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News (Media Awareness Project) - US CA: Voters: Make Pot a Low Priority
Title:US CA: Voters: Make Pot a Low Priority
Published On:2004-11-03
Source:Oakland Tribune, The (CA)
Fetched On:2008-01-17 20:01:24
VOTERS: MAKE POT A LOW PRIORITY

Supporters Say Approval Means End to City Drug War

OAKLAND -- Voters on Tuesday laid the groundwork for the
decriminalization of marijuana by voting overwhelmingly for Measure Z,
which orders the Oakland Police Department to make private, adult use
of pot its lowest priority.

According to early unofficial returns, Measure Z received almost
two-thirds of the vote, appearing to win decisively.

Celebrating at the Old Bulldog Cafe in the heart of what was once
known as "Oaksterdam," supporters said the victory heralded the end of
the drug war in Oakland.

"It feels great," said Joe De Vries, the measure's author. "This is
the step in the right direction. People recognize the drug war has
been an abject failure. Who better than Oaklanders to step forward and
say its time to try something new?"

Measure Z also requires the city to lobby the state to legalize adult
possession, cultivation, distribution and use of marijuana and set up
a system to tax and regulate the sale of the drug if it is
decriminalized.

The measure calls for an advisory panel of citizens of law enforcement
officials to draft reasonable policies to implement the new law.

The successful campaign was largely funded by national groups
dedicated to the legalization of marijuana, including the Washington,
D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project.

Oakland is now at the forefront of efforts to legalize recreational
pot for adults, and supporters said they hoped other cities and
eventually the state would follow in Oakland's footsteps.

Opponents said they were disappointed and were preparing for a
potential battle over the legality of Measure Z.

Police Chief Richard Word campaigned vigorously against the measure,
warning it would turn Oakland - already bedeviled by the drug trade
- - into ground zero for California's marijuana trade.

"My fear is that this will grow out of control, and we'll have smoke
shops setting up all over the city," Word said. "But we'll respect the
will of the voters. But it's disappointing."

Word said the Police Department focuses solely on the street-level
drug trade, which has been linked to the majority of murders in
Oakland, and rarely arrests anyone for smoking pot in their own home.

City Attorney John Russo has said he is not sure the measure's two
main provisions are legal.

On Tuesday, Russo's spokeswoman Erica Harrold said he would review the
measure's language and make a determination on whether to challenge it
in court.
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