win situation. What is not to like about that? For the business and political types let me repeat this. even if you don't understand anything else, MONEY. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by DrDunkleosteus on September 19, 2010 at 08:59:20 PT:
The tourists! Oh the humanity!
Just what we need, people flying over here to spend their money on OUR goods and services! We can't have that now can we!?I guess she didn't take into consideration the fact that US tourism to the Netherlands would likely drop as a result, thus giving them a bit of a break. What percentage of Netherland tourists are American I wonder... ... and the bit about out-of-state drivers coming to California... uh the whole point is to legalize it nation-wide... then world-wide. Would we really stop at California? Colorado would be right behind, along with Washington and then other states. The relatively short amount of time that it would be legal only in California would be a great period of economic resurgance to the state... and to the states that can legalize the quickest. It's going to catch on quick.Yes the price would drop, but just the lower-end stuff. We still have $1000 bottles of wine don't we? The good stuff will retain its value. Those strains will typically require more equipment and supervision to cultivate than many will be willing to provide growing it themselves. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by HempWorld on September 19, 2010 at 07:23:35 PT
Dear Blair DiSesa Henley,
Get your facts straight! "What the Dutch have called the "back door" problem" is not what you are spewing in your little Sac Bee column. Your are ignorant and misinformed, is this on purpose, or are you just too lazy to get the real information?"the back door problem" is created because the Dutch, have not fully legalized production of marijuana and it is thus a remnant of prohibition with all it's dire consequences.Prop. 19 has a design for full legalization including production, hence we should embrace this and vote YES on Nov. 2.
Legalize it!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by The GCW on September 19, 2010 at 06:37:44 PT
"You don't have to be a genius" & I'm not
I'm not a genius (You don't have to be a genius) but isn't the problem one of example, where -the grass is greener on the other side of the fense and so people are simply venturing over to the other side of the fense?Many issues are described in one way and there is another way to describe it.In California, where they are facing budget shortages, haveing additional tourists visit and spend money may be a good thing to many people and to some a bad thing.Still, there is no sane or rational reason to continue prohibiting the beneficial plant cannabis. Another example:South Lake Tahoe, California being next to Nevada. When You driver over the state line, the casinos begin along with the traffic etc..... Nevada has the casino and the influx.... If Cali RE-legalizes, will Nevada complain????
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment