PROPOSITION 19 IS BAD FOR YOUTH

In general it is not the policy of the Youth Violence Prevention
Council to take formal positions on political candidates or issues;
nonetheless, from time to time situations or proposals arise that
have a direct and/or dire impact on the very people on whom our
efforts are focused. Proposition 19 - the "Regulate, Control, and Tax
Cannabis Act of 2010" - is such a proposal.

The very title of this ballot proposal is misleading. The act itself
provides no framework to accomplish any one of its three declared
intents. It doesn't regulate, control or tax cannabis. Instead the
measure delegates all regulatory and enforcement responsibilities to
city and county governments, establishing a confusing network of
potentially conflicting rules and regulations that can vary from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In addition, its passage would limit
the rights of property owners and employers and create nightmare
enforcement issues for local law enforcement agencies.

Under this measure, any person age 21 or older may possess, process,
share or transport up to one ounce of marijuana; cultivate marijuana
on private property in an area up to 25 square feet (per occupant
over 21); possess harvested and living marijuana plants cultivated in
such an area; and possess items or equipment associated with the
possession, processing, sharing, transporting or cultivation of
marijuana. State and local law enforcement agencies would be
constrained from seizing or destroying marijuana from people
participating in these activities, and landlords could potentially be
unable to enforce restrictions against marijuana growth on their own property.

Health studies confirm adverse impacts and addictive effects of
marijuana. The deputy director of the Office of Narcotics and Drug
Control Policy under President Bush recently testified in Sacramento
that studies have proven that marijuana does impair the development
of the teenage brain. Additionally, over 80 percent of youths being
treated for substance abuse are addicted to marijuana.

This is not the "dope" that baby boomers smoked in the 1960s. The THC
content is five times that of the past and has been clinically proven
to be addictive. Smoking marijuana has more carcinogens and negative
health impacts than smoking tobacco.

Increased usage by youth: Experience has also taught us that
marijuana legalization for adults will result in an inevitable
increase in use among youth. From 1978 through 1990, Alaska law
permitted adults to possess small amounts of marijuana - and use
among youth was measured at 51 percent. This was one of the reasons
that Alaskan voters passed a ballot measure in 1990 that repealed
Alaska's failed experiment.

California is currently the major source for marijuana for the
nation. We believe that contrary to assertions, the illegal
cultivation of marijuana will not only continue, but also expand. It
is this aspect of the fallout from the proposition's passage that is
the most troubling to the YVPC Board. As our coalition's main purpose
is preventing violence among Shasta county's young people, we are
concerned over the proliferation of gang activities in our county
that are directly connected with marijuana cultivation in our rural
areas. Given the demand in states where marijuana remains illegal, we
can see no reason drug cartels cultivating their product would cut
back or eliminate their efforts; it is simply too profitable. This
means that gang activity will continue in our region, with the
attendant potential to lure area youths with few employment or higher
education possibilities.

The Youth Violence Prevention Council board wishes to add its voice
to the myriad opponents of this measure. Notable opponents include
both California U.S. senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer;
gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Attorney General Jerry
Brown; attorney general candidates Kamala Harris and Steve Cooley;
numerous law enforcement groups, including the California Association
of Highway Patrolmen, the California Narcotics Officers' Association,
the California Peace Officers' Association, California Police Chiefs
Association, and the California State Sheriffs' Association, and
civic organizations such as the California League of Cities and the
California Chamber of Commerce.

We urge the voters of Shasta County to continue to support the
efforts of the Youth Violence Prevention Council. Vote "No" on Proposition 19.