cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Measure Won't Make Difference Marijuana Measure Won't Make Difference Posted by FoM on November 09, 2000 at 10:27:28 PT By Mike Geniella, The Press Democrat Source: Press Democrat Mendocino County's vote to decriminalize pot for personal use will have national significance, advocates said Wednesday. "It's a message that will be hard to ignore," said former Rep. Dan Hamburg of Ukiah, a Measure G proponent.But local, state and federal authorities said they are making no change in how they go about enforcing pot laws following Tuesday's approval of the Green Party-sponsored ballot measure by a 58-42 percent margin. "Nothing changes. Absolutely nothing. State and federal laws treating marijuana as an illegal substance remain in effect," said Nathan Barankin, spokesman for state Attorney General Bill Lockyer.Barankin said North Coast pot advocates can celebrate all they want, "But the reality is their vote is only symbolic."The federal Drug Enforcement Agency agreed.As to prospects for eventual decriminalization of marijuana nationwide, agency representatives Wednesday cited a recent report on non-medical marijuana use by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at New York's Columbia University.Among that report's conclusions: "It is clear that decriminalization of the drug would certainly increase use among the nation's teens and children. In a society that looks to government to protect it from unsafe cars and toys -- and that recognizes that the availability of guns increase their uses -- it is hard to understand why anyone would take actions likely to make this drug more readily available to our children."Mendocino's Measure G would allow cultivation and possession of up to 25 pot plants for personal use.That amount has been unlikely to prompt law enforcement action in the county since approval two years ago of Proposition 215, the medical marijuana initiative.Mendocino County District Attorney Norman Vroman said Wednesday he expected Measure G to win, given county residents' weariness of a costly government anti-pot campaign "that's lucky to net 10 percent of the pot grown every year in this county."Nevertheless, Vroman said when it comes to prosecuting marijuana cultivation cases, "It's going to be business as usual.""People would be very mistaken to assume that because Measure G passed, Mendocino County will become a safe haven for marijuana growers," said Vroman.Vroman said local authorities may tacitly look the other way at so-called "mom-and-pop" growers because of staffing and money concerns, but any reported marijuana cultivation operations whether large or small will be investigated and prosecuted if warranted."That's the law. We will do our jobs," said Vroman.Complete Title: Marijuana Measure Won't Make Difference, Officials Say You can reach Staff Writer Mike Geniella at 462-6470 or e-mail: mgeniella pressdemocrat.comSource: Press Democrat, The (CA) Author: Mike Geniella, The Press Democrat Published: November 9, 2000Copyright: 2000 The Press Democrat Address: Letters Editor, P. O. Box 569, Santa Rosa CA 95402 Fax: (707) 521-5305 Contact: letters pressdemo.com Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/ Forum: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/talk.htmlFeedback: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/letform.html Related Articles & Web Site:The Green Partyhttp://www.greenparty.org/ Mendocino County OKs Pot Growing and Smoking http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7600.shtmlMendocino Co. First in US To Decriminalize Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7593.shtmlDEA Defends Methodhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7589.shtmlMendocino Marijuana Measure Famoushttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7574.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by Nathan on February 03, 2001 at 13:09:25 PT: Unbiased marijuana research sources Hi there. I'm trying to compile information on both short and long term affects of smoking marijuana, but I'm having trouble finding non-biased resources. Everypage that I visit has conflicting information with the page prior to.Any and all information would be greatly appreciated. Plese send all links to:themadturnip hotmail.comThanks,Nathan. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by freedom fighter on November 11, 2000 at 22:02:37 PT ahh FoM Thanks for the prayers, yes, I am okay. Just angry tho. It will go away with time. Thanks for your kind words. It does help. Peace be with you and your family. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 10, 2000 at 19:32:50 PT freedom fighter, Are you ok? freedom fighter, Are you ok? I wish I could do something to help you but I know I can't. My heart goes out to you and my prayers will be with you. I hope you don't object to me saying that.Peace, FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by freedom fighter on November 10, 2000 at 17:20:53 PT totalitarianism I know from personal experience. If you put a man in prison for growing one plant, ask me what is it like. I never would want anyone to go the path I am on now. I was raided by the narcs yesterday, it is an terrible experience that I do not wish upon anyone. It is totalitarianism its' highest ever if you should put a deaf person who grew a simple plant in a prison. Each of you are responisble for me because I cannot hear. As well as I am to you, if I could tell this. I am responisble for growing this one plant and I meant no one any harm. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Frank on November 10, 2000 at 16:07:14 PT $10,000.00 for Each Pot "Bust" What needs to be done is to impeach the county attorney. Get rid of them. Recall them now! Or get a measure passed on the county level that states for every pot bust $10,000.00 dollars must be given to drug rehab by the county law enforcement and the money is NOT to Come from any defendant or by forfeiture of any property but out of law enforcements budget. So every time a police officer of the county writes a citation for pot it cost the county $10,000.00 dollars. You will see very few if any pot busts. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by someguy555 on November 10, 2000 at 12:17:13 PT It is clear... It is clear that when the will of the voters is ignored, it is no longer democracy. Abraham Licoln wanted to ensure that the 630,000+ Americans who were casualties of the Civil War "had not died in vain" so "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this earth".America is strongly teetering on the fringe of totalitarianism. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by dddd on November 09, 2000 at 23:16:43 PT more better,or less worse? I will refrain from using the profane explitives that reflect my feelings concerning statements like;"Nothing changes. Absolutely nothing. State and federal laws treating marijuana as an illegal substanceremain in effect,",,,,or the recent comment,"it doesnt matter what the voters say"(not an exact quote). These type comments,are an insult to anyone who took the time to vote.I guess such arrogant, and defiant statements from those in power should be no suprize when one considers how dimented our 'wanna be',supposed democracy has become. On the bright side,we do seem to be making incremental progress,and our successful movements are annoying those who are against us.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by demiwolf on November 09, 2000 at 18:26:33 PT: PIGS Measure G means nothing to them just as Prop. 15 meant nothing to the pigs. Business as usual, locking up non violent cannabis users. I used to think that when a measure was voted on and won then it was the law. Clue me in if that is not the case. LEO'S should'nt have any voice in making the laws, just enforcing them equally. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Lehder on November 09, 2000 at 16:58:24 PT "Nothing changes. Absolutely nothing." Totalitarian movements obtain all their information and science from their own ideologies. No reference to fact is tolerated. Totalitarians seek to impose their imagined, fictitious world upon reality and upon the minds of their subjects. Power and information may flow only outward from the totalitarian movement, never inward from reality. No reference to the actual world is needed nor can it be accommodated by a totalitarian movement. The drug war in Mendocino County will be intensified.So it seems to me. I cannot otherwise explain these remarkable phenomena, particularly in a democracy. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by legalizeit on November 09, 2000 at 14:24:55 PT It is clear that these people are IMBECILES!!! >National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at New York's Columbia University.There's a conflict of interest already. How much of our tax money went to fund this tripe?>Among that report's conclusions: "It is clear that decriminalization of the drug would certainly increase use among the nation's teens and children... blah, blah, blah."Are these people COMPLETELY out of touch with reality? Can't they see that legal, regulated pot would be FAR LESS LIKELY to end up in the hands of children than it is now? How hard is it for children to get alcohol now? Pot would be equally inaccessible under legalization (with the possible exception of children raiding their parents' home grows, but that is where the parents should take responsibility.) All these idiots talk about is children, children, children, children, children, children! What about the rights of adults to consume the intoxicant of their choice, especially one that happens to be a naturally growing plant with a long and dignified pre-DEAland history?I think they should recrim alcohol and see what that does to children and teens' consumption as well as the overall black market and crime rate.>"That's the law. We will do our jobs," said Vroman.Have you considered a different line of work? Like... gardening? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by TroutMask on November 09, 2000 at 10:51:54 PT Duh! "As to prospects for eventual decriminalization of marijuana nationwide, agency representatives Wednesday cited a recent report on non-medical marijuana use by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at New York's Columbia University."Stupid! Why not ask a Republican (or Democrat, whatever) who the best candidate is? Why not ask a Fundamentalist Christian which religion is best? The point is, you are listening to someone who has a vested interest in prohibition and specifically the idea that marijuana is a dangerous addictive substance, which it clearly isn't according to NON-BIASED research organizations.If we're going to be stating "facts" here, lets state the facts as determined by UNBIASED sources!!! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: