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Medical marijuana users and advocates for legalization gathered this weekend near San Francisco for the International Cannabis and Hemp Expo. The two-day event attracted more than 15,000 attendants at the Cow Palace Arena in nearby Daly City for vendor displays of various medicinal marijuana related products. The expo was also historic insofar as, after a four-year organizational fight, it became the first trade show in the United States to allow for legal on-site usage of the substance. As the Tax and Regulate Cannabis initiative is set to be placed on the ballot in California\u2019s upcoming November elections, a panel discussion on legalization was held as well at the event. In an argument differing from most opponents of the initiative, a contingent from Humboldt said that it would allow for the home cultivation of marijuana that would result in market prices being driven down and would negatively affect their business. Another panelist interjected by touting the merits of decriminalization in reducing the number of people imprisoned for marijuana related charges over the economic concerns of local industries. The debate over legalization is expected to heat up from now until November as the initiative will undoubtedly face increasing criticisms from law enforcement agencies and other anti-drug advocates. As part of KPFK’s special 4\/20 programming all day today we turn now to Mark Kleiman. <\/p>\n
GUEST: Mark Kleiman, Professor of Public Policy in the UCLA School of Public Affairs. He teaches courses on methods of policy analysis and on drug abuse and crime control policy, author of Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control and Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results. He also edits the Drug Policy Analysis Bulletin. His latest book is called When Brute Force Fails<\/em><\/p>\n Read Mark Kleiman’s writing at www.samefacts.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n