Take Me Serious as a Pot Smoker, Seriously

As I’ve mentioned before, I almost change my opinion daily whether Proposition 19 is going to pass in November. Today I read that Facebook is blocking Pro-Legalization ads. I guess Facebook does fear user generated content. Apparently the theory, ‘by the People, for the People,’ only goes so far.  

One of the other negatives that has me slightly worried is the traditional Big Buck Pothead supporters like the legendary Giver of All Causes Liberal, George Soros, is conspicuously absent, as is his money. Also other backroom backers that have always seem to be behind Pro-Pot activities are missing, but I can’t guarantee that, if you know what I mean…Maybe the usual suspects will pony-up around Rocktober when we’re nearing the finish line.

But I have one question today, ‘How does Change happen?

Let’s just say Prop. 19 passes. Okay for the next week, it’s a Pot-O-Thon in the Malden Streets of San Francisco. Then when one of the Stoners will be reminded that the law really doesn’t take effect until the end of January, ought Eleven.

But then what? Are we then like little Munchkins in our bright, new Emperor’s clothing unafraid to come out of hiding and blaze up? How will that work?

For some of us oldsters, we’re still going to be nervous smoking in public, forgetting that we can’t get busted now. It will take some getting used to that WEED is now really legal. See, change is hard if you’re used to looking over your shoulder or in rear-views all the time for the ubiquitous Man. But if Legalization passes in November, that all changes. We will be free to be ourselves.

But how does change happen?

Here in San Francisco, the Proposition 8 is kind of a big deal. I don’t want to make a huge deal out of this but…I kinda live in a gay town, shhh.

I’ve lived among people who have been trying to come out as themselves for as long as I can remember. After the recent change in the legislative battle for the Right for Gays to marry, it’s getting close. But I assume, as with the Legalization of Marijuana, the Same-Sex amendment will eventually be brought to the Supreme Court.

I see many similarities between the wishes of these two groups of people on their pursuits of Happiness. Everyone just wants to do their own thing without fear of being bother or held up to ridicule for their beliefs. Or worse, being thrown in jail for what society is afraid of looking at.

So when do we come out?

I’m not talking about smoking a joint at a concert or sitting in the park blowing a bowl, having strangers walk through your blue haze. I’m talking about letting your boss, parents, school teacher, Aunt, baby-sitter, neighborhood cop, and anyone else you would fear that they know that you get high. To bring it all home, what my Girlfriend’s Dad thinks of me, does really matter to me. He knows I’m a competent, producing kind of guy. I hate to think that could all change when he sees me getting high.

We don’t have that problem with alcohol. In fact, sometimes you can get into many car accidents or have a few incidents at Thanksgiving while drinking, and you’re still given a few more chances. It’s ‘cause we’re cool with booze. Not so with WEED.

I came out to my family over ten years ago. I was visiting my parents and I lit up in the backyard. Why hide who you are? If you can’t be yourself around your family, when can you be yourself?

Besides, let’s face facts. When you’re high, you’re not fooling anyone. The World knows you’re high, but no one is talking about it.

“I don’t mind if some gays come out, just don’t jam that Gay Agenda down my throat.”  That is always one of my favorite sayings of the Non-Gay Front.

The Girlfriend and I was at her parent’s for a barbeque a couple of weeks ago in their big backyard. Perfect San Francisco day, wind around thirty knots. Spray pelting us from the Bay. Devil’s Towers are forming and spinning on the streets, molding swirling debris and medical samples from the homeless into small moving columns that dance down Chestnut Street. I say to the Girlfriend, “Do you mind if I light up?” Knowing full well what the answer would be.

“No way, we’re at my parents.”

        I have to say, the Girlfriend’s parents are as cool as people can be who don’t smoke Pot. Both of her parents grew up here in the City and are not strangers to the issues that happen here. Her parents know I write a Dope column and that I’m a Marijuana activist. But for me to pull out a spliff and give it power to burn, that would be pushing things.

        And I understand what she is talking about. It would make her parents, and her, uncomfortable to see me hit on a hooner. The Girlfriend sees it as me trying to rock the boat. These feelings are all very understandable.

        But when will that happen? When it is finally legal, is that when the all clear sign happens.

        Red Rover, Red Rover, send some major Bud over. I am stoking this joint and I don’t care who sees me.

 Right?

No way, even if it’s legal, there’s no way the Girlfriend is going to let me smoke in front of her parents and make everyone uncomfortable.

What is the difference between now and when WEED becomes Legal? Isn’t it just a state of mind? If you know what I’m mean…

        Is it just going to be a big party in the streets because now someone said it is okay for us to be who we want to be?

        Or is it up to us?

        When it comes to WEED, I always defer to the side of responsibility. I’m not talking about blazing up in front of kids, but as adults, what are we waiting for?

        Is it are fear of not wanting to rock the boat? Or is it deeper and more insidious?

        Is it our fear that we don’t want to be seen as your average Cheech and Chong stoned out of your minds Potheads? That when someone sees us smoking Dope, we somehow also have to explain that we can still do our jobs or drive on the stuff, if we have to. Or to be more honest, sometimes I drive and work better when I’m stoned. There, I said it. I actually can do some of Life’s tasks better, if I’m stoned.

        I’ll tell you two things that are better when I am stoned, parties and boring times. If I’m bored, getting stoned can motivate me and make me do something I might not normally do. But to be honest also, it can make me sit on the couch watching ‘L.A. Confidential,’ for like the billionth time.

At parties, once I’m stoned, the people I didn’t like or were judgmental about, those immature thoughts melt away like waking up from a bad dream.

        Living in San Francisco, I’ve marched with my Gay and Lesbian friends. I was there the night the cop cars burned after the Dan White verdict. I brought coffee and warm clothes to my old roommate who was stopping traffic on one of the bridges for Act-Up while that group of activists were doing their best to bring attention to HIV and Aids to a World that didn’t want to hear it or see it.      

        I learned long ago, we’re all in this together. How one segment of the population is treated, has a direct effect on the rest.

        We’re familiar with the saying, ‘A high tide raises all boats.’ I’ve learned that the opposite can be true too. With what is going on in the news with Anti-Muslim and Arab sentiment and the Tea Party almost reaching their boiling points every day; I can see how a low tide brings us all down too.

        I tell you what real change is. It’s when you look over and see normal, regular folks with jobs and families, smoking joints like its nothing. As soon as more of us start to light up at ballgames, on the street and in the Avenues, the sooner the rest of the population is going to think that this is common behavior.

        I need to light up at my girlfriend’s parent’s house, to show that I’m not Charley Manson or that somehow I morph into Jeff Spicoli at the first hit of some Blue Cheese. That I’m just me, only slightly goofy and I might laugh at the odd moment that others might not find as funny as I do. That could be the worst that could happen.    

        Really, what is wrong with that?

        I’m all for your Hempfests and smoke-outs. I do my walk on 4/20 to Hippie Hill to see the kids at twenty after four in the afternoon enjoying a freedom that only happens when you and your closest fifteen thousand other dudes and dudettes decide it’s safe to light up.

        But what about standing alone like some thirteen-year-old in Milwaukee who realizes that they don’t like the opposite sex, they like their own. How brave is that?

        If we want Legalization to happen, we shouldn’t wait until someone hands it to us. We should take it. We should own it.

        All us Potheads, we need to come out and let the World know that they don’t have to fear us. Let’s give them the images of the Carl Sagans, the Michael Phelps, the John Lennons of our World, our winners. Let the public see you can be productive and a valued member of society and still bang the gong. Let’s bring them in on our pursuit of Happiness. Let’s be real. Show them how we get lost and laugh and return to the same spot we were just in, but now, we’re a little happier and realize, Life’s not that bad when you’re high.

        What’s wrong with that?



Some Friday Hitz

I once heard this urban myth that the first two cars driving around in some big Mid-western state like Kansas or Iowa in the late eighteen-nineties, with no other motorized traffic to speak of, ran into each other. That’s what these days before Legalization makes me think of…

Worlds are colliding. One door closes while another one opens.

Speaking of cars…What’s up Motown? A very pimp sounding state representative named Rick Jones is trying to shut down the Pot Clubs of Michigan because he believes, “Marijuana users shouldn’t be encouraged to drive.” Number one, maybe Detroit is too car-conscious but with GM bouncing back, I would think Michigan would be all about getting people back into cars. There’s nothing like a Bogue Cruise along Grosse Point with a big fatty to pass the time. Also, because of the cheap rents for buildings and this thing called, ‘Winter.’ Michigan grows some of the best indoor I’ve ever seen outside of Washington State and B.C. Good luck shutting down progress…

Speaking of shutting down…

The Netherlands are tightening up their drug policies. Who’s to blame? Not your everyday Hans Brinker, that’s for sure. It seems that some of the border towns attracts up to two million visitors annually to towns the size of Hooterville. Most of these small burgs have typically about ten to twelve Pot Clubs for the foreigners to choose from. Remember, for the most part, the Dutch aren’t big tokers. There is a plan to make the Pot Clubs for locals only. You would need a residence card. This would be totally bullshit creating a huge black market of ganja-drooling tourist waiting outside of the Gulden Horn while Hans is inside scoring for the opened-pocket mark. I don’t believe all those whorehouses in the Red-light districts are only being frequented by locals. Are they going to make the sex clubs ‘Locals-only’ or will tourist dollars still be good there?

Remember that Marijuana and Hash are not legal in the Netherlands. They have a policy very similar to one here in San Francisco. It’s called, ‘We don’t have a clue but we’re selling the shit anyway.’ Right now the Dutch are trying to figure out how to handle their drug problem. It’s time some other countries step in and Legalize and let our Dutch friends get back to sticking some fingers into some dykes. Or whatever they do when not drinking, smoking, or riding their girly bikes. C’mon other countries, jump in, and lighten up. Or light up, whatever works…

Speaking of jumping in…

Mexico is considering Legalizing Pot because…well, pick a reason. Shootings, kidnapping, crazy-ass violence, and that’s just in Tijuana. I love the Country of Mexico. I love the Mexican people. I just can’t stand the law down there. Too many dollars and pesos involved for any real change to happen down. But I am ever hopeful.

How old am I? Let me count the rings around my eyes…

Curt Cobain’s kid is eighteen. You would think by now we would have a coherent drug policy, just so the Cobain kid has some direction…

Some really good news…

The National Black Police Association has endorsed Proposition 19. There are some twenty-four chapters around the states. There’s nothing cooler than a cool cop. So sez I.

As always, just a plea to stay focused for these upcoming months. The anti-Legalization side is going to attack Prop. 19 regarding driving stoned and of course, “What about the children?”

Today I’ll answer the driving question.

The guy in Michigan is worried about the impairment of the Marijuana driver. Fair question. Tell the anti-Legalization people that they are confusing alcohol with Pot. With alcohol, you get loaded and you crash your car. With Pot, you get loaded and you crash in your car, getting a solid five to six hours of sleep before waking up and going, “Where the fuck am I? Oh, yeah, my car.”

Peace Out.

More Later.



Take My Mexicans, Please!

We Americans have a very convenient memory. When Life is good, we are a country of open doors. But once we get bombed or attacked, all bets are off. If you aren’t White or Christian, the streets might not be the safest place for you until the collective White fear subsides.

Take your Mexicans, please!

The scenario is pretty familiar. There wasn’t a problem as long as there were jobs. But because of the Greed of Wall Street, the United States’ economy has sunk lower than oil on an ocean’s bottom. Houses are being foreclosed. Cities that once thrived with tinsel and stars are laying off cops, firemen and teachers. Jobs are getting scarce. Employers are lowing wages taking advantage of the economic tailspin. White people can’t get work and line the streets in lawn chairs waiting for something to happen.

At first it is just a handful of pale skinned leaders who speak up about the growing menace that is spreading among us. But then more hop on the bandwagon drumming the xenophobic beat. Pretty soon the hard data is revealed. After many years of unregulated financial scheming, the opaque spokespeople have determined the source of America’s dollar woes.

The Mexicans. It’s those damn quiet, unassuming people that have been here for centuries doing the jobs that we wouldn’t, that are now determined to be the problem.

But these immigrants that help settled our country have been here so long, they’re embedded. Too many of them have jobs that not only did we rely on them for, but have been in their positions for many years.

How to remove them? Hmmmm????

Only if these new vagrants were doing something to the White people that we could get them for, and possible bonus, the kids.

Well, there were these stories, more like rumors really, of Mexicans smoking something called ‘Marihuana.’ The stories might not be true but it will help destroy the image of a people that were known as hard and diligent workers.

But how does one concoct a scenario almost overnight? Just like throwing a major league baseball game, you really need a pitcher and a catcher. Have to control all media outlets by getting the inside players. So you get the biggest newspaper man in the country in on it. The Government pulls in the nephew of a government official who will play ball on their side and not ask questions. Then you send out the ‘Talking Points’ so the crusaders stays on message. Once the fear is manufacture to an already frightened public, it’s like blowing up a bulging, repressive dam. After the initial big boom, you just have to wait for nature to take it’s somewhat already predetermine course. When the dam breaks, waves and waves of hysteria sweeps our undesirables away, giving us our jobs that we didn’t want to do before but now that jobs are gone, we’re ready to do that kind of work again. That is until the economy rebounds and we can have our real jobs back.

And that is what happened in the Nineteen-thirties of America. The Secretary of the Treasury put his nephew, Harry Anslinger, in charge of the campaign to make Marijuana the dreaded drug that it would become for the next seventy years. William Randolph Hearst published bogus stories of crazed Mexicans (and soon African-Americans too, anything that scares the suburbs) attacking White families with machetes and rusty knives.

So basically, if you have a news outlet and enough so-called leaders speaking to an already panicky people, you can lock up anyone who is different. I mean, if jobs and money are at stake.

I read this morning in Kym Kemp’s Blog, http://kymk.wordpress.com/  that another Hispanic grower was shot up in Mendo the other day.

Every day I hear another story of either anti-immigrant or anti-Hispanic sentiment. On cable, more and more reports of people with darker skin than us are being beat-up at school soccer and baseball games. And at this very minute, I’m told Mosques and Mexicans are ripping apart the fabric of America in half. In shreds, as far as I’m concern.

Seventy years ago, a false anti-immigrant strategy was developed to outlaw a drug that interfered with a paper and lumber industry. Not to mention the canvas industry, the oil industry and the possible good time many Americans could of had. The only stumbling block was a group of people who didn’t have a voice in the say. But we got rid of them. Mexicans were rounded up and sent wherever.

That was a long time ago. We smarter now. We don’t go to the casa were they are hiding. We go to the blueprints of the building, the Constitution. This time we’ll get them at the seeds. Their children.

And we’ll make them go away until we need them again.  

Vaya Con Dios…

Mas Later…



Do You Have a Dispensary For Sale?

As I am being buzzed into the non-descript fortress South of Mission somewhere, I wondered about the nature of the security of this dispensary. They are a delivery-service only dispensary. No civilians pass this point. There were cameras sticking out from every corner and angle, and I had to go through a couple of badass doors before I could even set foot inside, then it a few more doors until I’m inside inside.

I’ve been in some dispensaries before, and because I have a side-line selling Cannabis-centric coffee mugs, I had been what I thought was the backroom of the Green Cross Dispensary. I was wrong. There’s a backroom to the backroom.

I was still wondering about security when the owner, Kevin Reed, showed me to the rumpus room/meeting room where we spoke.

“I should tell you that I’m a patient here,” I say in the way of an introduction.

“I know. When you came to the door, one of the former drivers recognized you and said, that’s Jack,” Kevin giggled subconsciously answering many questions at once.

I passed security.

“I hear you’re looking for a new building. Wanting to get back to the bricks and mortar,” I say knowing Kevin Reed’s story.

Kevin first start Green Cross Dispensary in 2004. The dispensary became too big for the neighborhood and Green Cross was shut down. After many negotiations and jumping through hoops with the City over possible locations, the best deal Mr. Reed could cut was to open a delivery service only dispensary. That is where the situation stands today, except that Mr. Reed is looking aggressively for a new location.

“I miss not having the physical space of a dispensary,” Mr. Reed says. “I miss the interaction with patients. I like to hear what medicine or strain that people like or maybe want more of. Now the best I could I do is talk to my drivers. They tell me stories about the patients or their experiences. I really get jealous.”

“How hard is it to get a dispensary in this town? I would think because you had one and had to move because of zoning laws, the City would be nice to you,” I ask like someone who really doesn’t know.

“I’ll give you an idea of what it is like to try to open a dispensary here. And no, I am not given any special consideration. I can’t open across from a methadone clinic. But a methadone clinic can open across from a dispensary. I was looking for a space on Broadway. A dispensary next to a strip club. There shouldn’t be many complaints with that location. But there was an elementary school within a thousand feet. No go. But a strip club could be there. That’s the kind of hoops we have to jump through.”

Kevin Reed is a very soft-spoken but becomes animated with subjects he believes in.

“I miss the daily confrontation with patients. That feeling or experience you can only get from being around something physically. Does that make sense?”

Definitely. Also Mr. Reed made it clear what you get with a bigger space with traffic.

“I can’t expand anymore than I have. I need more room. Also with more room, there’s more money involved. More money, the more change I can enact. That’s how you make a difference.”

Usually with that kind of talk, you expect the person speaking to be a greed-head. But not Mr. Reed, he’s been spending his own hard earn capitol since 1995, when he got involved with the movement in San Francisco after Prop. 215 passed.

 I asked Rudy, one of the twenty or more employees that work for Green Cross, what’s it like to work here.

“The best,” says a smiling Rudy.

Looking around you can tell the staff is real cool with each other. Mr. Reed and I been playing pass the humongous spliff between as we talk. I bet it is a cool place to work.

“Do you ever put out an ad for workers in Craig’s List or if it a pretty much who you know kind of thing,” I wondered.

 “No, we just took out an ad and filled a spot last week,” Mr. Reed says like any employer.

“It has to be the best job in the whole world. If I was twenty-six and worked at a dispensary…” Then I think I spaced out and went somewhere.

“We’re more like family than a business. But like any other business, people come and go. We’ve had lawyers work here. Lately, I’ve been looking for some kind of medical background.”

“No. Really?”

“Yeah, we learn from the people we hire. It helps us when someone already had the knowledge that we’re seeking. With the economy the way it is, there’s an awful amount of folks with a medical background looking for work. I’ve had people who went into law enforcement and other places where working at a dispensary might not be all that advantages.”

Kevin Reed has a very silly, goofy laugh that belies his standing. He’s really down to Earth for a big wheel.

“How about this neighborhood? Do they like you being here?”

“They love us.”

“Really.”

“Yeah. If there’s any trouble in the neighborhood, we let the police use our cameras.”

“You let the police come right in where we are. They can see everything and that’s cool?”

“Yes, it is…We invite them in. We are all legal.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine the cops in here. There must be ounces and ounces of WEED.”

“The police love us too. We help them any way we can. The lawyer, who drew up the needle-exchange program for San Francisco, is our lawyer. I spent good money to make sure I do all this right.”

Big question. Do you think Prop.19 is going to pass?

“The Indica is too good in California. We may have to rely on the absentee ballots. I’m afraid on Election Day; our people aren’t going to make it out of the house.”

Really?

“I don’t know,” Mr. Reed get serious. “Right now our numbers are too low. We need over fifty percent for by September, or it’s not going to pass. But that is okay. We need more time to get it right. This bill doesn’t go far enough. We need to decriminalize. That is the answer. Otherwise, whatever we do here in California, it’s still going to be illegal federally.”

Realizing that I could hang out with Kevin Reed all day, I kind of felt I should get going so I didn’t overstay my welcome, so I could come back another day when they get their new place.

Lawyers Talk Legalization, and You Are There…

 

At the start of the symposium I attended last Friday in San Francisco held by the Voluntary Committee of Lawyers (VLC), the moderator wondered what the demographics of the room were. After some hand-raising, it was determined that the audience could be broken down to about 65% lawyers, 25 % politicos, and I say the rest of the 21% (I say 21% because some of the attendees weren’t exactly all there) were either activists, writers or interested Potheads.

The VLC mission statement: Lawyers and judges working for an open, honest evaluation of our drug control laws.

 The topic for the afternoon; Marijuana and Federalism: California, a test case. The legal implications of Proposition 19.

The moderator made it clear that they weren’t there that afternoon to discuss whether Marijuana was good or bad. The two-hour discussion wasn’t going to be about the merits or drawbacks of WEED, but what could we expect if Prop. 19 does pass.

The very esteem panels consisted of knowledgeable and well-informed lawyers and judges with a deep background in issues surrounding drugs and in particular, Marijuana. The two hours were split between two separate panels. The first panel dealt mainly with discussing the legal issues in greater details with an emphasis on precedent and what parallels could be drawn from prohibition. The second panel besides for the three lawyers on board, also had Assemblyman-about-town Tom Ammiano and maybe the most dynamic person to come out of this crazy time we call-the move for Legalization, the sheriff of Mendocino County, Tom Allman.

The second panel, even though the whole perspective was on the legal ramifications if Prop. 19 passes, dealt more with social or morality of the law concerning Legalization. I’ll go in more detail about that in a few…

There was about a hundred and twenty of us sitting in the audience, including Richard Lee (with whom the panel checked many times with Richard to see if their facts were correct concerning the law and its nuances.)

   I have nothing against lawyers. I don’t think they’re all sharks or despicable people who only see a profit or what is in it for them concerning client’s lives. I do not make lawyer jokes. With that being said, while I found the afternoon informative and even illuminating, there was something very mental gymnastic about the whole proceedings. It felt like Oxford University circa, 1918. What if India gets their independence? Could they handle it? I’m being a little harsh, but the ‘what if’ axiom becomes somewhat academic with distance. I want to see it happen in November, in a real way.  

Each panel member was allowed about twelve minutes to speak. The first panel discussed what the main issues that might be confronted. It wasn’t a surprise for anyone in the room, layperson or lawperson, the argument that is below the surface of this whole debate is-State’s rights versus Federal rights. (I just noticed there isn’t a possessive apostrophe in Federal, that how strong they are.)

Again, the first panel consisted of a former head of the BAR, a gentleman who argue before the Supreme Court, defending Marijuana (I’m simplifying) and a couple legal-heads who you could tell, twenty years ago they all wore pony-tails, who all were donating their time and were very interesting.

But the second panel rocked.

Tom Ammiano, the main power in the house getting Marijuana Legalize, opened. Guvanator Ahnold had just released a statement minutes before Mr. Ammiano came to the podium, endorsing the rights for Gays to marry. Mr. Ammiano after reading the press release aloud to the group said, “Where the fuck were you for the first two votes.” The audience went nuts. He rattled off a bunch of stuff we needed to know about Prop.19 and even though the discussion that day wasn’t about Marijuana as medicine or not, Mr. Ammiano ended his time with the succinct quote, “Just leave our shit alone, that’s all we want.”

  Then another three people spoke. These speakers introduced some of the relevant issues that are going to be up for grabs (I say it like that because I swear that nobody knows what is going to happen) like child endangerment. Right now if Mommy and Daddy get busted for growing WEED, they can lose their kids for being reckless and exposing kids to evils of blah, blah, blah. Here’s a good one: Rental law. You will need your landlord’s permission to grow Dope on their property. Leases will need to be gone over and include new agreements. Don’t forget to have your renter’s insurance protect your WEED too. I’m not kidding.    

Again the issue of Feds vs. the States is brought up again and again in different ways and situations.

If Prop.19 passes, it will be up to the fifty-eight counties of California how the whole WEED is legal thang is going to roll out. For example, some counties may allow growing and cultivation, but not selling. Some counties may not allow transporting the product via their roads. It could happen.

The speakers said that they are going to make an audio version of the afternoon available. I wish I could go over in detail everything I heard. I can’t, but I recommend you trying to find the audio of this event. I will post something as soon as I find a link.

The speaker of the afternoon, after the frank, honest, refreshing spiel of Tom Ammiano was Sheriff Tom Allman. IMHO, this guy is going to be the head of anything he wants in ten years time. Not only is he dynamic and oozing political cache, he’s hard not to like. He had the tough gig of being the only person on the panel to represent law enforcement and in some quiet way, the Feds. If not the Feds outright, he brought their voice into the room on a very logical basis.

He made it clear; the Feds could come in and say this whole state is illegal. Even if we vote for Legalization, it doesn’t mean it’s legal in the United States. And to show how unafraid he was not to take a stand, before this evidently clear Pro-Legalization group, he made it obvious that he was against Legalization.

Side-bar; The Sheriff after saying his was against the Legalization of WEED said, “I bet this doesn’t make me very popular in the room. I don’t think many of you here today would vote for me.” That’s when Tom Ammiano chimed in, “I don’t know, are you gay?” There were big laughs from everyone in the room including the Sheriff Tom who was caught slightly off guard with the comment.

The Sheriff made his case against Legalization very clear.

1)  The stench. Most of the calls he receives in his office is neighbors complaining about the smell. If two properties butt up against each other, and one’s growing Ganja and the other garden is raising roses or gardenias, the garden growing WEED has more rights behind it that your average backyard-horticulturist has.

2)   The problems concerning transportation as stated above. Some counties will allow transportation, others won’t. It will be left to the local level and the local cops to enforce. This puts police in the awkward position of defending laws that have very little cohesiveness.

3)   And 4) Violence!

The Sheriff made it clear in his experience (and it is vast) that Drugs leads to Money, and Money leads to Violence. Boom goes the cannon. End of Story. He could stop there. Not only all the violence that comes with drugs and the like, but he has to deal with Home Evasions. I am going to do a special column on this later, because of the insidious nature of these animals that are armed to the teeth, ready to ripped-off the first easy grower they see. They’ll hit twenty patches or homes in an evening. It’s big.

Sheriff Tom ended his time with a slightly more optimistic finale than negative tact he took in the beginning. He took the analogy of speeders on Highway 101. The police know that a majority of the drivers on the freeway are speeding as he is giving this talk now. This doesn’t mean he and his troops are going to shut down the freeway system. They’re just going to tag the speeders as they can. That is their job. Not to make laws. They’re going to do the same with whatever happens in November.

      I came away with a couple of things from the meeting. The first thing is; NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. The courts are going to be busy. Also if it does pass- just like Prop. 8 being struck down, the other side will start the appeal process. Legalization will go before the Supreme Court in time.

    The debate of State’s Rights and the Feds will rage and rage. Right now we look the other way when it is convenient (Banking laws is just one issue caught in the headlights that blinds us.) And the secret word in the room that can never be uttered, Interstate. As soon as those words are spoken, all hell breaks loose. That takes the issue and magnifies it from counties to states.

    Vegas is eight hours from Salt Lake City. The variance between their alcohol laws is as staggering as the differences between the Obama administration and George W. Bush’s.

    It was brought up by a member of the first panel that we wouldn’t even be having this conversation if a Republican was in office now.

    In closing, I had dinner with another lawyer Saturday night. He asked who represented the Feds at the symposium. I said that there wasn’t anyone on the Federal level that spoke.

    He then asked, “How can you have a conversation about Legalization without the Feds being represented?

    Exactly.