Pubdate: Tue, 08 Jul 2014
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Aaron C. Davis
Page: B3

POT ADVOCATES SUBMIT PETITIONS

Legalization Measure Could Be Certified for Nov. 4 Ballot

Voters in the District should know within weeks whether they will get 
a chance to follow Colorado and Washington state in legalizing marijuana.

Advocates for a ballot initiative that would bring the country's 
divide over the controlled substance to the doorstep of the U.S. 
Capitol claimed Monday to have turned in 57,000 signatures, more than 
double the number needed.

The measure's chances to qualify for the Nov. 4 ballot may have 
improved when a group of opponents said Monday that it would not have 
the financial resources to challenge the validity of the petition 
signatures. Barring any surprises, that means the District's Board of 
Elections will meet in mid August to certify the measure for the ballot.

Adam Eidinger, head of the D.C. Cannabis Campaign, said supporters 
must shift to a more traditional campaign mode, which he expects to 
focus foremost on voter education.

"We need to reassure the voters in the city that this isn't too big 
of a step to take," Eidinger said.

"The public will see very little change, but the cannabis user will 
no longer have to live in fear."

The measure would allow people 21 and older to possess as much as two 
ounces of marijuana for personal use and to grow up to three 
marijuana plants at home. It does not allow legal sale of the plant. 
It would be up to the D.C. Council and mayor to develop a system for 
sale and taxation of the plant.

Voter initiatives in the District are not binding and have been 
overturned in the past by the council.

Congress could also get involved. Federal lawmakers tied up the 
city's move to allow medical marijuana for more than a decade, and a 
recent decision by city lawmakers to join 17 states in eliminating 
jail time for marijuana possession was thrown into question last 
month by a Republican congressman from Maryland.

Rep. Andy Harris successfully amended a spending bill to preclude the 
District from making marijuana possession punishable by a fine of 
just $25. The issue will probably have to be worked out during 
negotiations over next year's budget between the House and Senate.

Kevin A. Sabet, a co-founder of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to 
Marijuana), said he also expects a strong grassroots effort against 
full legalization in the District.

"I think there is a growing sense that folks have enough of a time 
dealing with problems of alcohol and tobacco," Sabet said.

"The idea that we're going to go down this path may be appealing to 
the 30-year-old blogger in Georgetown, but not the working family in 
Southeast."

Malik Burnett, a national organizer for the Drug Policy Alliance and 
medical doctor by training, said he thinks the opposite is true and 
that proponents have a strong case to make that legalization is the 
only way to fight disproportionately high drug arrest rates for 
African Americans in the District.

"We're not afraid of a little humor. It's okay to laugh when people 
think about cannabis; we're human beings. But at the same time, there 
are serious matters at play," Burnett said. "A tremendous amount of 
people are going to jail for something that is otherwise humorous. If 
we can bring that to and end through Initiative 71, all the better."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom