Pubdate: Tue, 23 Oct 2012
Source: Albany Democrat-Herald (OR)
Copyright: 2012 Lee Enterprises
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/HPOp5PfB
Website: http://www.democratherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/7
Author: Michael VonCannon

MEASURE 80'S MIRAGE

Reading the full text of Measure 80 reveals it is only a cleverly 
written deception to persuade voters to legalize marijuana in Oregon.

Proposed Section 474.065 (3) states, "The cultivation and possession 
of cannabis for personal, noncommercial use by an adult shall not 
require a license nor registration."

If adults wanting pot can grow their own for free, who will buy from 
the proposed "Oregon Cannabis Commission?"

Further, although the measure would keep present "medical marijuana" 
laws, they would become meaningless, since now Oregonians could grow 
any personal amount of marijuana for any excuse at all?

Measure 80 casts a mirage of tremendous state revenues to be gained, 
hoping this will sucker the public to vote it in. Mirages never 
materialize. Even provision to sell the commission's crops to states 
and nations where marijuana is "legal" is false; federal laws govern 
interstate commerce and prohibit Measure 80's stated goals.

Measure 80 pretends to care for minors; still can't sell to them, but 
what would stop them from raiding commercial marijuana fields, or 
maybe just a parent's or neighbor's plot, for free pot? Could even 
grow their own; who would notice? Use by minors would increase.

Today, anyone who wants marijuana seems able to obtain it; the actual 
effect of Measure 80 would simply make pot free while removing legal 
risk. Would that also put the drug cartels out of business? Measure 
80 states that false hope. The cartels specialize in meth, 
cocaine,and heroin and will not just go away.

Michael VonCannon

Lebanon (Oct. 12)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom