Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2014
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

VOTE WITH NGAIO: ON MARIJUANA AND NEXT WEEK'S ELECTION

Do you have a stance on Proposition 47 and, if it passes, how do you 
think it will impact marijuana in the state? Also, have any voting 
advice for marijuana-related issues?

- -Reggie Stardvotar

I am glad you asked. Of course I do. Voting is the most important 
thing you can do as an activist and as an American. Never let anyone 
tell you that voting doesn't work. We got medical marijuana through 
the vote. Voters legalized the recreational use of cannabis in 
Washington and Oregon because people showed up to vote. If elections 
didn't matter, the GOP wouldn't be trying to pass all these 
bullshit-ass voter ID laws. Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote! I 
cannot stress this enough.

Anyway, yes. In California, the only real drug-related initiative on 
the ballot is Proposition 47, which would change the law so that some 
low-level, nonviolent crimes (drug possession, petty theft, forgery, 
yada yada) would be misdemeanors instead of felonies. If passed, this 
bill is expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in court 
costs. That money would then be used to help out schools, 
mental-health services, and drug treatment programs.

I am all for it. So are Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Senators Mark 
Leno, Loni Hancock and Darrell Steinberg. Heck, even former 
Congressman Newt Gingrich (and I can't stand him) thinks this is a 
good bill. The opponents are the usual gang of law-enforcement 
officers that think all of our problems would be solved if we could 
just put everyone in jail.

Vote yes on 47.

Turning to more local matters: In Nevada County, Proposition S is on 
the ballot. It would replace the draconian-outdoor growing 
regulations created by the board of supervisors with something way 
more reasonable. Instead of a grow having to be 1,000 feet away from 
a school, it would have to be 600 feet away. Instead of having to 
grow their cannabis on flat land (!?!?), growers would be allowed to 
grow on terraced property. I don't even get why the BOS would mandate 
that all grows have to be on flat land. Do they even know the terrain 
of Nevada County? Also, the plant limits would be raised and indoor 
growers would be allowed to have two grow rooms: one for young and 
vegetating plants, and one for plants going into flower. Also, 
outdoor grows would be restricted to nonresidential zones and the 
property must be larger than 2 acres. These are all very reasonable 
rules and I urge you all to vote hell yes on S.

And please, please, please get all of your people that live in Oregon 
to vote yes on 91. And call your friends in Alaska and tell them to 
vote yes on 2. And your homies in Florida, remind them to vote yes on 
2, too! And if you have peeps in Washington, D.C., have them vote yes on 71.

City by city, county by county, state by state-we will legalize 
marijuana. Keep voting and we will prevail.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom