By RF Schatten
The Conservative Right must think they're hallucinating!...Cops are supporting the Legalization of Marijuana? Not just supporting it...but publicly endorsing "Yes On 91". A Law Enforcement Coalition of 30 former Sheriffs, Deputies, Police Officials, Police Officers, Judges, and Prosecutors from Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and California have endorsed "91" because, in their professional opinion; "Treating Marijuana as a 'Crime' has failed."
The great Winds of Social Change. "Vote Yes on 91" has been endorsed by the Democratic Party of Oregon. also by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 88, AFSCME Local 328, who represents the employees of Oregon Health and Science University, the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555...the state's largest Private Sector Union, and the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. More important, the Cascade Policy Institute gave its approval for '91'...in 2012, it went against the Measure, and legalization was short by 3%. These are not Pot Famers or NORML...they're pretty straight Organizations!
The Measure? It'll be licenced and tightly regulated by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The Measure calls for the Tax Revenue funds to be shared as follows: 40% for K-12 Education, 20% Mental Health and Alcohol & Drug Treatment, 20% to Local Law Enforcement, 15% to State Police, and 5% to the Oregon Health Authority. By the way, Oregon has had a good long time, to do things right...they were the first to "Decriminalize" Pot in 1973, and authorized Medical Marijuana in 1998.
And the support comes from the top, too. Gov. John Kitzhaber and Sen. Jeff Merkley have endorsed it...Merkley, being the first US Senator to endorse Legalization. Both are expected to win, so it hasn't hurt them...if anything, maybe it's helping them?
Time passes, Alaska will probably also go 'Green', and Washington DC will definitely approve it for recreational use...though, not the Sale. Marijuana, like Same Sex Marriage, has become acceptable by the Establishment, and thus part of conventional wisdom. Progress cannot be stopped unless it's by force. You can't go back in time, or you can't freeze it either....though some prefer to go back to the caves, and hide under a rock...until the world is born-again. There's a lot of rocks and roomy caves out west, to hide...and cheap!
Oregon Marijuana Legalization Gets Boost From Cops
