Pubdate: Sun, 10 May 2015
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/submitletters
Website: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Author: Michele D'Amico
Note: Michele D'Amico lives in Soquel.

COUNTY LEADERS WRONG ON POT RULES

In New York City last month, a 14-year-old died when he jumped from a 
six-story roof to avoid being caught by the police. His crime? He and 
some friends were smoking pot. This was a tragic and needless death.

Of course no one thinks smoking pot a good or healthy activity for a 
teenager, but it happens. And it's certainly not something someone 
should die from. But draconian drug laws turn children in to criminals.

That's why I am completely baffled by the Santa Cruz County 
supervisors' decision to "re-criminalize" pot cultivation. Santa 
Cruz, which prides itself on its liberal image, has taken the most 
reactionary position on marijuana at a time when most of the rest of 
the country is recognizing that legalization, quality control, 
taxation and management is a far wiser and financially lucrative 
tactic. Colorado sold $5 million worth of marijuana products the 
first week it became legal. Believe me, Mr. McPherson, they are not 
going to stop selling it. The marijuana industry, right now, is the 
fastest growing industry in this country and Santa Cruz supervisors 
are choosing to opt out.

For at least 40 years there have been illegal pot farms in our 
country. They've created violent situations and environmental 
degradation. Anyone who has stumbled on an illegal grow while hiking 
in the woods can attest to how scary they are. Now that the county 
has the power to put those illegal grows out of business, a majority 
of our supervisors have chosen to stick their heads into the ground 
and ignore the real problem. I just don't get it.

I understand there are some people who are opposed to pot growing in 
their neighborhoods just as there are many (probably many, many more) 
people who don't like living next to strawberry fields. But in 
reality, pot is a healthier and friendlier neighbor than 
strawberries. It uses less water and is almost always grown 
organically. There's no chemical spraying, no methyl bromide, no 
poisons. And when you live in an area that has an agricultural 
zoning, you should expect that there will be agriculture in the neighborhood.

Right now the county has the opportunity to institute safe and sane 
drug policies. Regulated, legal pot cultivation will create jobs and 
revenue. The position of the supervisors will only return us to the 
failed policies of black market and drug cartels.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom