CANDIDATES RIP MEDICAL MARIJUANA REGULATION

Democratic Forum Draws Four for Attorney General

Democratic candidates for state attorney general yesterday took
varying positions on the merits of legalizing marijuana, but agreed
that medical marijuana needs to be much more heavily regulated than it is now.

Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance said he opposes legalization.
Assemblyman Alberto Torrico of Fremont and Chris Kelly, chief privacy
officer for Facebook, said any discussion of legalization is
premature until the medical marijuana industry is reined in.
Assemblyman Pedro Nava of Santa Barbara said he is "agnostic" on the subject.

The four, along with Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, a
Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, spoke at a forum
sponsored by the San Diego County Democratic Party, North County
Democratic Unity, the Cal State San Marcos Democratic Club, the
Escondido Democratic Club and the North County Young Democrats.

Petition signatures for an initiative that would legalize and tax the
sale of marijuana in California have been submitted to the Secretary
of State's Office, and the measure appears to have a good chance of
qualifying for the November ballot.

California voters legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes with
Proposition 215 in 1996, and all four candidates for attorney general
agree that it has gotten out of hand.

"There are more marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles than there are
Starbucks," Kelly said.

Torrico and Nava said some medicinal marijuana has been found to have
more than 100 times the allowable levels of pesticides and other toxins.

All a person has to do to obtain marijuana is have a written
"recommendation," as opposed to a prescription, from a doctor who is
often associated with the dispensary, Lieu said. The recommendation
doesn't have to specify the quantity or duration of use, he said.

"We know lots of people are getting it, not for medical reasons;
they're doing it for recreation," Lieu said.

Nava called Proposition 215 "vague and ambiguous" and "a corruption
of what was a good idea." The Santa Barbara legislator blamed an
initiative process that allows any citizen to file a proposed law
without it being vetted by legal experts.

"Where we are hobbled is when laws are passed by an initiative and
it's three drunk guys sitting around a table writing on a napkin," Nava said.

The four candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for the
office Attorney General Jerry Brown is expected to relinquish to run
for governor, though he has yet to formally announce his intentions.
Also in the Democratic race are former Los Angeles City Attorney
Rocky Delgadillo and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris.

Republican candidates are Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve
Cooley, attorney John Eastman and state Sen. Tom Harman of Huntington Beach.

Hahn, one of three potential Democratic candidates for lieutenant
governor, said she would use the office to fight for reductions in
tuition at public colleges and universities. The lieutenant governor
serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the
California State University board of trustees.

"You don't balance the budget in Sacramento on students and their
parents," said Hahn, the daughter of the late Los Angeles County
Supervisor Kenneth Hahn and sister of former Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn.

State Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter is also in the Democratic race for
lieutenant governor, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who
abandoned his campaign for governor last year, has said he may run.

The office has been vacant since November, when Democratic Lt. Gov.
John Garamendi was elected to Congress in a special election. Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated Republican Abel Maldonado, a state
senator from Santa Maria, to fill the vacancy.

Whether or not he is confirmed by the Legislature, Maldonado is
running for the Republican nomination, as is Sen. Sam Aanestad of Grass Valley.