Greens get cannabis legal in Mendocino County, CA!

Referenda results. Green victory in Mendocino County, California where voters legalized cannabis. Racism of Drug War. TLC-DPF Drug Policy News.

This message is also on the web at a message board, and all the links in the message there are clickable. CLICK!:

http://cann.com/b1/messages/31/31647.shtml

*11-00. Mendocino Co. First in US To Decrim. Marijuana. "By a 58-42 margin Tuesday, Mendocino County voters approved a measure to decriminalize personal use of marijuana, a first in the United States. The Green Party-sponsored Measure G ran strong in every area of the county, ... The marijuana measure, which has attracted national attention, would allow individuals to grow and harvest up to 25 plants. Sale and transportation of marijuana still would be illegal."

http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread7593.shtml

*11-00. Life As Usual in Emerald Triangle. "Mendocino County, home to 86,000 people and part of the state's fabled 'Emerald Triangle,' is linked to the controversial plant as surely as its vineyards yield world-class wines. ... voters here last week heartily embraced a measure that allows anyone in the county to grow as many as 25 full-grown marijuana plants or possess the dried equivalent. The first law of its kind nationwide, ...'This is a powerful political statement on marijuana by a Northern California county,' said Hamburg, 52, who lives in Ukiah and is a member of the Green Party committee that put Measure G on the ballot. Hamburg, a former Democratic congressman and the state's Green Party gubernatorial candidate two years ago, said he expects similar measures on other county ballots and possibly even a statewide initiative."

http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread7643.shtml

*MAP/DrugNews press archives search SHORTCUT for Mendocino County. The press articles are pulled up in chronological order with the latest articles on top.

http://www.mapinc.org/find?BK=mendocino

*CannabisNews.com press archives search SHORTCUT for Mendocino County.

http://www.cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=mendocino

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Some drug war referendum results, Drug War Racism stats and links, etc..

My favorite part of this newsletter below is the part about the Greens, of course. Hey, I'm partisan. :)

"*Mendocino County [California] Decriminalizes Marijuana.*

On November 7, voters in California's Mendocino County approved a sweeping marijuana decriminalization measure by 58%. The Green Party-sponsored Measure G decriminalizes both the use of marijuana and the growing of up to 25 marijuana plants for personal use; ... "



--------- Forwarded Message ---------



DATE: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 11:22:51

From: "Jeanette Irwin" jirwin@s...



THE LINDESMITH CENTER - DRUG POLICY FOUNDATION

www.drugpolicy.org / www.dpf.org



-----------------------------------------

Drug Policy News: November 11, 2000



Contents:

1. Election 2000 - Results

2. In The News

a. National News

b. Around the Country

3. Additions to www.drugpolicy.org

4. New Web Resources



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ELECTION 2000: RESULTS



*Election Yields Largest-Ever Repudiation of Nation's War on Drugs*



Millions in Five States Choose Treatment vs. Jail for Non-Violent Offenders, Medical Use of Marijuana, and Reform of Drug-Related Asset Forfeiture Laws



On Tuesday, November 7, millions of Americans sent a clear message that they have lost faith in the nation's war on drugs. In five states, voters decided in favor of major change regarding treatment instead of prison for non-violent offenders; medical marijuana for patients when recommended by a doctor; and civil asset forfeiture law reform.



"The public is way ahead of the politicians when it comes to embracing sensible drug polices," said Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of The Lindesmith Center - Drug Policy Foundation. "Americans are tired of wasting billions of dollars on a drug war that is not working, especially when clear, pragmatic alternatives exist."



Proposition 36 in California is the most significant drug policy reform passed to date. It was endorsed on Tuesday by 61% of voters in California - a higher percentage than Al Gore received in the state. According to a California Legislative Analyst report, this initiative could result in up to 24,000 nonviolent offenders and 12,000 parole violators being diverted to drug treatment instead of jail every year, saving taxpayers more than 0 million.



"The net impact of Proposition 36 in California may well exceed the impact of drug courts throughout the entire country," said Nadelmann.



Proposition 36 allocates 0 million per year for a wide range of drug treatment options, including job and literacy training, and family counseling.



"This is the single most significant reversal in the trend towards incarcerating drug users," said Bill Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Campaign for New Drug Policies, which coordinated six drug policy initiative campaigns this year. "Hopefully California will be the first of many states to pass this common sense drug policy."



In Nevada and Colorado, voters passed initiatives to make marijuana legally available for medical purposes. A confidential registry will be created in each of these states for patients with certain illnesses to receive credentials immunizing them from marijuana possession and cultivation laws.



Nevada and Colorado now join six other states where voters have also made marijuana available for medical purposes, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Maine, Oregon and Washington. (Hawaii also passed a similar measure through the legislative process this year.) Patients in these states are now using marijuana with the full cooperation of state officials, despite periodic attempts by the federal government to interfere. Ample evidence now exists that proves marijuana's medicinal benefits to patients with AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis, among other diseases.



"Despite the overwhelming will of the people and the ample evidence proving marijuana's medicinal benefits, the federal government refuses to budge on this issue," said Zimmerman. "This is just one reason people feel the drug war has gone too far."



In Oregon and Utah, voters overwhelmingly approved ballot initiatives to curtail the asset forfeiture abuses by police and prosecutors. Many innocent citizens, never convicted or even accused of crimes, have been victimized by seizures based solely on the suspicions of law enforcement officers. Now, however, based on the new initiatives, police and prosecutors will be required to prove by clear and convincing evidence that seized property was in fact involved in a crime.



Moreover, whereas seized assets were previously retained by law enforcement agents - with predictably distorting consequences on their priorities and motivations - the new measures require that proceeds go to public education or drug treatment.



"The future of drug policy reform over the next few years will be at the state and local levels, where people are searching for pragmatic solutions to local drug problems," said Nadelmann. "The White House and the new Congress should stay tuned."



__________________________________

IN THE NEWS: National News



*Blacks Arrested for Marijuana at More Than Twice the Rate for Whites* A new study by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) finds that African-Americans are arrested for marijuana possession at a two and a half times greater rate than whites. Based on data from the 1995 FBI's Uniform Crime Report, the report finds that:



-- The black arrest rate for all drug offenses is four times the arrest rate for whites.

-- When controlling for drug use levels, the black arrest rates for drug offenses increases with the severity of the offense.

-- When controlling for drug use levels, the black arrest rate for all drug possession offenses is 2.89 times higher than the white arrest rate.

-- The black arrest rate for marijuana is more than twice the white arrest rate in over 4/5ths of all metropolitan counties.



The full report can be found at:

http://norml.org/facts/arrestreport/racereport/index.html



_________________________________

IN THE NEWS: Around the Country



*Mendocino County Decriminalizes Marijuana* On November 7, voters in California's Mendocino County approved a sweeping marijuana decriminalization measure by 58%. The Green Party-sponsored Measure G decriminalizes both the use of marijuana and the growing of up to 25 marijuana plants for personal use; but selling and distribution of marijuana would still be a crime. The measure is seen as largely symbolic as the marijuana remains illegal under both state and federal law.



*New Jersey to Release Racial Profiling Data* On November 28 New Jersey's attorney general will make public fifteen years of state police records dealing with racial profiling. As many as 80,000 pages of radio logs, operational reports, and other state police records will be open for inspection. The release of the data comes at the request of the chairman of the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee, William L. Gormley. The materials will be collected into binders and posted in a public reading room. Copies will also be available on CD-Rom.



________________________________

ADDITIONS TO WWW.DRUGPOLICY.ORG



*United States Marijuana Arrests, Part Two: Racial Differences in Drug Arrests* A Report by Jon Gettman and the NORML Foundation, 2000. http://norml.org/facts/arrestreport/racereport/RaceReportSummary_pg1.htm



*An Overview of Heroin Trends in New York City: Past, Present and Future* Blanche Frank, The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, October/ November, 2000. 67(5,6): 340-346. http://www.lindesmith.org/library/pdf_files/meth340.pdf



*Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT): A Review of Historical and Clinical Issues* Herman Joseph, Sharon Stancliff and John Langrod, The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine October/November, 2000. 67(5,6): 347-364. http://www.lindesmith.org/library/pdf_files/meth347.pdf



*The Cost-Effectiveness of Methadone Maintenance* Paul G. Barnett and Sally S. Hui The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine October/November, 2000. 67(5,6): 365-374. http://www.lindesmith.org/library/pdf_files/meth365.pdf



___________________________________

NEW WEB RESOURCES



*New South Wales Office of Drug Policy* http://www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/



*Europad* The European society for professionals interested in the development of effective opiate addiction treatment in Europe and elsewhere. http://www.europad.org/test/



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*Greens and the Drug War. Worldwide. LINKS. Green Party candidates, positions, platforms, etc.. Concerning the Drug War, cannabis, marijuana, harm reduction, etc.. Ralph Nader info, links. CLICK!:

http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/y/greens.htm and

*9-00. MAP/DrugNews SEARCH SHORTCUT for many press articles about RALPH NADER's September 8, 2000 press conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he called for legalizing cannabis/marijuana, and for harm reduction drug reform. Ralph Nader "called for the legalization of marijuana as part of an overhaul of the nation's 'self-defeating and antiquated drug laws.' ... Legalizing marijuana, Nader said, would allow the government to regulate and potentially tax its use like tobacco products." -Albuquerque Journal, September 8, 2000. http://www.mapinc.org/find?BK=nader+johnson+santa&YY1=1997