Pubdate: Thu, 13 Dec 2012
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

WILL CALIFORNIA LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN 2016?

Please, please, please tell me that California is gonna be the next 
state to legalize weed. Can it happen?

- -California Cannabis Crusader

No one really knows. It's like California is losing its status as a 
groundbreaking state. Legalize weed? Hell, we can't even legalize gay marriage.

Who knows what the future has in store? Amanda Reiman does. Check her 
bio at www.drugpolicy.org: She is the California policy manager for 
the Drug Policy Alliance and leads the DPA's marijuana reform work in 
California. So, she's awesome. I sent her your question, and she sent 
this back:

"There has not been a decision made about 2014 vs. 2016," she wrote, 
but added that, in her opinion, it makes more sense to put an 
initiative on the ballot in 2016 for two reasons: One, "2016 is a 
presidential election year, which brings out more of the youth vote 
we need," and two, "it gives us longer to strategize, see what the 
Feds do about [Colorado] and [Washington state], and see what the 
outcomes are in terms of public health, revenue, etc."

She did say, however, that she does not think the Golden State will 
be the next to tax and regulate marijuana. "I think a state like 
Maine or Rhode Island, where they could introduce and pass a bill 
through the legislature, will happen before California," she wrote. 
"But that's OK. The more states that do it, the harder it is for the 
Feds to stop it, and the more we will know about how to write the 
best initiative possible for [California].

"If people are looking to do something right now, they can start 
educating their friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc., about 
marijuana, but also about prohibition and its negative impact on 
young people and society."

So, there you have it. We have four years to get it done. Start now, 
stoners. Start talking to people and organizing your friends; show up 
at city-council meetings and go to court support and stuff. Let's 
legalize weed in 2016.

What's up at the Harborside Health Center in Oakland? Are they gonna 
have to close?

- -Oaktown 420

Not yet. On Friday, November 30, Alameda County Superior Court Judge 
Evelio Grillo quashed an eviction proceeding initiated by the 
Harborside's landlord. Judge Grillo dismissed the action, which was 
undertaken in response to pressure placed on the landlord by U.S. 
Attorney Melinda Haag, on the grounds that California courts cannot 
evict state-legal medical-cannabis dispensaries simply because they 
are breaking federal cannabis laws.

And while this is good news, the battle is not yet won. Don Duncan, 
California director at Americans for Safe Access had this to say: 
"It's really great that state court is upholding state law, but 
federal interference is still a threat to patients' access to medical 
marijuana."

Harborside's fate is still up in the air, but the tide is clearly 
shifting toward more cannabis freedom. Fight on.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom