PROP. 19 WOULD SEND THE MARIJUANA LIE UP IN SMOKE

Dr. Howard Zinn, who died last January, said, "All wars start with a lie."

So what about the war on drugs, specifically the war on marijuana?

Early government-sponsored lies include statements that marijuana
will cause a person to become insane, to become violent, or be incited by lust.

President Richard M. Nixon appointed the members of the National
Commission on Marijuana and Drug abuse but never read the results of
the report. If he had read what came to be known as the Shafer
Report, he would have seen a bold proclamation that "neither the
marijuana user nor the drug itself can be said to constitute a danger
to public safety."

The report went on to recommend decriminalization. Nixon responded by
creating the Drug Enforcement Agency.

So how's the war going? Between 1964 and 1969, the United States
spent $9 billion on the war against marijuana; between 1970 and 1977
we spent $76 billion; and between 1980 and 1998, $215 billion. Of
course in 1988 the Anti-Drug Act allowed the government to seize
property thought to be drug related.

Meanwhile, Oakland has a measure designed to tax marijuana sales
which passed by 80 percent of the voters. In Palm Springs, a medical
marijuana dispensary has been approved, and in Visalia the court
ordered the police to return to a man they had arrested, his personal
supply of medical marijuana.

So what has been achieved locally? Well, Modesto did shut down its
only medical marijuana dispensary, leaving hundreds of needy people
without reasonable access. Five other Stanislaus cities followed
suit, Oakdale being the latest, with Stanislaus County banning
medical marijuana activities in rural areas.

And oh yes, after 13 years, the county is finally getting around to
some sort of identification card for use by citizens who are medical
marijuana patients.

Stanislaus County's top cops present a united front against
legalizing marijuana. Sheriff Adam Christianson said, in referring to
a medical marijuana dispensary in his neighborhood, "Absolutely not,"
and recently appointed Modesto Police Chief Mike Harden says a
legalized and taxed medical marijuana would further disrupt society.

We already have one out of every 100 of our citizens behind bars. The
two men who formerly operated Modesto's only medical marijuana
dispensary received sentences of more than 20 years each. In 2008,
850,000 persons were arrested on marijuana charges.

Consider for a moment the disruptive effect of the arrest of 850,000
people -- some of whom will lose jobs, marriages or will receive
sentences of 20 years to life.

In November, Californians have a chance to vote on the
decriminalization and taxation of marijuana, taxation that could
raise an estimated '$1.4 billion for government and save billions
more in the cost of enforcement and incarceration.

Tom Berryhill, who is running for the 14th Senate District, has said
he will do everything he can to defeat Proposition 19, providing a
reminder that aggressive enforcement of existing marijuana laws
amounts to job security for police and prison guards as well as
campaign fodder for politicians.

Now is the time to give up the lie and vote for a more reasonable
social policy. This story is not about raising money through a new
tax. We have too many taxes already. It's about the thousands who
will stay out of jail, saving billions and making police dollars go
further, and letting politicians get back to the healing of the
economy and staying out of the private lives of citizens.