Archive for the ‘marijuana’ Category

Gavin Newsom: Legalize marijuana

Friday, December 21, 2012 by:jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com (Joe Garofoli)
Comment
Comments

|
|

Christmas came early to marijuana activists — and please, no open flames close to their tree — in the form of a big fat present from California Lt. Gov Gavin Newsom.

Did you catch what Gavin, who said he is not a pot smoker himself, said in Friday’s NYT in a story about the Times? The story notes that recreational marijuana is “as a practical matter, already legal in much of California.” (Excuse us for a DUH Alert!)

Said the Lite Guv:

“It’s shocking, from my perspective, the number of people that we all know who are recreational marijuana users,” said Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor. “These are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people. Increasingly, people are willing to share how they use it and not be ashamed of it.”

Later in the story, the man who led the political pack on the same sex marriage issue said: “These laws just don’t make sense anymore,” he said. “It’s time for politicians to come out of the closet on this.”

And now for the question on everyone’s mind: WHO ARE THESE INCREDIBLY UPSTANDING CITIZENS? Name names! That’s what would move the movement forward.

We have written about social marijuana use among parents in California — oh, back in 2007 — and more recently talked about how why, for political reasons, legalization didn’t happen in California. As did Comrade Berton.

But now that the Lt. Guv of the largest state is backing legalization, whoa, now that’s time to put on your best hemp shirt. It’s big news. Tom Angell, chair of the Chairman of the Marijuana Majority, hoists Newsom on his shoulders:

“The fact that savvy and ambitious politicians like Gavin Newsom are embracing marijuana legalization shows that this is now a mainstream, majority-support issue, whereas once many officials who agreed with us in private would run away from us in public. If you look at the polling, you get the clear sense that opposing marijuana legalization is going to increasingly be a liability for Democrats in primary elections.”

Yes, the polls are swinging toward the legalization. But….and maybe we’re not standing close enough to the tree, but we may be a cycle or two away from marijuana being a “liability for Democrats in primary elections.”

But count Newsom’s statement as another step in the long journey towards legalization. As a great man – or was it political consultant Dan Newman — once said: “The arc of marijuana reform is long, but it bends toward justice.”

President-elect of Mexico to visit White House

Monday, November 19, 2012 by:alex.yap@chron.com (Alex Yap)
Comment
Comments

|
|

President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico will visit President Obama at the White House on Tuesday, Nov. 27, the White House announced Monday.

They plan to discuss a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues during their Oval Office meeting, according to the White House announcement.

“The United States remains committed to work in partnership with Mexico to increase economic competitiveness in both countries, promote regional development, advance bilateral efforts to develop a secure and efficient 21st Century Border, and address our common security challenges,’’ the U.S. announcement said.

Last week, Peña Nieto wrote on his Twitter page that he was looking forward to working with Obama:

“I spoke with the President @BarackObama to congratulate him on his recent election victory.”
“We agree on the importance of building a close relationship, both institutional and personal, for both countries.”
“We agreed to work to expand the bilateral agenda and treat it during my next visit to the United States of America.”

The two leaders will likely discuss the implications for the Mexican battle against drug cartels of the voter-approved measures in Colorado and Washington that would decriminalize marijuana use.

Shortly after the U.S. election on Nov. 6, Peña Nieto’s top adviser Luis Videgaray told the Washington Post that legalizing pot “changes the rules of the game in the relationship with the United States.”

Videgaray expressed concerns over controlling a product that had different legal statuses between the two countries.

Peña Nieto will replace Mexico’s outgoing president, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa. Peña Nieto’s ascent to presidency marks the resurgence of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) after 12 years under the National Action Party. When he takes office Dec. 1, Peña Nieto will succeed Mexico’s outgoing president, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa.

Peña Nieto and the PRI have already begun proposing reforms, including a proposal to reduce the number of ministries in the Mexican government. He has also proposed the creation of a new anti-corruption agency to replce the Public Function Ministry and a new ministry for urban and agricultural development.

Poll shows majority of Americans support immigration reform

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 by:kyle.campbell@chron.com (Kyle Campbell)
Comment
Comments

|
|

A majority of Americans support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants as well as a more lenient view on same-sex marriage and marijuana laws, results from a nationwide post election poll show.

According to the ABC News/Washington Post poll of 1,023 adults, 57 percent of Americans adults support a path to freedom for illegal immigrants currently working in the U.S. and 39 percent oppose it, well outside the 3.5 percent margin of error.

A majority of support came from the western and southern parts of the country with 64 and 56 percent support, respectively. A majority of self-described liberals and moderates expressed support for immigration reform as did 47 percent of self-described conservatives.

Latinos polled in the survey expressed the most favorability toward a path to citizenship with 82 percent supporting and 17 percent opposing. Hispanic voter turnout reached an all-time high of 10 percent this past election, with President Barack Obama winning more than 70 percent of the Latino vote.

In the wake of the large racial gap between Democrats and Republicans in the election, some GOP politicians and conservative pundits have called for more Latino outreach and reconsideration of immigration reform.

The poll also showed a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage, but by a significantly smaller margin than immigration reform. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they support same-sex marriage compared to 47 percent who oppose, putting it squarely within the margin of error.

This past election three states — Maine, Maryland and Oregon — legalized same-sex marriage through ballot measures and joined six other states and the District of Columbia as the only bodies recognizing marriages between two men or two women.

Minnesota voted down a ballot measure making same-sex marriage unconstitutional last week, however, a majority of states have such bans.

The poll showed 59 percent of respondents in the Northeast supported same-sex marriage, compared to 37 percent opposing. In the West 54 percent supported, with 43 percent in opposition.

According to the poll the Midwest supported same-sex marriage by the slimmest of margins — 50 percent to 49 percent. The South showed solid opposition, with 52 percent against and 45 percent for same-sex marriage.

Though support was down 2 percent since the last ABC News/Washington Post sponsored poll on May 20, overall, support for same-sex marriage has been on the rise since 2003 when it polled at 37 percent support.

Another major ballot movement, the legalization of marijuana, also was examined in the poll, revealing 48 percent support the measure and 50 percent oppose legalizing “small amounts of marijuana for personal use.”

Colorado and Washington both passed measures to legalize the drug for personal use. A similar measure in Oregon was voted down.

Legalized marijuana received more support from men than women, 52 percent against 45 percent, and more support from adults 18-29 compared to those 65 and older, 55 percent against 30 percent.

Like same-sex marriage, legalization of marijuana also has been on the rise, starting out at 39 percent in 2002.

Rocky Mountain high: Pot measures winning

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 by:jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com (Joe Garofoli)
Comment
Comments

|
|

Historic night for marijuana lovers and those who love them: Colorado just became the first state to legalize recreational weed for adult users.

Colorado’s Measure 64 makes it legal for individuals to possess and for businesses to sell marijuana for recreational use. In calling the race, the Denver Post reported that with more than half the vote counted, the “yes” side totaled 52.7 percent.

Washington was lining up to be the second state to legalize pot, as voters there were overwhelmingly passing Measure I-502, which we reported on last week from the Northwest.

A similar legalization effort in California failed in 2010. But unlike in that campaign, there was little opposition to the idea from law enforcement in Washington. Or little opposition from anyone, really.

Plus, the Washington pot advocates made a concerted effort to reach out to mainstream, non-pot lovers. They used advocates like public TV travel guide Rick Steves at the front of their campaign.

What’s more, the Colorado and Washington initiatives were put on the ballot during a presidential election year, which tends to bring out more young voters who in turn are more pro-dope.

Could victories in these two Western states mean pot forces might go back to the ballot in California?

From abortion to pot, the ten most important ballot issues of 2012 election

Sunday, November 4, 2012 by:richard.dunham@chron.com (Richard Dunham)
Comment
Comments(1)

|
|

By KYLE CAMPBELL
Hearst Washington Bureau

Along with deciding the future of the presidency and the makeup of both houses in Congress, voters in some states will have the ability to act as lawmakers themselves during next week’s election.

Thirty-eight states have ballot measures that will be in play on Nov. 6 and though many deal with issues such as taxes and administrative issues, other states will decide on hot-button national topics.

Here are 10 ballot measure issues to look out for during this election season.

1. States reacting to ‘Obamacare’

Six states have ballot measures dealing with health care, likely a response to the passage and Supreme Court affirmation of the Affordable Care Act. Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming all have proposals countering the act known as Obamacare. Likewise, Louisiana has a proposal to protect the state Medicaid trust fund for the elderly from budget cuts. Arizona has a pending amendment that would allow voters to reject federal actions, such as an individual mandate on health insurance, via referendum.

2. Marijuana: Legalize it?

Washington, Oregon and Colorado all have proposed amendments to make marijuana legal for recreational use. All three states currently allow for the use of cannabis for medical purposes and Colorado and Oregon both have removed jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Massachusetts and Arkansas have proposed amendments to allow marijuana use for medicinal purposes, which could add them to the other 17 states that allow the use of medical marijuana. Meanwhile Montana is seeking to repeal its medical marijuana law in exchange for a new system.

3. Same-sex marriage

Maine voters will have the opportunity to overturn the state’s ban on gay marriage. Maine has a referendum that would allow gay couple to obtain a civil marriage license and Washington has a similar referendum addressing gay marriage. Maryland has a question on its ballot to approve civil marriage licenses for gays. Minnesota has a proposed amendment banning gay marriage.

4. Swing states topics

All but four swing states (North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) will have initiatives on their ballots on Nov. 6, but some could prove to be more influential in motivating voter turnout. As previously stated, Colorado has proposed amendments to legalize marijuana for recreational use, but it also has an amendment to prohibit corporate contributions and expenditures in elections, both of which could draw liberal voters.

Florida has proposed amendments to prevent penalties for not purchasing health care, to prevent public funding for abortions and to repeal the ban on public dollars for religious funding, appealing to Christian conservatives.

New Hampshire has a proposed amendment banning increases on income tax, which also could appeal to conservative voters.

5. Three strikes, you’re out

California has a proposal to modify it’s “Three Strikes” policy which requires repeat criminals to serve 25-years to life in prison after their third conviction. The initiative calls for the policy to be implemented only on criminals that have committed a “violent or serious” crime or for those who are previously convicted of rape, murder or child molestation.

California also has a measure calling for the end of the death penalty.

6. Sticking to their guns

A handful of solidly red states are attempting to bolster their second amendment rights through the use of ballot measures. Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wyoming all have amendments solidifying hunting and fishing rights and/or gun rights.

7. Issues of race and immigration

The topics of race and immigration have manifested in a variety of ways on ballots across the country, some of which touch on the issues of immigration and voter identification that have been brought up time and again during the presidential campaign.

Maryland has a proposal to allow illegal immigrants to be charge in-state tuition for public universities.

Montana has a proposal that would require citizens to show proof of citizenship when seeking state services and Minnesota has a proposed voter identification law.

Oklahoma has a proposal to ban affirmative action in the state thus prohibiting special treatment based on race or sex in public employment, education and contracts.

8. Rules for redistricting

Three states are re-examining their redrawn congressional districts that were passed by their respective state legislatures after the 2010 Census report. California and Ohio are looking at the option outside groups drawing the new districts.

California already has this system and made use of it last year, the ballot measure is essentially asking voters if they want this format to stay intact. Meanwhile, Ohio voters will decide if they want the state to set up citizen’s commission to draw the districts.

Maryland voters will have the chance to approve or disapprove of their state’s redistricting plan.

9. Death with dignity

Massachusetts has a proposal to allow terminally ill patients to request their doctors to administer lethal drugs. The patient must be a mentally competent adult with a prognoses of six months or fewer to live by two doctors. Patients must make the request twice verbally and once through writing before the lethal medicine can be administered.

This is the eighth time a state has had an initiative for assisted suicide. Voters were in favor of death with dignity three out of the previous seven times.

10. Consent for abortion

Women’s health reproductive health issues have been another common theme in campaigns across the nation. Along with Florida’s proposal to ban the use of public dollars for abortions, Montana has a proposal that would require parental or legal guardian notification before girls under 16 can an abortion.

This is the tenth time a state has proposed a law such as this. Four out of the previous nine initiatives were passed.