Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Two weeks ago, we reported on the battle over Measure B in California's Mendocino County. At that time, 10 days after voters there went to the polls to weigh in on the bid to undo the county's groundbreaking Measure G, which allowed anyone to grow up to 25 marijuana plants, Measure B was leading by a margin of 52% to 48%, but more than a third of the votes had not been counted.
Well, now they have, and the results are the same: Measure B was approved by voters by a margin of 52% to 48%. Now, if the measure is found to be constitutional -- which is in doubt because of a recent California appellate court ruling -- only medical marijuana patients and caregivers can grow, and they can only grow six plants per patient.
Still, opponents of Measure B claimed a "moral victory," as Dale Gieringer of California NORML put it in a press release. "The final margin was so close that opponents would have won in a general election, where turnout is larger, younger, and more liberally inclined. Marijuana proponents intend to return to the county with more workable proposals for legally regulating the county's marijuana industry," Gieringer wrote.
Spurred in part by cultural opposition to marijuana, in part by worries over crime and quality of life issues associated with the county's $500 million a year (lowball figure) pot crop, and in part by complaints that local employers could not find workers because they were making more money in the pot trade, the initiative was expected to win convincingly. The measure was placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors, with support from the city councils of Willits and Ukiah, the district attorney, the county's leading newspaper and major media, and local development interests upset by the difficulty of paying competitive wages.
"Everything was stacked against us from the beginning," said No on B campaign director Laura Hamburg. But the No on B campaign managed to raise serious doubts about whether Measure B would have any impact on the large commercial grows that stoked much of the concern, turning the election into a horse race.
Look for a quick legal challenge to Measure B from the Mendocino activist community, which has already vowed to go back to voters with new measures aimed at taxing and regulating marijuana production and sales there.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
Taxation on Pot? Alas, progress!
Yo, people:
With all this talk of black budgets, social terrorism (FOX news) and the financial coup de'tat (the Central Bank and all coporate banks), it's great to hear that the opposition to Measure B would consider taxation. What? Historically, alcohol prohibition ended the same way: during the Depression, the economy in America was a real mess. The new president, F.D. Roosevelt tried to solve this economic problem by raising money for the federal government from alcoholic taxes and tariffs. Get it?! Trust me, that's one tax I would be glad to pay!
Cigarette Manufacturers - Get Your Legal Pot Cigarettes Here
A friend of mine said that he heard that some of the big cigarette manufacturers are talking to local CA pot growers about working as "consultants" for them when pot is legalized nationally. Go Democrats!!! Hey Republicans - take a hit and relax - sell your pharmaceutical stocks and "just say yes!!!!!!!!"
how many times do we have to say it?
"ITS NORML TO SMOKE POT!"
In reply to how many times do we have to say it? by Anonymous (not verified)
Right. That is why you
Right. That is why you can't spell normal.
In reply to Right. That is why you by Anonymous (not verified)
Wow...someone is an
Wow...someone is an idiot..."you can't spell Normal...normally...lol"...NORML.org check it out, maybe you will figure out what a pun is.
Why don't we all drink
Why don't we all drink ourselves in oblivion? Let's not mention the detestation that it has on most Native American Reservations around this country. Anyone who smokes cigarettes or drinks alcohol ultimately have not room in pointing their fingers. If you are straight edge, I would spend more of my energy condemning alcohol and cigarettes especially if I were still you. So many people are senseless and do not even to stop and think for a second about about screwed their thought processes are. It is a hypocrisy that gets broomed under the rug, while we are left to drink and drive and smoke ourselves onto an oxygen tank at age 70. That is amusing considering these little hierarchies people love to throw on wrong doing, or sin. I hardly find smoking a natural herb wrong when a few powerful people can lie, cheat, and steal their ways into higher positions of wealth and power. Would they begin to ban drinking tea if it made you feel funny for a couple hours? As a matter of fact, yes it is the same issue in Central/South America. Do not fret though, it is the prohibition of our age, and we will see its legitimization just as alcohol, which could actually be argued against today. And as for cigarettes...fuck cigarettes.
Herb won't go away...it's here to stay
As a resident of Mendocino County, I've seen both the good and the bad. I find most people here are natural, loving, kind people who grow organic, superb weed for personal, recreational and medical use. It is famous all over California for those reasons. Any strain is available. If it is made illegal; even if the 25 plant limit is limited to 6 - the laws of supply and demand will cause the growers to have increased incentive to sell because they will be able to command extremely high prices due to its illegality. It's similar to any other prohibited thing, such as prostitution. The value is determined based on how much risk the seller is taking! If it was legal, especially in Mendocino County, then the price of it would go drastically down. Look to history to prove these points.
Peace.
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