Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jun 2010
Source: Times-Herald, The (Vallejo, CA)
Copyright: 2010 The Times-Herald
Contact:  http://www.timesheraldonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/993
Author: Rich Freedman
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/people/Paul+Armentano

AUTHOR GIVES STRAIGHT DOPE ON MARIJUANA

Paul Armentano wouldn't be surprised if he could sniff the 
unmistakable aroma of marijuana during his noon talk Saturday in the 
Joseph Room at JFK Library. Conversely, he would also understand if 
some folks showed up with his face on a bull's eye.

And that's the point, said the long-time pro-legalization advocate, 
who discusses and signs copies of the book he co-authored, "Marijuana 
Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?"

"I encourage different audiences," Armentano said. "Preaching to the 
choir gets pretty old fast. This is about an objective discussion 
about our current policy. I don't mind people voicing divergent 
opinions. Obviously, we've not come as a society to a consensus."

Armentano will answer questions about Assembly Bill 2254, the 
Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act of 2010, that's on 
the November ballot.

"All too often marijuana is guided by rhetoric, guided by ideology, 
and scare tactics that's led to failed policy," Armentano said. "What 
we need to have is a logical, rational policy that says 'Marijuana is 
already here.'"

Armentano said his book wouldn't have been written "if tens of 
millions of Americans hadn't continued to use marijuana despite 
prohibition. I'm not talking about adding another vice to society. 
I'm talking about how do we come to terms with a vice that already 
exists. We don't regulate alcohol because it's innocuous. We regulate 
it because we recognize the potential for harm. The same principle 
applies to marijuana."

Armentano acknowledged the stigma and stereotype linked to marijuana 
users, "but, clearly, marijuana's popularity speaks to the fact that 
people from all walks of life use it."

Armentano believes if legalized, marijuana, like alcohol, needs age 
restrictions.

"Marijuana is a mind-altering substance," he said. "And, like any 
mind-altering substance, the user has to have a certain level of 
maturity to understand how to use that substance responsibly and 
needs to understand the difference between use and abuse. At what age 
is hard to say. Clearly, it's not a one size fits all.

In attempting to maintain a standard, it should be 21 as with 
alcohol, Armentano said.

Marijuana's legality or not hasn't limited its use, Armentano said.

"The fact the drug is illegal isn't at play. It's never prohibited 
access to those who want it," he said. "Few people out there are 
saying, 'I want to use it now but I'm not because it would be 
breaking the law.'"

There are two groups of marijuana users, Armentano said.

"A lot of people, at the end of the day, need to just come home, 
relax and calm down," Armentano said. "People do that differently. 
Some have one or two glasses of wine, some have prescription drugs 
and some prefer marijuana. Some come home and go to the gym. "

Others, said Armentano, "use it to enhance some sort of social 
experience, like music, a party, dinner. It's no different from those 
who might drink wine or have a beer."

As for smoking marijuana for its "coolness factor," Armentano said "I 
don't think anyone over the age of 25 smokes marijuana because it's a 
'forbidden fruit.'"

It's the prohibition of marijuana that makes it "cool" for young 
people, said Armentano, who believes the drug cartels in Mexico 
wouldn't exist or would be drastically curtailed if marijuana were 
legalized in the United States.

"Where's the market? When you're making money selling an illegal 
subject, you're going to produce it and sell it the largest market. 
And in he U.S., that's marijuana," Armentano said.

If passed, AB2254 would net the state $1.4 billion in tax revenue, 
reported the legislative analyst.

Still, believed Armentano, "I don't think a 'sin tax' on any 
commodity is going to overnight change the economic reality of a 
town, city, county or state."

Yet, he said, "cities are having discussions now that they weren't 
having a few years ago and the reason is economic realities."

Armentano said he's been a pro-legalization advocate for 20 years 
because of the money supporting law enforcement and the number of 
people arrested for marijuana.

"We've arrested 20 million people since 1975 for a marijuana offense 
and 90 percent of those are for simple marijuana possession. It 
doesn't make sense," Armentano said. "This prohibition is costing 
billions of dollars and mucking up the lives of a lot of people."

If you go

Who: Paula Armentano, co-author of 'Marijuana is safer: So Why Are We 
Driving People to Drink?'

Where: Joseph Room, JFK Library, 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

When: Saturday, noon

Admission: Free

Info: Nancy Atkins, 1-866-572-7587
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom