CENTRAL VALLEY VOTERS OPPOSE POT LEGALIZATION

A Field Poll released Friday shows that likely voters in the Central
Valley oppose Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization initiative,
by a higher margin than any other region statewide - 54 percent to 36
percent.

Of the 161 likely voters surveyed in the Central Valley by the
nonpartisan Field Research Corporation, 10 percent said they were unsure.

Statewide results show of the 1,005 likely voters interviewed, there's
a much narrower margin of 48 percent no to 44 percent yes.

If approved, the marijuana legalization initiative would legalize
marijuana-related activities, compel local governments to regulate it
and to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes and
authorize various criminal and civil penalties.

Studies, such as one conducted by researchers at Rand's Drug Policy
Research Center, show that legalization would raise consumption
statewide. But it appears local government in this area is unprepared
- - and that concerns Springville resident Darren Perry.

Tulare County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau says County leaders
have yet to talk about what taxes and fees might look like, and
Porterville's Chief Deputy Clerk Patrice Hildreth said there have not
been any meetings scheduled to discuss how City officials might handle
legalization.

As a medical marijuana user, Perry, 46, says he is constantly
perplexed about what his rights are while trying to adhere to
conflicting county, state and federal laws. He wants local government
officials to be prepared, and to alert citizens as to what their
rights might be. He wonders how voters can make educated decisions
otherwise.

"I'm just trying to figure out where we stand, and what's going on.
I'm trying to be logical about both sides," he said. "As far as
legalizing it for everyone above the age of 21, I'm against it,
because they haven't even figured out the medical part of it, how are
they going to supply it, they can't even get the medical rules down."

Legalization seems far off in the Central Valley with sentiment
running against Proposition 19 by an 18 percent margin.

Even in the state's other red counties, Orange and San Diego, where
opposition matches the Central Valley's, more voters said they will
vote yes - 39 percent.

In other regions of the state, the margin of difference is
smaller.

There is majority support for Proposition 19's passage - 53 percent
yes versus 38 percent no - among voters in the nine-county San
Francisco Bay Area. Los Angeles County voters are about evenly
divided- 46 percent yes versus 47 percent no.

The opposition in the Central Valley comes as no surprise to
Perry.

"The people that use marijuana, most of us don't want to talk to
nobody about it, most of us are still hiding in the closet," he said.
"When you get up North, to Frisco or Oakland, it's acceptable up there."