Pubdate: Thu, 24 Dec 2015
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Column: The 420
Copyright: 2015 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

AUMA REVISITED

You made a few errors about the [Adult Use of Marijuana Act] 
initiative. We should be able to possess 8 grams of concentrates 
legally. Cities can't completely ban personal home growing anywhere 
in California. They have to allow indoor, greenhouse or in a secured 
location out of public view, even in places that have bans.

The current law for over an ounce has a penalty of $500 or six months 
in jail. This unfortunately doesn't change under the initiative. It's 
what we have now and will stay that way. Most other common penalties 
will be downgraded.

If the taxes prove to be too high (evidenced by maintaining an 
illicit market), then the legislature has the authority to fix that 
and downgrade that, along with downgrading penalties even further.

If Colorado and Washington are any indication, arrests have gone way 
down since the passage of their initiatives, and they also just allow 
possession of 1 ounce. Arrests should go way down in California if 
this passes, as well.

- -Mikki Norris

Hello Mikki! Thank you for writing, and congrats on you and your 
partner Chris Conrad winning the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 
2015 Emerald Cup! You and Chris have been an unstoppable and 
inspirational combo when it comes to marijuana law reform and I thank you.

You are correct. The original wording had it listed at 4 grams of 
concentrates, but it has recently been changed to allow 8 grams. As 
to the growing ban, think about this: What defines a "secure area out 
of public view"? If you have plants in your backyard, but your 
neighbor can see them, does that count as public? If you have a 
10-foot plant behind an 8-foot fence, will you be hassled by the 
cops? What defines an "open container" of pot? Does a baggie count? 
If I'm walking down the street puffing a doob, will I be subject to a 
fine? I am just wondering why we continue to treat marijuana like 
crack, and not like wine. I feel like this initiative does a lot of 
over-regulating. I would like a law that makes it easier for me to 
grow and use cannabis. We need farmers markets and bud-and-breakfast 
hotels, not sterile pot factories full of pesticides and greed. 
Colorado is having a huge problem with commercial pressures forcing 
growers to use pesticides. Is that what we want? California is 
already feeling pressure. At this year's Emerald Cup, 15 percent of 
the entrants (and this is a contest for organically grown outdoor 
cannabis) tested positive for pesticides. We need to be creating 
space for our growers to make delicious natural cannabis, not 
sweating citizens over an ounce of weed. I could buy a van full of 
booze right now, and no one would blink an eye. Why should weed be 
different? Weed is safer.

All that being said, I want to support AUMA. I am hoping that Sean 
Parker and Co. will revise a few things and maybe throw a bone or two 
to the lifestyle cannabis user so that we won't be mad at ourselves 
when we vote yes.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom