Pubdate: Thu, 21 May 2009
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Phillip S. Smith
Note: Phillip S. Smith is editor of the Drug War Chronicle at 
www.stopthedrugwar.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/AB+390 (Assembly Bill 390)
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://mpp.org/
Cited: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws http://norml.org/

MARIJUANA'S TIPPING POINT

Is A Tidal Wave Of Reason About To Change Pot Laws?

Sometime in the last few months, the notion of legalizing marijuana 
crossed an invisible threshold. Long relegated to the margins of 
political discourse by the conventional wisdom, pot freedom has this 
year gone mainstream.

Public support for legalization is climbing to a majority position, 
with a just-released Zogby poll finding that 52 percent support the 
legalization, taxation and regulation of pot. In California, Gov. 
Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to have softened his position on pot by 
calling for an "open debate" on the subject. Meanwhile, Democratic 
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco introduced Assembly Bill 
390, legislation that would tax and regulate marijuana in a manner 
similar to alcohol.

Yes, there is a new freedom in the air when it comes to marijuana.

Newspaper columnists and editorial page writers across the land have 
taken up the cause with gusto, as have letter writers and bloggers. 
Last week, even a U.S. senator got into the act, when Virginia Sen. 
Jim Webb told CNN that marijuana legalization is "on the table."

But despite the seeming explosion of interest in marijuana 
legalization, the eventuality of legalization seems as distant as 
ever, obscured behind a wall of bureaucracy, vested interests and 
craven politicians. Drug War Chronicle spoke with some movement 
movers and shakers to find out just what's going on ... and what' not.

There is clearly more interest and serious discussion of whether 
marijuana prohibition makes any sense than I've seen at any point in 
my adult lifetime," said Bruce Mirken, communications director for 
the Marijuana Policy Project. "It's not just the usual suspects."

Mirken cited a number of factors for the sudden rise to prominence of 
the marijuana issue. "I think it's a combination of things: Michael 
Phelps, the horrible situation on the Mexican border, the state of 
the economy and the realization that there is a very large industry 
out there that provides marijuana to millions of consumers completely 
outside the legal economy that is untaxed and unregulated," he said. 
"All of these factors have come together in a way that makes it much 
easier for people to connect the dots."

Things started going white hot in the second week of January," said 
Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for 
the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "It's helped galvanize a certain 
zeitgeist that is palpable and that almost everyone can appreciate."

With the accumulation of arguments for legalization growing ever 
weightier, the edifice of marijuana prohibition seems increasingly 
shakier than ever.

Still, translating the zeitgeist into real change remains a 
formidable task, said Mirken, who said he is waiting for the other 
shoe to drop. "We have to prepare for an Empire Strikes Back moment," 
he said. "I predict that within the next year, there will be a 
concerted effort to scare the daylights out of people about marijuana."

Activists need to keep hammering away at both the federal government 
and state and local governments, Mirken said. "We are talking to 
members of Congress and seeing what might be doable. Even if nothing 
passes immediately, introducing a bill can move the discussion forward."

Part of the problem of the mismatch between popular fervor and actual 
progress on reform is partisan positioning, said St. Pierre. "Even 
politicians who may be personally supportive and can appreciate what 
they see going on around them as this goes mainstream do not want to 
hand conservative Republicans a triangulation issue. The Democrats 
are begging for a certain degree of political maturity from the 
reform movement," he said. "They're dealing with two wars, tough 
economic times, trying to do health-care reform. They don't want to 
raise cannabis to a level where it becomes contentious for Obama."

The window of opportunity for presidential action is four years down 
the road, St. Pierre postulated. "If Obama doesn't do anything next 
year, they will then be in re-election mode and unlikely to act," he 
mused. "I think our real shot comes after he is re-elected."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom