Sep 17 2010
Pot Legalization Advocates Say No On 19 Campaign Based on Economic Self-Interests
Opponents of California’s proposition 19, which would legalize and tax marijuana if passed this November, got a $10,000 donation from a would-be industry competitor. The East Bay Express reported this week that the California Beer and Beverage Distributors made the large donation to the No on Prop19 campaign through its political action committee. The group’s website says it represents over 100 beer distributors and brewer/vendor members. Prop. 19 supporter retired Orange County judge James Gray explained it saying “they are protecting their own economic self-interest.” The controversial ballot measure would make marijuana a legal, controlled substance. Individuals could carry up to one ounce, and personal marijuana gardens no bigger than 5ft x 5ft would be allowed. Nationally, according to 2009 statistics released by the FBI this week, Marijuana arrests accounted for more than half of all US drugs arrests, with the majority being for possession. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health released a report yesterday showing that 16.7 million Americans had used Marijuana in the past month alone. There are a number of states including California, that have marijuana legalization measures on November’s ballot. Here in California, the state’s Board of Equalization projects that a regulated and taxed marijuana industry could generate $1.4 billion in revenue for the state every year. Supporters say the prohibition on marijuana wastes the resources of police departments and floods the prison system with non-violent offenders. Arguments against proposition 19 include concerns for public safety, and criticism that the legislation is poorly written.
GUEST: Mike Meno, Director of Communications at the Marijuana Policy Project
Find out more at www.mpp.org.
5 Responses to “Pot Legalization Advocates Say No On 19 Campaign Based on Economic Self-Interests”
Here is a California Beer & Beverage Distributors list of member companies with contact info and brands. I’ve read that some of the companies weren’t even aware of the groups contribution until after-the-fact, but please contact your favorites and tell them how you feel.
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1ds1kjDDAPB1PKHDqAA7SRi8aw8uGmUz7yMTqdtBwpyE
Cannabis is less physically addictive than caffeine, while the so-called “gateway drug” theory is a complete fantasy, and it was just recently called “half-baked” as a result of a scientific study. CNN reported that Cocaine use has dropped sharply, by 30% since 2002. I worked in addiction medicine for years, and this is what I can advice on the matter: Any suppression of Cannabis use will be immediately followed by an increase in alcohol/hard drug/prescription drug abuse! You don’t believe me, Mr. Kerlikowske? Then maybe you will believe the Big Alcohol lobby that is financing the Cannabis Legalization opponents for exactly this reason. Right now Cannabis is just simply perceived as a much safer alternative to alcohol/hard drugs, which is precisely how it should be perceived. To have a society in which there is NO psychoactive substance use is an illusion, and it will be good for our government to realize this. So then, it becomes a matter of “safer choices”, just like with the sex education, especially after we realized that “abstinence” may not be one of the viable choices! And Cannabis is, without a shadow of a doubt, a much safer choice than alcohol, hard drugs or dangerous, physically addictive prescription drugs, such as opiate pain pills! Just very recently a research study in addiction medicine has determined that Cannabis may actually serve as an “exit” substance for recovering alcoholics/hard drug addicts. People have written to me many times, relating how Cannabis helps them to stay away from alcohol, cocaine, “meth” and benzodiazepines. For some reason, these four drugs are especially prominent when it comes to an “exit substance” function of Cannabis. Then, of course, there is a potential of Cannabis in chronic pain, where other drugs may be ineffective (or physically addictive), with very important potential consequences for our wounded veterans, many of whom have chronic pain. Mr. Kerlikowske, be very happy that the cocaine abuse rate is dropping. Do not interfere with these dynamics, and then we can possibly achieve what has already been achieved in the Netherlands where the drug overdose rate is 85%(!!) lower than in the US, and that is with much more liberal Cannabis possession laws than in this country! Please check these numbers for yourselves, by all means. Mr. Kerlikowske, it is time to give up “dogma” and to start listening to the experts, if we really want to lower the alcohol/hard drug use in this country, and the accompanying dependencies and overdoses!?
Dr. Krivitsky-
Kerlikowske is not going to listen to you…nor should his opinions on marijuana be taken seriously or considered objective. His job is to lie about marijuana.
I say that not to be derogatory or insulting…I say that because his job literally dictates that he represent marijuana as befitting of schedule 1 status.
Proposition 19 is a scam designed by big business. Btw I favor legalization, am pro-pot all the way. But when you look at the dark underside of the Prop 19, you’ll see that it is not only bad for the state’s economy but also for individual marijuana users.
An excellent website that explains the dark details of Prop 19 and where it came from is http://no-on19.com. They’re a group of pot smokers who explain why they don’t want 19.
As of Oct 17th 2010, an ounce of pot is legal to possess in California anyway, so now who needs 19 (other than big business?).
Completely agree! Honestly, how can you actually bring revenue to the state if you can’t enforce the tax because consumers are protected under the fifth amendment?
http://hubpages.com/hub/No-on-Prop-19-Marijuana-California-Law