Pubdate: Mon, 12 Apr 2010
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

WITHOUT CO-SPONSOR, AMMIANO'S POT BILL LAGGING

California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco,  started a
national conversation by introducing a bill  to legalize and tax
marijuana for recreational use in  California. In the days afterward,
even Fox News  commentator Glenn Beck said, "It is about time we
legalized marijuana."

While Ammiano's bill, introduced in February, has  sparked cable and
blog chatter and supportive  editorials from around the world, it
hasn't received a  single co-sponsor. He pulled it from a committee
hearing scheduled for late March - he said it was  scheduled without
his knowledge - and plans to hold a  hearing in late fall or early
winter. The measure is  now a two-year bill, giving the freshman
legislator  through next year to build support.

Few doubt Ammiano's political bravery in introducing  legislation that
challenges one of society's  long-standing taboos - he calls it the
"wink-wink"  attitude many have toward weed. But is the former
stand-up comedian and first-term legislator  representing one of the
most liberal parts of the  country the right person to lead the fight
for pot  legalization?

Can a longtime San Francisco supervisor convince his  conservative
colleagues from districts that don't have  dozens of pot clubs that
they're not taking a political  risk by supporting a bill the state
Board of  Equalization says could raise more than $1 billion in
revenue for a cash-starved state?

"Oh, don't underestimate me, pal," Ammiano said. He  isn't concerned
about not having co-sponsors so early  in the process, especially for
a highly detailed bill  that could be reviewed by three different
Assembly  committees. Privately, he has been having conversations
with his more conservative colleagues, many of whom he  said are
telling him, " 'Great idea - I don't think I  can vote for it yet.' I
think they need the assurance  of their constituents that they won't
be thrown out of  office, which I think would be highly unlikely. They
  won't be thrown out of office for this."

Economic, Social Benefits

So he hopes to appeal to them either with the economic  benefits of
legalization or with the prospect of  reducing drug-related violence.
When he lobbies  legislators from the more rural districts, he
explains  how legalization could reduce the growing operations of
international drug cartels.

The bill couldn't come at a friendlier time for pot  legalization.
Days after it was introduced, the Obama  administration's Justice
Department said states should  make their own rules regarding medical
marijuana - a  change from the previous two administrations.

While several recent polls have shown an rise in the  percentage of
respondents who would support legalizing  pot, GOP consultant Rob
Stutzman doesn't sense a  grassroots hunger for legislation.

"People who want to use marijuana are finding it and  not having that
much trouble using it," said Stutzman,  who advises GOP gubernatorial
hopeful Meg Whitman (who  he said opposes legalization).

But Ammiano replied, "If we're hemorrhaging money and  doing this
wink-wink, nod-nod all these years, it's  about time we start
harvesting this. And admit to the  fact that it's going to be around
and if we regulate  and tax it, and decriminalize it, we could have
not  only an economic benefit but a policy benefit."

Politically, such an effort would be challenging,  Stutzman said, as
Ammiano's political pedigree "does  allow the issue to be
compartmentalized as a very  left-wing, San Francisco idea. If there
was a  legislator from Fresno or even suburban Los Angeles  sponsoring
it, it might be a little different."

Vasconcellos' Early Effort

Five years ago, former state Sen. John Vasconcellos,  D-Santa Clara,
had similar legislation drafted. But  Vasconcellos, one of the most
powerful legislators in  Sacramento with nearly 40 years of service,
never  introduced it.

He wasn't shy about taboo-shaking legislation. He  sponsored "The
California Task Force to Promote  Self-esteem and Personal and Social
Responsibility" and  proposed that 14-year-olds be allowed to vote.
But he  told The Chronicle that he pulled the pot bill because  he
felt critics would revive their prediction that  medical cannabis -
which he long championed - was  merely a tactic to eventually legalize
weed.

So the measure remained in the dark until a few months  ago. When Dale
Gieringer, coordinator of California  NORML (National Organization for
the Reform of  Marijuana Laws) heard that Ammiano's office was
considering a similar move, he shared Vasconcellos'  legislation with
the staff.

Ammiano said Vasconcellos "told me to 'Just go for it.' "

"Tom has always been a courageous spokesperson for  cutting-edge
issues in San Francisco," Gieringer said.  As for whether that ability
translates to a statewide  stage, Gieringer said, "He may be
ideologically and  culturally polarizing, but personally, he's not."

Gieringer cautions that moving this bill forward will  take time,
noting that medical marijuana took several  years to take hold
statewide in California. Now, 13  states have legalized medical
marijuana. "This," he  said, "goes deeper than Tom Ammiano."

This article appeared on page A - 10 of the San  Francisco Chronicle 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D