cannabisnews.com: Measure K Another Attempt at De Facto Legalization Measure K Another Attempt at De Facto Legalization Posted by CN Staff on October 29, 2006 at 05:45:18 PT By Steve Smith Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel Santa Cruz, CA -- I have a challenge for the advocates of marijuana use in Santa Cruz. Try telling the truth for a change. Measure K isn't meant to reallocate Santa Cruz Police Department resources to give them "more resources to fight violent crime." Like the medical-marijuana initiative, it is just one more attempt at de facto legalization through misinformation and yes, lies. Ultimately, Measure K will decrease the ability of the police to justly apply their discretion and further remove the real issue of legalization from public discussion. Marijuana contains a powerful drug and no responsible medical practitioner advocates the smoking of any substance as a medical cure. At best, the smoking of marijuana is a palliative measure for the terminally ill. It is right that those who suffer should be free from pain. Overall though, the smoking of anything, including marijuana and tobacco, is not healthy and probably leads to respiratory disease. At its worst, marijuana is a highly addictive substance with a host of negative side effects, including that most fatal of all diseases, cancer. Ironic, isn't it?I don't believe that the use of marijuana leads to violent behavior or what is known as pharmaceutical violence. In fact, in terms of overall public safety, marijuana is less of an issue than alcohol use. But, I also believe that the illegal production of marijuana leads to a high level of systemic violence. Rival marijuana growers and traffickers are well known to use violence in order to eliminate competition and increase market share. They are committing crimes of violence and according to the Sentinel's own research, seriously damaging the environment in their outdoor "gardens." They leave behind plastics and other synthetic garbage, human waste, organic and inorganic fertilizers, and man traps to deter theft and injure law-enforcement officers. Prop. 215 has served to increase that violence and Measure K will do the same. Only outright legalization and commercial production will change this reality. The image of marijuana as a benign substance grown by ordinary people whose only interest is to share a God-given herb is a myth.I am willing to debate its use as a recreational drug and don't believe it is any worse, in terms of public health, than tobacco or alcohol. But, let's stop these specious arguments that it is a medical panacea and is distracting law enforcement from the "real" problem of crime. The Santa Cruz Police Department knows what law enforcement all over Santa Cruz County knows. We have a violent crime problem. Many of those violent crimes are perpetrated by criminal syndicates and gangs who use the proceeds form the sales of illegal substances, including marijuana, to further their criminal activities.Measure K supporter Andrea Tischler said that Measure K is not meant to allow "potheads on every corner." According to SCPD's own statistics, in 2005 only 254 citations were issued for 11357B HS possession of less than 28.5 g of marijuana. Those citations were not issued in people's homes. They were issued to potheads smoking on street corners or other public places. We regulate the public consumption of alcohol in public places. Should police officers be statutorily prevented from similarly enforcing marijuana use?Ultimately, Measure K is a Trojan Horse and will create an enforcement vacuum in Santa Cruz that will be filled by state and federal agencies over whom local voters have little or no control. Violations of federal drug laws will result in prosecution in federal courts with jurors drawn from throughout the Northern District. Those jurors will not be allowed to know if the user was a "medical marijuana" patient because the prosecution will not allow it. And, those prosecutors are successful in winning convictions.Marijuana should be debated, not law enforcement's obligation to enforce the law. Vote No on Measure K.Steve Smith is a Scotts Valley resident, a former member of the Medical Board of California, a peace officer and is currently the head of the administration of justice program at Gavilan College.Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Steve SmithPublished: October 29, 2006 Copyright: 2006 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Related Article: As We See It: Pot Measure a Bad Ideahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22320.shtmlCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by whig on October 30, 2006 at 10:06:38 PT FoM/Toker00 Keeping our online identities a little bit private seems important. I had a fan trying to get to me this weekend, who was at the time unwilling to meet in a public place or during daytime, and it made me very uncomfortable. It is fine for my friends to know where to find me, but those we have never met should not be able to just show up unexpectedly.Not that it is ever possible to be completely safe, but we should be mindful. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by FoM on October 30, 2006 at 08:59:28 PT Toker00 I know what you mean. What a mess we are in now. I think one of the main reasons I am trying to make our home comfortable is because I don't think I'll be traveling far from home anymore. I know I will never go back east again. I am glad that I was able to see most of the states in better times so I have good memories. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Toker00 on October 30, 2006 at 08:51:50 PT FoM Thank you. I feel so surveiled it just doesn't matter much if I say what I say here, or on a bull horn in a park. We all stand naked before God, anyway. Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 30, 2006 at 06:26:21 PT Toker00 I know you didn't ask but I removed your e-mail address. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Toker00 on October 30, 2006 at 02:53:45 PT FoM Oh well, I usually hide in plain sight, anyway! lol. I don't care, I just must have hit something I shouln't have. Happens.Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 29, 2006 at 16:47:28 PT Toker00 In comment number one you must have accidentially put in your e-mail address and that's why it's green. I've done that before myself. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Toker00 on October 29, 2006 at 16:42:19 PT FoM That's weird, because I haven't done anything different than usual... hmm.Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by BGreen on October 29, 2006 at 10:11:16 PT Steve Smith was a "Peace Officer" LOL What a truly Orwellian title for a cop.Peace is the last thing a cop has on his/her mind and everybody knows it, no matter what you want to call yourselves.The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Celaya on October 29, 2006 at 09:41:10 PT The "reasonable" prohibitionist People like this guy make me sick. They scream about honesty while they engage in the worst form of deceipt. I can almost understand prohibitionists who stand their ground and lie all day about harms. But cretins like this guy try to sound like "Mr. Fair." They say, "Sure, marijuana is about as harmful as alcohol and tobacco, but THIS (whatever initiative is up for vote) is not the way to fix things."They push it off on some other method, so conveniently right before a vote. They cry instead for a "debate," knowing full well their fellow elites are doing everything possible to stifle the debate. Because marijuana prohibition cannot survive a real debate.It's because of people like this and ALL prohibitionists, that I will never stop being a reformer, even after we win. Once marijuana prohibition is over, I want to form a Prohibition Watch society, and keep track of each and every one of these Inquistors - and any new ones that spring up. And that is being light on them. They deserve prison for their crimes against humanity. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 29, 2006 at 06:53:41 PT Toker00 When you or anyone posts their e-mail it is green. If you don't post your e-mail it is red. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Toker00 on October 29, 2006 at 06:46:28 PT FoM Why is my name green?Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Toker00 on October 29, 2006 at 06:44:47 PT: No matter how they package it, it still stinks. "At best, the smoking of marijuana is a palliative measure for the terminally ill. It is right that those who suffer should be free from pain."At best, this is the only truth you will allow yourself about this plant. If it's right for those who suffer, and should be free of pain, then we must include the PAIN from ANY disease, be it cancer, or depression, cramps, or migraines. And for the LIVING, not just the DIEING. "At its worst, marijuana is a highly addictive substance with a host of negative side effects, including that most fatal of all diseases, cancer. Ironic, isn't it?"At it's worst, cannabis is safer and more effective than nearly all pharma-poisons. The only negative side effects will be the collapse of the jack boot squads and the leeches of Cannabis Prohibition: Piss-testers, Drug courts, Re-hab for profit, fear mongers, and the spineless sheeple who help support these Fascist agencies who rule through fear and manipulation of the ignorant. Like those who promote fear by using the dreaded word CANCER. If it caused cancer, FEW would be smoking it, or trying to LEGALIZE it. But some sheeple will still believe this crap. "I don't believe that the use of marijuana leads to violent behavior or what is known as pharmaceutical violence. In fact, in terms of overall public safety, marijuana is less of an issue than alcohol use." But what about all those crazed killers and rapists and axe murderers you were claiming just a few years ago, became that way because of the use of Demon Weed? It was really alcohol, wasn't it? You blamed those terrible crimes on cannabis, when indeed they were influenced by alcohol! You wretch!"The image of marijuana as a benign substance grown by ordinary people whose only interest is to share a God-given herb is a myth."First of all, it's not a myth. It's a movement. Secondly, if you remove the unconstitutional laws against possession of cannabis, you will remove all the environmental damage, criminal damage, and societal damage. Then the police can chase and capture the REAL perpetrators of murder and rape and violent crime. The alcoholics and hard drug ADDICTS. But please, put the alcoholics and drug addicts in medical care, not in the pits of Earthbound Hell, prison. Reserve prison for those who don't abuse drugs but are just mean and hateful and evil, like some of the DRUG WARRIERS from HELL at the DEA, perhaps?We got 'em under presha!...We got 'em under preshaaa!!!!!Well, I'm off to pass out some flyers. v911t (Veterans for 9-11 Truth) have some nice glossies out. I'm watching Vets for Freedom Action Fund on C-span. Also Iraq Veterans Against The War. Thought it was the least I could do, these guys are speaking out against the war! See ya!Wage Peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment