Pubdate: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Copyright: 2004 Hearst Communications Inc. Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388 Author: Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writer Note: Text of the proposed "Oakland Cannabis Regulation & Revenue Ordinance" is posted at http://www.canorml.org/laws/oaklandinitiative.htm Cited: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws http://www.norml.org Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) Pro-Marijuana Advocates Seek Oakland Vote Initiative Would Put Cannabis Legalization on November Ballot A coalition of marijuana advocates launched an initiative campaign Thursday for a measure that would effectively legalize marijuana for personal use in Oakland and allow the city to tax and regulate pot sellers. The proposed initiative comes one day after the City Council gave its final approval to an ordinance that will restrict and regulate the operations of cannabis clubs that serve medical marijuana patients. Critics of the downtown "Oaksterdam" district claimed that a dozen unregulated clubs were sometimes selling recreational marijuana. The initiative, sponsored by a pro-marijuana coalition called the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance, does not directly address medical marijuana issues. Instead, it would legalize all marijuana use for adults. The proposed ballot measure would instruct city officials "to tax and regulate the sale of cannabis for adult use, so as to keep it off the street and away from children, and to raise revenue for the city." The measure also asks city officials to advocate state legalization of marijuana for adult use and directs police to give lowest priority to investigating private marijuana use. Clare Lewis, a spokeswoman for the coalition, said the group hoped to gain the signatures of 10 percent of Oakland's voters -- 19,000 -- to put it on the November ballot. If approved, the measure would put the city in direct opposition to state and federal laws banning marijuana. The Oakland city attorney's office declined to comment on the measure because it has not yet reviewed the proposal. Lewis said that a poll of several hundred Oakland residents indicated support for taxing and regulating the sale of cannabis. Three quarters of poll respondents also think that Oakland should make adult cannabis use the lowest priority for law enforcement, Lewis said. "In this time of budget crisis, it's crazy to waste taxpayers' money criminalizing rather than taxing California's No. 1 cash crop," said Dale Gieringer of Oakland, state coordinator of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown said the proposed initiative was misguided, ridiculous and most likely illegal. "This is not worth the paper it's put on," Brown said. "The City of Oakland cannot repeal the state laws of California. ... This will never stand up. There are people shooting each other on the streets over marijuana. ... I don't see this (proposal) helping us fight violent crime." East Oakland Councilwoman Desley Brooks said legalizing and regulating marijuana might reduce gun violence associated with the illegal marijuana trade. "The situation now does not work," Brooks said. The initiative "provides an opportunity for people to make their own decision as to whether this is right for the city." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake