News Blunts - 7-27

Medical Marijuana Legal in Washington D.C.
Washington Post

Medical marijuana is now legal in the District after the Democrat-controlled Congress declined to overrule a D.C Council bill that allows the city to set up as many as eight dispensaries where chronically ill patients can purchase the drug.

Former San Jose Chief of Police: Legalize Pot
SF Chronicle

California voters have a chance on this November's ballot to bring common sense to law enforcement by legalizing marijuana for adults. As San Jose's retired chief of police and a cop with 35 years experience on the front lines in the war on marijuana, I'm voting yes.

I've seen the prohibition's terrible impact at close range.

Like an increasing number of law enforcers, I have learned that most bad things about marijuana - especially the violence made inevitable by an obscenely profitable black market - are caused by the prohibition, not by the plant.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) said in a statement the bill become law after Congress finished its business Monday night because neither the House nor Senate opted to intervene.

The council approved the bill in May, and under Home Rule Congress had 30 legislative days to review it.

Sutter Creek looks to impose moratorium
Ledger Dispatch

The Sutter Creek City Council has asked its attorney to draft a new ordinance to repeal and replace the current ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.
After the approval of the agenda and a public comment session, councilwoman Linda Rianda told the council a use permit application recently turned into the city by someone intending to open a dispensary on Sutter Hill had caused her to become concerned.

Pot Grows targeted in Sweep
Stockton Record
A team of state and local law enforcement officers eradicated 21,760 marijuana plants from clandestine growing sites on private property in Sheep Ranch and Calaveritas in Calaveras County last week, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department announced.

Participating officers came from the Calaveras Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the California Department of Justice, the Alpine County Narcotics Team and the California Department of Fish and Game. The seized immature plants weighed 2,400 pounds. The team also seized 15 pounds of processed marijuana.

Note: No arrests were made. No arrests have been made in the Mokelumne Hill burglary murder either.

San Jose Looks to Tax Medical Marijuana
San Jose Mercury

San Jose city officials are recommending a ballot measure that would create a tax on pot, drawing opposition from medical marijuana proponents.

The ten percent medical marijuana tax, if approved, would give San Jose the highest medical cannabis tax in the state. Proponents say this would put an undue burden on patients.

Yes on Prop 19 Winning 52%-36%; Majority Supports Legalizing Marijuana

Proposition 19, which would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for adults over 21 years old, is currently winning by a wide margin among California voters according to a new PPP poll. The measure is supported by 52% of voters while opposed by only 36%.

Prop 19 PPP
Support 52%
Oppose 36%

This is the largest margin of support we have seen from recent polling on Prop 19. Interestingly, the poll found support among African Americans to be extremely high. From PPP blog:

Democrats are more likely to throw their support behind the prop than Republicans. 62% of Democrats, 37% of Republicans and 55% of Independents support Prop 19.

African-Americans are the strongest supporters of Prop 19; 68:32, followed by Whites who support it 53:37.

Those are surprisingly high numbers among African Americans. A SurveyUSA poll from earlier this month had African Americans on average about as likely to support Prop 19 as whites. Significantly, a small percentage of African Americans said they were certain to oppose it.