General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCali's Lt. Gov. Newsom to lead pot legalization panel
SAN FRANCISCO -- The push to legalize marijuana in California received a boost Thursday as the state's Democratic lieutenant governor announced that he was leading a blue ribbon panel that plans to study the issue with the goal of producing a legalization initiative for the November 2016 ballot.
In announcing the formation of the 16-member panel of medical, legal, political and law enforcement experts, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom made plain that he fully endorses the idea of making adult sales and recreational use of marijuana legal and challenged other elected officials to do the same.
"We've been sitting here most of my life - literally and not just figuratively - fighting this failed war on marijuana, and the results are pretty overwhelming," said Newsom, who previously served as San Francisco's mayor. "I'm proudly now asserting a point of view that I've had, candidly, for years and didn't have the courage at the time to express it. And I hope others will do the same, if they believe this is the right thing to do.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=9293501
TeamPooka
(24,303 posts)here's a clean link to the article.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=9293501
trumad
(41,692 posts)edited my op with the link
Uncle Joe
(58,562 posts)Thanks for the thread, trumad.
petronius
(26,613 posts)I don't see any reason why we should be treating marijuana any differently from alcohol in terms of access and legality...
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)Enrique
(27,461 posts)BootinUp
(47,221 posts)I'm leavin for sure, lol.
strategery blunder
(4,225 posts)I'm not even from this alleged "Cali" (OK technically I was born there, but moved when I was about three, and I've never lived there since) but even I know to use CA instead of Cali when I don't want to spell California out.
shanti
(21,675 posts)Lordquinton
(7,886 posts)What difference does it make to call people by their preferred names?
shanti
(21,675 posts)I'm 3rd gen Californian myself, and Cali is a common nick for my state. Now what?
pintobean
(18,101 posts)NBachers
(17,191 posts)BootinUp
(47,221 posts)Lordquinton
(7,886 posts)I'm a 3rd generation Californian, and it is not a common nickname for my state. Now what?
Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)You are so bad.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Border Language Culture!!!
Make7
(8,543 posts)DianeG5385
(1,981 posts)Just like I don't like the "Democrat" party. It's about respect.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)pintobean
(18,101 posts)Shampoobra
(423 posts)...WORSHington.
It's so odd. For one thing, it's ONLY called "Worshington" by (some) visitors, never by residents. Even worse, these people are perfectly capable of pronouncing "Washington, D.C." For some reason, they think the state is pronounced differently than the nation's capital.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)"wash" that way, and it drives me crazy, too. Actually, I think I may have heard Bill Moyers pronounce it like that. Is it a southern Midwest thing maybe?
Bennyboy
(10,440 posts)he does not include users, growers, farmers, pot prisoners and probationaries, dispensary owners, manufacturing concerns in any of this. This issue is very very very complex and everyone involved needs to set the policy. This plan waits till 2016 to get on the ballot.
Right now there are two, possibly three, initiatives gathering signatures here to get on the ballot in 2014. They may not make it. The CA CCH 2013 I think is the one getting the most attention......
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)We're talking about the people and groups that represent access to the big money needed to a) get on the ballot, and b) pay for advertising to actually win.
You need 500,000 signatures in California; that means you'll spend $1-2 million just making the ballot. Then, in a state with some of the country's biggest media markets, you probably need another $5-10 million to win.
This is being run by the ACLU of Northern California, and includes people from the Marijuana Policy Project, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Washington state legalization effort. These are "pragmatic" reformers, who may be willing to sacrifice some things--home cultivation, per se drugged driving provisions--that more pot culture people may find objectionable.
They want to wait for 2016, their argument being that a presidential election year increases turnout, and increased turnout will bode well for a pot legalization initiative. They really, really don't want to see an initiative lose in 2014, so much so that I think they would rather none even make the ballot.
The pot culture people don't want to wait for 2016; that's why there are two 2014 initiatives in the works this year, a Hererite one in the signature-gathering phase, and an "open source" one awaiting title and ballot wording approval at the attorney general's office. There were also four or five in 2012. None of them actually made the ballot, and these two probably won't either because they don't have the big bucks behind them.
This panel has no formal or official power, but your point is well-taken. It's work will no doubt help shape and inform an eventual "establishment" 2016 legalization initiative; it needs to hear loud and clear from the marijuana community.
Bennyboy
(10,440 posts)they took the one guy with the bank to fund a collection drive and the campaign, as he did before.
I am all for the 2016 focus and don't like certain things about either of propositions (if they come to be that at all) Mostly about the non taxation for producers....
Berlum
(7,044 posts)Cali rocks.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)somebody I won't call out but you can PM me to find out.
Playinghardball
(11,665 posts)And I'm from Cali....
spanone
(135,950 posts)WorseBeforeBetter
(11,441 posts)in more ways than one.
Not from Cali, but I've been a couple of times. Northern Cali, Middle Cali, and Southern Cali. Mountain Cali, too. Uff da. Pull my string!
piratefish08
(3,133 posts)they hated it when I said 'San Fran'.
shanti
(21,675 posts)We often just call SF, "the city". Everyone knows what we mean.
WorseBeforeBetter
(11,441 posts)Culinarily, and otherwise. Hmm, is that a word? Perhaps our resident know-it-all will be along shortly to correct me. Bless his heart. And bless your alliteration!
Oops, I forgot to mention Desert Cali. Haven't been there. Yet.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)And trumad
Lordquinton
(7,886 posts)but am sadly used to it.
Chan790
(20,176 posts)It has to do with needling a poster a lot of them don't like and who posted earlier that "Cali" bothers him when it's used to refer to CA.
Lordquinton
(7,886 posts)and you should hear people from the south when you mispronounce their place names.
procon
(15,805 posts)but it looks like teens out to bully someone. I don't understand why adults are doing it.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)BootinUp
(47,221 posts)lol. just messin with you.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)piratefish08
(3,133 posts)MyNameGoesHere
(7,638 posts)Well I just had to do it considering the focus on this word today.
LWolf
(46,179 posts)lived in Vermont.
I'm confused.
Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)I hate the 55mph speed limit for trucks in Cali. Maybe while they are legalizing weed in Cali, they could raise the speed limit.
JanMichael
(24,901 posts)Kick
NBachers
(17,191 posts)Response to trumad (Original post)
madinmaryland This message was self-deleted by its author.
BuddhaGirl
(3,615 posts)truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Does she know?