As We See It

POT CAPITAL?

Do the people of Santa Cruz really want marijuana to be what the city
is known for?

That question just may be turning into a reality, especially after
the passage last week of Measure K.

The ballot measure passed overwhelmingly, although we still believe
that a number of voters didn't really understand the full
implications of the measure.

It's part of a national effort by a well-funded group that's trying
to overturn the nation's marijuana laws. They're going about the
effort by picking off far-left towns like Santa Cruz to apparently
convince the rest of the country that marijuana ought to be legalized.

We're not convinced that marijuana is really harmless, nor are we
convinced that legalizing it is really the smartest move our society
could make.

But were it to be legalized, we'd hate to see it done this way, where
you end up with "pockets" of marijuana havens like Santa Cruz.

Beyond that, Measure K is setting up some bureaucratic regulations
that will be time-consuming and frustrating to follow. How would you
like to be a busy city clerk who has to take time to write a letter
to federal lawmakers each year, asking them to support legalized marijuana?

Why should the city have to name an "oversight committee" to monitor
police reports? Why would any self-respecting police officer work in
that kind of atmosphere? It almost guarantees that the best cops will
look elsewhere for employment.

The measure also declares that it's city policy to support policies
for taxation and regulation of marijuana.

At one time, those who smoked marijuana were considered to be free
spirits who flouted the law. But this generation of pot-promoters are
more bureaucratic. They seem to be as interested in setting up
procedures and policies every bit as much as they are in getting high.

The serious side of this issue is that people shouldn't be encouraged
to get high. Marijuana might not be the most dangerous drug in the
world, but our society does not need more avenues to self-medication.
One more legal way to get high is not something our society needs.

Year in and year out, the local United Way Community Assessment
Project report warns that the tolerance of drug use -- and abuse --
is one of the biggest problems facing this community. Drug and
alcohol use by teens is much higher than the state and national averages.

It's no joke. People's lives are made worse because of drug and
alcohol use and abuse.

As for Santa Cruz, drug use is a big problem. It's a problem
downtown, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Marijuana is part
of that problem.

We don't think that Santa Cruz ought to be known as a "pot capital"
of the world. That's why Measure K is not good for the city, despite
the overwhelming vote to approve it.