Pubdate: 3 Oct 1997
Source: Associated Press

Marijuana law looks headed to voters

BY CHARLES E. BEGGS 
Associated Press

SALEM, Ore.  A law that would restore criminal penalties for possessing
small amounts of marijuana was blocked Friday when more than 90,000
petition signatures were turned in to the state.

The law, passed by the 1997 Legislature, was to have taken effect Saturday.
It would make it a crime with a potential 30day jail term to possess less
than an ounce of the drug. The offense now is a civil violation carrying a
maximum $1,000 fine.

The signatures turned in Friday were almost twice as many as the 48,841
needed to block the law and refer the issue to voters in November 1998.

``I'm confident they will make it on the ballot,'' said Scott Tighe,
elections manager in the secretary of state's office.

The secretary of state has 15 days to check signatures to verify if they
are those of registered voters.

The petition drive was bankrolled largely by wealthy activists who
supported the effort that led California and Arizona voters to approve
measures last year legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.

``The tremendous response to this effort shows that Oregon voters have
serious questions and concerns about what the Legislature has done and want
a chance to make this decision for themselves,'' said Todd Olson of
Portland, a cosponsor of the petition.

A sponsor of the Oregon bill to restore criminal penalties, Rep. Ben
Westlund, RBend, said the measure was aimed at consistently telling young
people ``a zerotolerance message that drugs are bad.''

Westlund said the intent of the measure is not to put people in jail but to
steer them toward help.

``Once a youth is caught with marijuana, we can involve the parents and
social services agencies and get the kid into a diversion program,'' he
said. Criminal charges can be dropped when diversion programs are completed.

The Legislature in 1973 made Oregon the first state to remove criminal
penalties for having less than an ounce of marijuana.