cannabisnews.com: In Oakland, Defeat of Measure Isn’t The End
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In Oakland, Defeat of Measure Isn’t The End
Posted by CN Staff on November 06, 2010 at 17:12:35 PT
By Zusha Elinson
Source: New York Times
Oakland, CA -- The television news crews that descended on Oakland last week to cover the outcome of Proposition 19, which would have legalized marijuana in the state, are now long gone, along with the high hopes of many local cannabis entrepreneurs.But Oakland’s vision of becoming a global center of the marijuana industry lives on. Proposition 19 would have given the city’s plans to allow four enormous cultivation factories a stamp of approval at least on the state level. With 54 percent of state voters rejecting full legalization, Oakland will now push further into a legal gray area by trying to permit and tax large medical marijuana operations.
The Oakland City Council will vote Tuesday on how to handle applications for four industrial cannabis farms.“All of this wasn’t predicated on Prop. 19, and so whether or not Prop. 19 passed or failed, we were going to move forward,” said Larry Reid, a council member who co-sponsored the marijuana-farm legislation with Rebecca Kaplan.Asked if it was legal under current law, Mr. Reid answered casually, “We’ll find out if it is or not.”Existing medical marijuana law requires that operations be run as collectives of caregivers and patients. But lawyers including William Panzer, who helped write the state’s medical marijuana law, question how that will be possible with such large operations.Even the Oakland city attorney, John Russo, a big supporter of Proposition 19, appears skeptical. Mr. Russo did not sign the cultivation ordinance — normally a formality — and declined to comment for this article because of potential litigation.Mr. Panzer said he feared that the effort to make marijuana a mainstream industry was moving too fast in light of the fact that it is still illegal under federal law.“Imagine you’re driving and you’re going 56 on the highway and you haven’t got a ticket so you say maybe I can go 57,” Mr. Panzer said. “Well, they said I’m going 58 and I’m not getting a ticket so maybe I’ll go 95 — you tell me what’s going to happen.”Oakland is not alone in pushing ahead. Berkeley voters passed a measure on Tuesday that would allow six 30,000-square-foot indoor growing operations in West Berkeley. And advocates are already gearing up to put legalization on the ballot again in 2012.Meanwhile, on the streets of Oakland, it is not clear how much will change.Groups of teenagers gathered Tuesday night outside Oaksterdam University, the hub of the local medical marijuana trade, along with reporters and campaign workers. Morgan Almason, who after clarifying that the measure would not make marijuana legal for teenagers said she was “21 for tonight,” was with her friends smoking marijuana.Ms. Almason said she supported Proposition 19 because “I support marijuana,” although she later admitted that she had not voted in the election. As the night wore on and Proposition 19 began to look like a sure loser, she commented, “That’s not going to stop me.”A version of this article appeared in print on November 7, 2010, on page A37A of the National edition.Source: New York Times (NY)Author:  Zusha ElinsonPublished: November 7, 2010Copyright: 2010 The New York Times CompanyContact: letters nytimes.comWebsite: http://www.nytimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/pC4BrAU4CannabisNews  -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by museman on November 07, 2010 at 09:24:04 PT
Ben Masel
Excellent question. If the cities grew herb on the rooftops, it could cut air pollution down significantly, unfortunately, I sure wouldn't want to smoke any of it! All those air pollutants going into the plant would not make for good smokable bud, the hemp parts would be OK though.They'd have to stop using all those diesel buses, cars and truck first before any herb grown on city rooftops would not be full of carcinogens. But I would still encourage it because it would work.And I have yet to be convinced of the 'high quality' associated with indoor as opposed to out door, but that may have to do with my geographical location -where some of the best bud in America is grown -outdoors.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #4 posted by Ben Masel on November 07, 2010 at 04:39:14 PT
Carbon Footprint
Each 1,000 watt lamp in these factory farms will consume the electricity generated by burning 2 tons of coal per year, with more powering the air conditioning required to remove the waste heat.Why not instead grow on the roof, with natural sunlight?
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on November 07, 2010 at 03:05:18 PT
Live long Mark Souder!
I want you to live long and experience the humiliation that comes with a manic need for power and recognition.You will live long enough for you to see legalization happen. You will live long enough to have all of your insane rantings revealed as insane rantings!Yes Mark, your road to humiliation has just taken it's first step. Get ready for a lifetime of' "aren't you that smoke bubble boy congressman who screamed, marijuana is not medicine" at reporters as if you had never read a history book or a research report?Mark the Moroon, making sure humans suffer in the name of big-pharm!-You will share a nice Satanic condo on the River Styx with G. W. Bush and Co., one day. I wonder if I can deliver a Slap-O-Gram to Hades?
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 06, 2010 at 19:34:08 PT
MikeEEEEE
I agree that we are in decline as a Nation. Our jobs have been shipped to countries that pay very low wages. No jobs, no work, no income, no way to buy anything. What goes up must come down. And down we are going. 
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 06, 2010 at 19:04:07 PT
american experiment
Friend of mine from California said, "Not enough people came out to vote."Actually, in the not too distant pass, smart voters who sat on their as es gave us bush for eight years. Oops forgot, that first bush win was stolen (thanks Murdoch, ie: News Corp.=Fox broadcasting, and corrupt judges, etc.).
On another point, the corporate media is pushing the right. Why I share the mood of the economy as you read further: When times are tough (see below), voters may go with radical idiots--common sense/progressive ideas then become less common. One really extreme case was post-WWI germany. Can history repeat itself? You can answer that one yourself.
 
I would not want to report to General George Washington that the american experiment failed. Too much turning in the grave is bad for good souls.Here are some quotes from the article below.
"If the news outlets were actually reporting, they would tell us the honest and awful truth: the United States is a post-industrial empire in decline"
"They need to tell "folks" that their future, maybe even their present, has been outsourced."
"No point changing who is in Congress or who is in the Oval Office. Doesn't matter. Just moving deck chairs on the Titanic. Or switching parties in America, which was great while it lasted."http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/06-0
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