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Today at press conferences in Oakland and Los Angeles, a group of police officers, judges and prosecutors released the following letter of endorsement for Prop. 19/marijuana legalization signed by dozens of law enforcers from across California.
To the Voters of California:
As police officers, judges, prosecutors, corrections officials and others who have labored to enforce the laws that seek to prohibit cannabis (marijuana) use, and who have witnessed the abysmal failure of this current criminalization approach, we stand together in calling for new laws that will effectively control and tax cannabis.
As criminal justice professionals, we have seen with our own eyes that keeping cannabis illegal damages public safety -- for cannabis consumers and non-consumers alike. We’ve also seen that prohibition sometimes has tragic consequences for the law enforcers charged with putting their lives on the line to enforce it. The only groups that benefit from continuing to keep marijuana illegal are the violent gangs and cartels that control its distribution and reap immense profits from it through the black market.
If California's voters make the sensible decision to effectively control and tax cannabis this November, it will eliminate illegal marijuana distribution networks, just as ending alcohol prohibition put a stop to violent and corrupting gangsters' control of beer, wine and liquor sales.
As law enforcement professionals, we especially want voters to understand that legalization will allow us to do our jobs more effectively and safely. In 2008, there were over 60,000 arrests for simple misdemeanor cannabis possession in California, yet nearly 60,000 violent crimes went unsolved in our state that same year. When we change our cannabis laws, police officers will no longer have to waste time on low-level cannabis arrests; we'll be able to focus on protecting the public from murderers, rapists, drunk drivers and burglars. Cannabis cases will no longer clog up court dockets. And room in our costly, overflowing prisons will be freed up when we stop locking people up just because they tested positive for cannabis while on probation.
Because of all the overhead and administrative savings that legalization will generate, our criminal justice apparatus will have more resources to keep more good law enforcers employed serving the public in this time of fiscal turmoil. Ending prohibition will also put a stop to other crimes and problems caused by the illegal marijuana market, such as robberies, gang warfare, gun-running and house fires caused by underground grow operations.
Controlling marijuana through a regulated system will also reduce its availability to kids. Right now, illegal dealers have no incentive to check IDs or avoid selling to juveniles, given that the market is illegal for everyone. But under adult legalization, licensed cannabis businesses will face penalties and consequences that will effectively deter underage sales. Indeed, a recent study from Columbia University shows that teens currently find it easier to purchase illegal marijuana than age-regulated alcohol.
And, because marijuana is illegal and unregulated, its producers aren’t required to do any quality control or safety evaluation, and sometimes it is adulterated with other drugs or harmful chemicals. While law enforcers understand that every drug has the potential for abuse, making cannabis illegal has made it much more dangerous than it otherwise would be under effective regulation.
Please join us in supporting the sensible solution to California’s failed cannabis policies. Let’s vote to control and tax cannabis this November – for safety’s sake.
Sincerely,
MacKenzie Allen
Former Deputy Sheriff, Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept.
Deputy Sheriff, King County Sheriff's Dept. (Ret.)
James Anthony
Former Community Prosecutor, Oakland City Attorney's Office
L. Lawrence Baird
Former Senior Reserve Park Ranger, Orange County
William Baldwin
Correctional Officer, California Department of Corrections (Ret.)
Nate Bradley
Former Officer, Wheatland Police Department
Former Deputy, Sutter County Sheriff's Office
Walter Clark
Deputy District Attorney, County of Riverside District Attorney's Office (Ret.)
Stephen Cobine
Captain, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (Ret.)
William John Cox
Former Officer, El Cajon Police Department
Former Sergeant, Los Angeles Police Department
Former Deputy, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Retired Supervising Trial Counsel, State Bar of California
Bill Dake
Former Officer, San Francisco Police Department
David Doddridge
Narcotics Officer, Los Angeles Police Department (Ret.)
Stephen Downing
Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department (Ret.)
Rick Erickson
Officer, Lakeport Police Department (Ret.)
Paul Gallegos
District Attorney, County of Humboldt
Dr. Nina Graves
Former Military Police, Santa Barbara
James Gray
Judge, Superior Court of Orange County (Ret.)
Terence Hallinan
Former San Francisco District Attorney
Russ Jones
Former Narcotics Detective, San Jose Police Department, DEA Task Force
Kyle Kazan
Former Officer, Torrance Police Department
Leo E. Laurence
Former Biker Enforcement Task Force Member, San Diego District Attorney's Office
Former Deputy Sheriff, Missouri
Madeline Martinez
Correctional Peace Officer (Ret.), State of California Department of Corrections
Danny Maynard
Former Yolo County Sheriff’s Office
Former Sacramento Port Police Department
Walter McKay
Former Senior Police Specialist, Police Assessment Resources Center, Los Angeles, CA
Former Detective, Vancouver Police Department
Joseph McNamara
Chief of Police, San Jose Police Department (Ret.)
Joe Miller
Deputy Probation Officer, Mohave County Probation Department
Police Officer, Needles Police Department (Ret.)
John O'Brien
Sheriff, Genesee County, MI (Ret.)
University of Phoenix, Southern California campus
John A. Russo
Oakland City Attorney
David Sinclair
Former Deputy Sheriff, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Mike Schmier
Former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles
Former Administrative Law Judge California State
Former Federal Labor Prosecutor San Francisco
Jeffrey Schwartz
Senior Deputy District Attorney, Humboldt County (Ret.)
Lyle Smith
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (Ret.)
Norm Stamper
Executive Assistant Chief of Police, San Diego Police Department (Ret.)
Chief of Police, Seattle Police Department (Ret.)
Jeff Studdard
Former Reserve Deputy Sheriff, Los Angeles County
All agency affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.
According to campaign finance reports, the California Beer and Beverage Distributors State Issues Committee donated $10,000 to the campaign to defeat Proposition 19, the initiative that would establish a legal and regulated marijuana market and provide adults with a safer recreational alternative to alcohol. We understand why Big Alcohol wants to protect its turf and keep Californians drinking; but why does the No on Prop. 19 campaign -- which is calling itself "Public Safety First" -- share this goal? Click on the button below or visit http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5559/action/prop19to send a message to the head of the No on Prop. 19 campaign, calling on him to explain why the campaign is working with Big Alcohol to drive Californians to drink. Then visit the campaign's website -- http://www.Yeson19.com -- and find out how you can help bring about a victory this November.
You will be redirected to the Yes on 19 website after taking action!
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Dear friends,
Seven days - that’s how little time is left before California votes on Proposition 19, the ballot initiative that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana.
We know that young people overwhelmingly support Prop 19, so it’s up to us to make sure they vote by November 2.
SSDP and Just Say Now are launching a Prop 19 Day of Action on Saturday to coincide with Jon Stewart's and Stephen Colbert's Rallies for Sanity and Fear on October 30. We’re going to call thousands of young voters and drive out support for Prop 19.
Can you join us? Pledge to participate in the Prop 19 Day of Action this Saturday.
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/prop19ssdp
When you make your pledge, tell us if you'd like to start making phone calls to California voters about Prop 19 using the Just Say Now call tool right from your home -- or if you want to step up, tell us if you can organize a phone banking party.
Young people throughout California will be watching the rally and getting fired up to cast their vote on election day. You can call them and remind them to vote Yes on 19.
Calling young people is a sure-fire way to turn out voters most likely to support Prop 19 and help legalize marijuana. Plus, it’s super easy and fun to call right from your home. So please sign up to call on Saturday, or let us know you want to have a phone bank party!
Click here to pledge to join the Prop 19 Day of Action on Saturday!
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/prop19ssdp
Are planning to be in D.C. on Saturday? Join SSDP for our pre-rally sign making party and post-rally phone banking party in our D.C. office.RSVP to the Rally to Restore (Drug Policy) Sanity in Washington, D.C.
Thanks for all you do to pass Prop 19.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Perri
Associate Director
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Connect with SSDP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2010
CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or [email protected]
Amber Langston - (573) 239-8149 or [email protected]
Yes On 19 Campaign Releases TV Advertisement
Former San Jose Police Chief Says Marijuana Initiative Will Improve Public Safety
Law Enforcement Supporters to Hold Teleconference for Reporters on Tuesday
OAKLAND, CA -- The campaign to pass Proposition 19, the California ballot measure to control and tax marijuana, released a television ad today featuring former San Jose police chief Joseph McNamara, who makes a strong public safety case for ending the current prohibition laws.
The ad can be viewed online at http://www.YesOn19.com/ad
"Let's be honest: The war against marijuana has failed," Chief McNamara says in the ad. "I know from 35 years in law enforcement. Today, it's easier for a teenager to buy pot than beer. Proposition 19 will tax and control marijuana just like alcohol. It will generate billions of dollars for local communities, allow police to focus on violent crimes, and put drug cartels out of business. Join me and many others in law enforcement. Vote YES on Proposition 19!"
McNamara, who served as San Jose's chief of police for 15 years, is now a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He previously served as chief of police in Kansas City and as a beat officer in New York City
McNamara is just one of the many veteran law enforcers who have endorsed Prop. 19. A letter signed by dozens of police officers, judges and prosecutors who support ending prohibition can be read at: http://www.YesOn19.com/endorse/enforcement/text
Several of those law enforcers will be available on a telephone press conference call Tuesday at 11:00 AM PDT. Reporters who would like the call-in info should contact Amber Langston at (573) 239-8149 or [email protected].
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Californians are casting their votes on Proposition 19, the initiative to make marijuana legal and regulate it similarly to alcohol, and the latest polls show it is neck and neck heading down the stretch. Voter turnout could very well be the deciding factorin this close race, so it's time to crank up the effort to get out the vote. There are just about 8 days left before Election Day, and regardless of whether you live in California YOU CAN HELP!
SAFER and its project, the Women's Marijuana Movement, have teamed up with Just Say Nowto create an on-line phone banking tool that allows female marijuana activists across the country to place phone calls to women voters in California. Click HEREor visit http://fdl.me/Prop19Women to find out more and begin placing calls to female voters in California.
Call Young Voters SAFER allies Just Say Now and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)have set up a system that allows people in any state to contact young voters in California and urge them to get out to vote for Prop. 19. Click HEREor visit http://tinyurl.com/25xxms8to find out more and begin placing calls to young voters in California.
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The alcohol industry is fueling the campaign to defeat 
It's coming down to the wire in California!
