Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jan 2014
Source: Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)
Copyright: 2014 The Spokesman-Review
Contact:  http://www.spokesman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/417

CALIFORNIA SHOULD WATCH COLORADO, WASHINGTON BEFORE LEGALIZING POT

The nation's first experiment with the legal sale of recreational
marijuana began Jan. 1 in Colorado, and by all accounts it was pretty
mellow. Washington, where voters legalized marijuana in 2012, will
begin permitting pot shops this spring. Alaska may vote on a marijuana
ballot measure in August, and advocates are eyeing Oregon, Arizona and
Massachusetts next.

California, too, could reconsider legalization as soon as November.
Four initiatives to permit, regulate and tax marijuana have been
submitted to the state. It's unclear whether advocates have the time,
money or will to get them on the 2014 ballot or whether they'll wait
for 2016, when there will be a presidential race underway.

Our view is: What's the rush? Other states are experimenting, so why
not wait and see what they learn?

Advocates of legalization believe this is their moment because public
attitudes toward marijuana have been softening since 2010, when
California voters rejected Proposition 19, which would have allowed
recreational use. A Field Poll released in December found that 55
percent of California voters back legalization  the first time there's
been clear majority support.

One reason to wait is that California didn't do such a good job when
it led the nation on medical marijuana. Look at the confusion that
continues to surround the medical marijuana industry in the state.
Dispensaries are legal in some cities, not in others. Cities pass
ordinances regulating them, courts overturn the rules. Eighteen years
after voters passed the California Compassionate Use Act, and a decade
after the Legislature authorized dispensaries, the regulatory
environment is still hazy.

Legalizing recreational use would be even trickier. How should it be
regulated, from the field to the storefront to the user? Should cities
or counties be allowed to ban marijuana shops? Could cannabis be
marketed on billboards or in TV commercials? Could people consume it
in public? Could landlords prohibit its use in residences? Could an
employer fire an employee for having traces of the drug in his or her
system? Should there be warning labels on marijuana products? What
about people currently serving time in prison for the sale and
distribution of marijuana  should their sentences be reconsidered if
it becomes legal? Will the federal government, which considers
marijuana use illegal, allow the most populous state to legalize it?

There are also legitimate questions about the potential impact of
legalization. Would drug use go up? Would more people become addicted,
and what toll would that have on society? Could there be more impaired
drivers on the road? Would the state save money if it no longer had to
police and prosecute the marijuana industry? Would crime go down?
Would drug cartels lose power and profits?

Proponents of legalization should let California sit on the sidelines
for at least another year or two while the experiment plays out in
Colorado and Washington. Postpone the ballot initiatives to 2016.
California does not need to be a leader on legalized marijuana. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D