Judge gives pot growers until Nov. 30 to harvest Criticizes Fresno County for banning pot plants, though upholds the ban. Where are medical marijuana patients supposed to get their weed, the judge asked lawyers, “the medical marijuana fairy?” (San Francisco Chronicle)
Proposition 19, the ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana failed to pass. No one seems to be crying about it today. A KTVU Newscast last night of the party over at Oaksterdam featured a somewhat baffled anchorwoman, accustomed to covering fervent campaign night rallies. When the cameras popped over to her shortly after it was announced the measure would fail, the woman looked behind her and said that no one at the party was even reacting to the news. No one waiving signs or jumping in front of the camera, no designated crowd-herder to make sure the party appeared upbeat on tv. “They’re all so mellow,” she said. Which pretty much sums up how the campaign was conducted: no big advertising pushes (no tv ads at all until the last week), no big money, no door-to-door peddlers or hand-shakers, and the biggest campaign events were more like conventions for weed enthusiasts. Now, in defeat, the Proposition 19 folks seem to be revealing the reasoning behind their low-key campaign.
This is a pretty interesting take on marijuana legalization, a play on the common argument that marijuana is by nature a less violence-inducing drug than others (like alcohol):
Which is a take on this Eminem video about… domestic violence and alcohol:
State prisons taken to task for pregnant inmate health care. The findings of a report by the Rebecca Project for Human Rights and the National Women’s Law Center are another chapter in CDCR’s ongoing problems with medical treatment in California’s overcrowded prisons. (California Watch)
Californians will go to the polls this Election Day, and decide whether to legalize marijuana for adult, recreational use. The measure’s called Proposition 19, and the debate has largely centered on how it could impact the financial future of the state.
But how has California’s anti-pot policy faired so far? Some argue that prohibiting pot keeps people from using more dangerous drugs. Others say that criminalizing cannabis disproportionately harms minorities.
Reporter Andrew Stelzer clears the air around legalizing pot in a documentary called “Prop 19: The end of the war on marijuana?” It was produced for the National Radio Project’s “Making Contact.” In this first part, Andrew Stelzer talks to some of the young people who are speaking out in favor of legalization. Transcript after the jump.
Man shot dead in Fairfield home By a foursome of masked assailants who allegedly walked into the house and said something about killing the man before shooting him four times. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Arizona executes inmate late last night And three hours after a Supreme Court (split 5-4) decision lifted a temporary stay on the execution. (AZ Central.com)
November 2nd is 11 days away, and all the stops are out in the campaign over marijuana legalization in California. Recent headlines haven’t been promising for cannabis proponents – the latest University of Southern California/Los Angeles Times poll show only 39 percent of voters are in favor of Proposition 19 (Pro-pot advocates say their own survey shows 56 percent of voters support the ballot measure). United States Attorney General Eric Holder has vowed to “vigorously enforce” federal drug laws if Prop 19 is passed – meaning D.C. and federal law enforcement agencies would still treat cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.
Despite the negative press, one of the most-publicized arguments for decriminalization is the effect it would have on law enforcement. As the argument goes, police officers would shift away from arresting people for marijuana possession and sales, freeing up staff and resources to pursue other problems at hand.
According to a report released today by the Drug Policy Alliance and the California conference of the NAACP, fewer arrests for marijuana would also mean fewer people of color going to jail. Over half a million people were arrested over the past decade for marijuana offenses in California, most of them black or Latino. From 2006 through 2008, officers in 25 major California cities arrested blacks on marijuana charges at four to twelve times the rates of whites, even though whites are statistically more likely to use marijuana. Continue reading →
