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This just seems so obvious to me, perhaps more so as a someone who endures chronic pain for which marijuana could be helpful. It seems absurd that someone smoking a joint on a Friday night, at home listening to NPR, Cat Stevens, or Wilco, ought to even be on law enforcement's radar screen.<br><br>Legalize it, regulate it, control it, tax it, and solve a few problems while moving on to issue a lot less clear. <br><br>Keely<br>http://keely-prevailingwinds.blogspot.com/<br><br><br><br><br>> Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:37:33 -0700<br>> From: thansen@moscow.com<br>> To: vision2020@moscow.com<br>> Subject: [Vision2020] Pot Tax Could Amount to $1.3 Billion Annually<br>> <br>> Courtesy of today's (July 16, 2009) San Francisco Chronicle at:<br>> <br>> http://tinyurl.com/atlumc<br>> <br>> -------------------------------------------------<br>> <br>> Ammiano wants to make marijuana legal in state<br>> Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer<br>> <br>> California would become the first state in the nation to legalize<br>> marijuana for recreational use under a bill introduced Monday by<br>> Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco.<br>> <br>> The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21<br>> years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which<br>> is barred by federal law.<br>> <br>> Ammiano, a Democrat in his third month as a state lawmaker, said taxes and<br>> other fees associated with regulation could put more than a billion<br>> dollars a year into state coffers at a time when revenues continue to<br>> decline.<br>> <br>> He said he thinks the federal government could soften its stance on<br>> marijuana under the Obama administration.<br>> <br>> "We could in fact have the political will to do something, and certainly<br>> in the meantime this is a public policy call and I think it's worth the<br>> discussion," Ammiano said. "I think the outcome would be very healthy for<br>> California and California's economy."<br>> <br>> A spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Washington, D.C.,<br>> declined to comment on the proposal. A White House spokesman referred to a<br>> statement on a question-and-answer section of an Obama transition team<br>> blog that says the president "is not in favor of the legalization of<br>> marijuana."<br>> <br>> While Californians have shown some tolerance for marijuana, such as use<br>> for medical conditions with voters' passage of Proposition 215 in 1996,<br>> the proposal will face tough opposition in Sacramento.<br>> <br>> A lobbyist for key police associations in the state called it "a bad idea<br>> whose time has not come."<br>> <br>> "The last thing our society needs is yet more legal intoxicants," said<br>> John Lovell, who represents the California Peace Officers' Association,<br>> California Police Chiefs Association and California Narcotic Officers'<br>> Association. "We've got enough social problems now when people aren't in<br>> charge of all five of their senses."<br>> <br>> But Ammiano's proposal has the support of San Francisco Sheriff Michael<br>> Hennessey, who said the idea "should be the subject of legislative and<br>> public debate."<br>> <br>> It also has the backing of Betty Yee, who chairs the state Board of<br>> Equalization, which collects taxes in California. An analysis by the<br>> agency concluded the state would collect $1.3 billion a year from tax<br>> revenues and a $50-an-ounce levy on retail sales if marijuana were legal.<br>> <br>> The analysis also concluded that legalizing marijuana would drop its<br>> street value by 50 percent and increase consumption of the substance by 40<br>> percent.<br>> <br>> A spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates for reform<br>> in marijuana laws and is backing Ammiano's proposal, said any expected<br>> increase in consumption is a "false notion."<br>> <br>> "They are making an intuitive assumption that a lot of people make that<br>> really does not have that much evidence behind it," said Bruce Mirken, the<br>> group's spokesman, who predicted it could take up to two years before the<br>> idea wins legislative approval.<br>> <br>> "Don't tell me that doing something like (this) proposal is going to<br>> introduce another drug into society. That's a load of bull."<br>> <br>> ---------------<br>> <br>> Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco<br>> <br>> http://tinyurl.com/TomAmmiano<br>> <br>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ammiano<br>> <br>> -------------------------------------------------<br>> <br>> Seeya round town, Moscow.<br>> <br>> Tom Hansen<br>> Moscow, Idaho<br>> <br>> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>> and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>> <br>> - Unknown<br>> <br>> <br>> =======================================================<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br>> http://www.fsr.net <br>> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>> =======================================================<br><br /><hr />Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Get 25 GB of free online storage. <a href='http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_SD_25GB_062009' target='_new'>Get it on your BlackBerry or iPhone.</a></body>
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