Pubdate: Sun, 05 Oct 2014
Source: Alaska Dispatch News (AK)
Copyright: 2014 Alaska Dispatch Publishing
Contact:  http://www.adn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18
Note: Anchorage Daily News until July '14
Author: Frank Murkowski
Note: Frank Murkowski, a Republican, represented Alaska for four
terms in the U.S. Senate and served one term as governor.

ALASKANS SHOULD JUST SAY NO TO 'BIG MARIJUANA'

Everyone has something to say on the marijuana issue, it's just that
not everyone has said it yet.

For the life of me I can't understand the rush to legalize marijuana
in our state, as Ballot Measure 2 would do. It reminds me of the herd
mentality of the lemmings stampeding off the cliff with little thought
to the consequences.

The fact that Colorado and Washington state have recently legalized
marijuana should give us pause to consider the impacts. We should wait
and see how both the Colorado and Washington efforts unfold. There is
no incentive to be among the first.

Should the proposal become law, would it be beneficial to our
citizenry, our youths and the quality of life? What will be the impact
on rural Alaskans? These are just a few of the many unanswered
questions before Alaskans as we prepare to vote.

Why is the effort being initiated in Alaska? It is simply because
Alaska is a cheap place to run an initiative campaign. It also has a
very young population. Children and teens are especially vulnerable to
potential harm from long-term pot use, and this experiment is not
worth risking their futures.

Where is the Outside money coming from in support of this ballot
initiative? The Marijuana Policy Project of Washington, D.C., and the
Drug Policy Alliance of New York have supplied the bulk of the
funding. Don't be fooled -- this is big business.

I believe the ballot process is flawed. If enough money can be raised
outside the state to hire people to gather signatures, any issue can
get on the ballot. The process circumvents the responsibility of
legislators. Had the issue originated in our state Legislature, it
would have failed overwhelmingly because every legislator would have
to vote on the issue. The ballot initiative process allows any elected
official to simply take a walk and avoid being held accountable. This
is simply wrong. Alaskans need to know from each of their elected
representatives, from the Legislature to the governor and the federal
delegation, whether they support or oppose this important ballot
measure. They need to respond with a simple yes or no answer.

If Ballot Measure 2 passes, it would establish a dual system. It would
be unlawful to buy or sell marijuana under federal law but permissible
under state law. Such an inconsistency has the federal government
telling us one thing and the state government telling us another.
Further, the enforcement of contradictory marijuana regulations would
be very difficult for those in law enforcement. I would urge all
Alaskans to read the statement from the Alaska Peace Officers
Association, which details the difficulties associated with
maintaining law and order.

It would also make hiring Alaskans for jobs that require drug
screening more difficult, and may complicate insurance payouts if an
accident happens. Jim Jansen of Lynden Transport and Alaska Marine
Lines indicated to me that his businesses require zero tolerance, and
he sees legalization as a major headache.

Our opponents believe that with access to Outside funds they can buy
our votes on Ballot Meaure 2. Let's tell them that Alaska's quality of
life is not for sale. We have defeated this issue once and we can do
it again. Big Marijuana, Big Mistake for Alaska.  
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard