Cops For and Against the Drug War
August 11, 2010
By Norm Stamper
From uniformed beat cops to homicide dicks, SWAT officers to chiefs and sheriffs, more and more of the nation's police officers are coming to realize that our 40-year drug war is an unmitigated failure, that it has ruined countless lives, squandered billions of taxpayer dollars, guaranteed a handsome lifestyle for demonstrably dangerous people, and done nothing to reduce drug potency, profits, or ease of access.
Thoughtful police officers know this, better than most.
Read more…Opinion: Critics of Prop. 19 on marijuana rely on fear, not facts
August 5, 2010
By Paul Armentano
The California Legislative Analyst's Office's recently published critique of Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, provides needed clarity to the ongoing debate regarding marijuana policy and offers a swift rebuttal to the doomsday scenarios touted by many of the measure's opponents.
Read more…Could Pot Drive Turnout In Key Elections?
August 3, 2010
By Ryan Grim
Putting the question of marijuana legalization on state ballots in 2012 may be one of the most effective ways for a dispirited Democratic Party to get reluctant voters out to the polls. The wild card in the coming midterms and in 2012 will be the "surge" voters -- people who were driven to the polls in 2008 through a once-in-a-generation mix of shame at the outgoing administration and hope in a new, barrier-breaking candidate. Democrats are investing millions in figuring out how to get those voters out, and the marijuana issue is getting increasing attention from political operatives.
Read more…A federal-state law inconsistency shouldn’t stop Californians from legalizing marijuana
July 28, 2010
No law is infallible. As it has done in the past, California can show leadership in driving needed reforms by passing Proposition 19.
By Hanna Liebman Dershowitz
The law is the law. If we unquestioningly accepted that maxim, imagine where we would be today. Jim Crow would be alive and well, rivers and skies would be polluted, and women wouldn't be allowed to vote.
Read more…Public Policy Polling: Prop 19 Ahead 52-36
July 26, 2010
Those who do and don't smoke marijuana agree on legalizing the sale of cannabis. 52% of voters support Proposition 19 that would legalize, regulate and tax the purchase and sale of marijuana in the state of California. 36% of voters oppose the proposition. 38% of Californians say they’ve smoked marijuana still, 44% of those who claim they’ve never tried marijuana support its legalization. Prop 19 supporters aren't all smokers, suggesting that many Californian's believe the legalization of marijuana is about more than smoking pot and could be the solution to some of California's bigger problems.
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