NAACP Announces Its "Unconditional Support” For California’s Marijuana unces “Legali

Topspin

Topspin

Verified User
NAACP Announces Its "Unconditional Support” For California’s Marijuana unces “Legali

NAACP Announces Its "Unconditional Support” For California’s Marijuana unces “Legalization Measure
Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:28:53 By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Share This Article The California NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) today expressed its “unconditional support” for The Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Initiative 2010, which will appear on the November statewide ballot.

The measure, also known as Proposition 19, would allow adults 21 years or older to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use. It would also permit local governments the option to authorize the retail sale and commercial cultivation of cannabis to adults. Personal marijuana cultivation or not-for-profit sales of marijuana would not be taxed under the measure.

The California NAACP announced its endorsement of the measure at a news conference in Sacramento this morning. The press conference coincided with the release of a report finding that African Americans are arrested for marijuana possession offenses in California’s 25 largest counties at more than twice the rates of Caucasians.

“Young blacks use marijuana at lower rates than young whites. Yet from 2004 through 2008, in every one of the 25 largest counties in California, blacks were arrested for marijuana possession at higher rates than whites, typically at double, triple or even quadruple the rate of whites,” the report concluded. “acks were arrested for simple marijuana possession far out of proportion to their percentage in the total population of the counties. In the 25 largest counties as a whole, blacks are 7% of the population but 20% of the people arrested for possessing marijuana.”

Statewide, authors reported that in 2008 African Americans and Latinos combined comprised less than 44% of the state’s population, but together constituted 56% of the people arrested in California for possessing marijuana. An estimated 80 percent of those arrested were age 29 or younger.

Since 1990, annual marijuana possession arrests of youth of color in California have risen from 3,100 to over 16,000 — an increase that is about three times greater than the group’s population growth.

Alice Huffman, President of the California State Conference of the NAACP stated: “We have empirical proof that the application of the marijuana laws has been unfairly applied to young people of color. … We are joining a growing number of medical professionals, labor organizations, law enforcement authorities, local municipalities, and approximately 56% of the public, in saying that it is time to (depenalize) the [adult] use of marijuana.”

In 2008, police in California made over 61,000 arrests for marijuana possession offenses, a criminal misdemeanor. Law enforcement made over 17,000 additional arrests for marijuana felony violations – a category that includes personal cultivation of even a single plant.
 
For a state going broke tax payer money to arrest 61,000 for something less harmfull than beer is pititufl.
 
If the Nation did it and tax it. We would have the largest peacetime boom in the economy ever. Likely free healthcare.
 
Topspin said:
If the Nation did it and tax it. We would have the largest peacetime boom in the economy ever. Likely free healthcare.
Click to expand...

The only thing I don't like about the CA law proposal is that it restricts possession and cultivation to those 21 and over.

This is (in my opinion) a violation of equal protection under the law. It is quite simply age discrimination. (and yes, I have the same problem with alcohol)

To cherry pick the situations in which a person is considered an adult and others in which the SAME person is considered a minor is ridiculous and Unconstitutional.

1) Commit a crime.... 18 is tried as an adult
2) If a draft ever came back.... 18 is an adult
3) To vote.. 18 is the age you can do so
4) Fight and potentially die for your country.... 18 is an adult
5) Enter into a contract.... yep... 18 is an adult

All of the above.... you are old enough and wise enough to be able to make sound decisions. You are responsible enough to choose wisely.

6) want a beer... well at 18 you just aren't old enough, we will call you a minor

7) want MJ... well at 18 you just aren't old enough, but magically, when you turn 21 this wonderful thing happens... you suddenly gain the wisdom of proper MJ use and the responsibility that you possess in all other aspects of your life at 18 (except for alcohol consumption of course)
 
Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

I don't like that tabacco companies are going to swoop in and kill the mom and pop ghana farmer either. But as opposed to jailing 800,000 is a momumentally great first step.
 
Topspin said:
Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

I don't like that tabacco companies are going to swoop in and kill the mom and pop ghana farmer either. But as opposed to jailing 800,000 is a momumentally great first step.
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying.... but this would establish a precedent that other states might follow. As with the drinking age... it would be nearly impossible to change unless someone actually committed the funds to fight the discrimination all the way to the SCOTUS.... and who is going to do that for a bunch of 18-20 year olds?
 
I support it to. I can't vote on it, but I think CA should legalize it and tell the Feds to back the heck out of here...
 
From a person who bartended at the age of 17 and who's state had to be bribed to change the driking age to 21 let me say that it may have slightly reduced 18 to 20 yr old drinking but hardly dented it. Nor would making it illegal for 17 to 20 yr olds dent pot consumption. Let's end jailing of ghaja smokers, nearly all agree on that much.
 
Topspin said:
From a person who bartended at the age of 17 and who's state had to be bribed to change the driking age to 21 let me say that it may have slightly reduced 18 to 20 yr old drinking but hardly dented it. Nor would making it illegal for 17 to 20 yr olds dent pot consumption. Let's end jailing of ghaja smokers, nearly all agree on that much.
Click to expand...

I am in full agreement with the jailing. I personally think we should not only stop jailing for non-violent drug offenses, but we should release those currently incarcerated for such crimes and thus reduce the prison population.

Prohibition doesn't work. It never will. Which is why we shouldn't pretend that ALL 18-20 year old adults are incapable of being responsible with their MJ or alcohol use. Like all other 'adults'.... we should punish those who drive under the influence or cause harm to another person/property while under the influence and leave the rest alone.
 
Superfreak said:
I am in full agreement with the jailing. I personally think we should not only stop jailing for non-violent drug offenses, but we should release those currently incarcerated for such crimes and thus reduce the prison population.

Prohibition doesn't work. It never will. Which is why we shouldn't pretend that ALL 18-20 year old adults are incapable of being responsible with their MJ or alcohol use. Like all other 'adults'.... we should punish those who drive under the influence or cause harm to another person/property while under the influence and leave the rest alone.
Click to expand...
I agree. I'm old enough to remember when drinking laws were changed to 18 and how the were changed back to 21 cause the under 21 crowd was to stupid to go out and vote.
 
Topspin said:
From a person who bartended at the age of 17 and who's state had to be bribed to change the driking age to 21 let me say that it may have slightly reduced 18 to 20 yr old drinking but hardly dented it. Nor would making it illegal for 17 to 20 yr olds dent pot consumption. Let's end jailing of ghaja smokers, nearly all agree on that much.
Click to expand...

Far from being bribed, you were actually extorted.

National Minimum Drinking Age Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:US-GreatSeal-Obverse.svg" class="image"><img alt="Great Seal of the United States." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/US-GreatSeal-Obverse.svg/140px-US-GreatSeal-Obverse.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/b/be/US-GreatSeal-Obverse.svg/140px-US-GreatSeal-Obverse.svg.png

The one thing I've admired about the Southern states is that they were largely the states that had an under 21 drinking age, and were typically the last hold-outs while pressure was being laid to bare.

For everyone who has seen Dazed and Confused, you'll remember that the film took place in Texas while the drinking age was still 18, and thus the 14 year old kid only had to con the convenience store clerk into believing he was 18 and off to college (tricky but doable) rather than 21 (not believable).
 
Oh don't I know it, down here it was almost family culture to get kids drinking in the early teens.
I bartended at 17 in a nightclub which was cool, I hadn't yet aquired a taste for drinking yet.
 
Topspin said:
Oh don't I know it, down here it was almost family culture to get kids drinking in the early teens.
I bartended at 17 in a nightclub which was cool, I hadn't yet aquired a taste for drinking yet.
Click to expand...

That'd make an interesting conversation starter for hot bartenders. "Hey, Jen, you know one of my first jobs was bartending back when I was 17." Jen drops the liquor bottle in surprise. You smile.
 
LOL

Now with the NAACP behind this bill, they will be able to control those black rabble rouser's that voted against gay marriage in California. They will be too stoned to care.
 
Superfreak said:
The only thing I don't like about the CA law proposal is that it restricts possession and cultivation to those 21 and over.

This is (in my opinion) a violation of equal protection under the law. It is quite simply age discrimination. (and yes, I have the same problem with alcohol)

To cherry pick the situations in which a person is considered an adult and others in which the SAME person is considered a minor is ridiculous and Unconstitutional.

1) Commit a crime.... 18 is tried as an adult
2) If a draft ever came back.... 18 is an adult
3) To vote.. 18 is the age you can do so
4) Fight and potentially die for your country.... 18 is an adult
5) Enter into a contract.... yep... 18 is an adult

All of the above.... you are old enough and wise enough to be able to make sound decisions. You are responsible enough to choose wisely.

6) want a beer... well at 18 you just aren't old enough, we will call you a minor

7) want MJ... well at 18 you just aren't old enough, but magically, when you turn 21 this wonderful thing happens... you suddenly gain the wisdom of proper MJ use and the responsibility that you possess in all other aspects of your life at 18 (except for alcohol consumption of course)
Click to expand...

Complain as much as you want; but you're still going to have to wait until you reach legal age.

Damn youngins.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top