Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The debate over legalizing marijuana has for decades pitted defense of personal freedom against public health, social justice against public safety. Those emotional arguments still linger today.
A panel of experts gathered Monday night at Cal State Long Beach to debate these principles as voters, in less than a month, will decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use - and in Long Beach, allow for medical marijuana dispensaries once again.
Greg Akili, a longtime civil rights activist and labor organizer, argued that many see the marijuana industry as the "next big market." However legalizing marijuana would have direct ties to social justice, he said.
"While drug use is about equality among blacks and other (races), we were being arrested, prosecuted and convicted at four times the rate," he said. "Part of our support ... is around how we at least take some steps to end the war on drugs because we are paying a devastating price."
The Press-Telegram, part of the Southern California News Group, along with CSULB hosted the discussion, "The Pot Perplex: Would Legal Marijuana Be Good or Bad for Southern California?"
Tom Bray, managing editor for the Southern California News Group, moderated.
Nearly 200 people packed into the Beach Auditorium to hear the panelists' thoughts on the issue before the Nov. 8 election, when California voters will decide on Proposition 64, a statewide initiative that supports recreational use and sale of marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the No on Proposition 64 campaign, said he and other parents share a common concern: How will we keep it away from our children?
"The initiative allows TV advertising to kids," he said. "This is a way to make money."
Diane Goldstein, a retired lieutenant commander of the Redondo Beach Police Department, disagreed. She said the measure does have sufficient safeguards built into it.
"This is an issue of appropriate governance," she said. "We have abdicated control to criminals and cartels and to people who don't have the best interests of our children in mind."
She said a statewide law would help police be more strategic about who they go after.
"We will be able to discern who the good guys are and the bad guys are because the government is going to be able to regulate and license them."
Acosta pointed out that law enforcement associations are opposed to the measure, and talked about concerns of how to test for and regulate impaired driving. "This is a great unknown," he said. "Police in these other states are still trying to figure it out."
Acosta said the state should stand back and let other governments figure out their regulations out before trying to legalize it here through a ballot initiative.
Currently, four states and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Long Beach voters also need to decide on Measure MM, a local initiative that would repeal a ban on medical marijuana businesses and create a framework for their existence. After backers gathered enough signatures to place MM on the ballot, the city placed a general tax measure - Measure MA - on the ballot to capture more tax revenue. If passed, MA would restore local taxes on recreational and slightly increased those on medical marijuana.
Stefan Borst-Censullo, a Long Beach attorney with one of the nation's first cannabis law firms, advocated for Measure MM and Marc Greenberg, a former federal prosecutor, advocated against the local medical marijuana measure.
Two decades ago, California became the first state to sanction medical marijuana under Proposition 215. But Prop. 215 gave local governments power to regulate medical marijuana, or ban it all together, and many cities did just that, leading to a patchwork of widely varying local ordinances.
Borst-Censullo said voting MM would not create a new industry, but simply regulate one already in existence.
"We have rules that (were) passed with worker and neighborhood protections, and a system of revenue collection that makes sure money generated from an existing marketplace is put back into the community," he said. "That's not reinventing the wheel."
Regardless of how one perceives the legitimacy of medical marijuana, the reality is people have, in consultation with physicians, determined that they can benefit from the use of it, he said.
Greenberg argued more for the passage of Measure MA than he did against Measure MM, saying the city should be able to recover costs associated with law enforcement.
"You have to tax it in order to balance what it will cost the city to monitor this legislation," he said.
He explained that MA would cut taxes on medical and completely eliminate those on recreational.
"It's unfair, and it shouldn't be that way," he said.
If both Measure MM and Measure MA are approved, the city's marijuana tax rates will depend upon which of the two measures receives more votes. The measure receiving the highest number of votes will set the tax rates.
If Prop. 64 passes, the City Council would consider under what circumstances recreational marijuana would be allowed, if at all, in Long Beach.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Panelists Debate Marijuana Initiatives At Long Beach Panel
Author: Courtney Tompkins
Contact: (562) 435-1161
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Press-Telegram
A panel of experts gathered Monday night at Cal State Long Beach to debate these principles as voters, in less than a month, will decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use - and in Long Beach, allow for medical marijuana dispensaries once again.
Greg Akili, a longtime civil rights activist and labor organizer, argued that many see the marijuana industry as the "next big market." However legalizing marijuana would have direct ties to social justice, he said.
"While drug use is about equality among blacks and other (races), we were being arrested, prosecuted and convicted at four times the rate," he said. "Part of our support ... is around how we at least take some steps to end the war on drugs because we are paying a devastating price."
The Press-Telegram, part of the Southern California News Group, along with CSULB hosted the discussion, "The Pot Perplex: Would Legal Marijuana Be Good or Bad for Southern California?"
Tom Bray, managing editor for the Southern California News Group, moderated.
Nearly 200 people packed into the Beach Auditorium to hear the panelists' thoughts on the issue before the Nov. 8 election, when California voters will decide on Proposition 64, a statewide initiative that supports recreational use and sale of marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the No on Proposition 64 campaign, said he and other parents share a common concern: How will we keep it away from our children?
"The initiative allows TV advertising to kids," he said. "This is a way to make money."
Diane Goldstein, a retired lieutenant commander of the Redondo Beach Police Department, disagreed. She said the measure does have sufficient safeguards built into it.
"This is an issue of appropriate governance," she said. "We have abdicated control to criminals and cartels and to people who don't have the best interests of our children in mind."
She said a statewide law would help police be more strategic about who they go after.
"We will be able to discern who the good guys are and the bad guys are because the government is going to be able to regulate and license them."
Acosta pointed out that law enforcement associations are opposed to the measure, and talked about concerns of how to test for and regulate impaired driving. "This is a great unknown," he said. "Police in these other states are still trying to figure it out."
Acosta said the state should stand back and let other governments figure out their regulations out before trying to legalize it here through a ballot initiative.
Currently, four states and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Long Beach voters also need to decide on Measure MM, a local initiative that would repeal a ban on medical marijuana businesses and create a framework for their existence. After backers gathered enough signatures to place MM on the ballot, the city placed a general tax measure - Measure MA - on the ballot to capture more tax revenue. If passed, MA would restore local taxes on recreational and slightly increased those on medical marijuana.
Stefan Borst-Censullo, a Long Beach attorney with one of the nation's first cannabis law firms, advocated for Measure MM and Marc Greenberg, a former federal prosecutor, advocated against the local medical marijuana measure.
Two decades ago, California became the first state to sanction medical marijuana under Proposition 215. But Prop. 215 gave local governments power to regulate medical marijuana, or ban it all together, and many cities did just that, leading to a patchwork of widely varying local ordinances.
Borst-Censullo said voting MM would not create a new industry, but simply regulate one already in existence.
"We have rules that (were) passed with worker and neighborhood protections, and a system of revenue collection that makes sure money generated from an existing marketplace is put back into the community," he said. "That's not reinventing the wheel."
Regardless of how one perceives the legitimacy of medical marijuana, the reality is people have, in consultation with physicians, determined that they can benefit from the use of it, he said.
Greenberg argued more for the passage of Measure MA than he did against Measure MM, saying the city should be able to recover costs associated with law enforcement.
"You have to tax it in order to balance what it will cost the city to monitor this legislation," he said.
He explained that MA would cut taxes on medical and completely eliminate those on recreational.
"It's unfair, and it shouldn't be that way," he said.
If both Measure MM and Measure MA are approved, the city's marijuana tax rates will depend upon which of the two measures receives more votes. The measure receiving the highest number of votes will set the tax rates.
If Prop. 64 passes, the City Council would consider under what circumstances recreational marijuana would be allowed, if at all, in Long Beach.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Panelists Debate Marijuana Initiatives At Long Beach Panel
Author: Courtney Tompkins
Contact: (562) 435-1161
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Press-Telegram
