Drug Policy Directors Take a Stance Against California's Proposed Marijuana Legalization Law

A Los Angeles Times commentary written by current Office of National Drug Control Policy Director R. Gil Kerlikowske, as well as predecessors John Walters, Barry McCaffrey, Lee Brown, Bob Martinez and William Bennett, published this week explains why Californians should "just say no" to Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana, which is on this November's ballot.

“Proponents of Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, rely on two main arguments: that legalizing and taxing marijuana would generate much-needed revenue, and that legalization would allow law enforcement to focus on other crimes. As experts in the field of drug policy, policing, prevention, education and treatment, we can report that neither of these claims withstand scrutiny,” the authors wrote in the Times.

The commentary’s combined opposition spans four different administrations and represents the collective wisdom of a former secretary of Education, a governor, a mayor and teacher, an Army general, a drug policy researcher and two police chiefs.

“Our opposition to legalizing marijuana is grounded not in ideology but in facts and experience,” they wrote.
Their commentary goes on to address the popular Amsterdam “coffee shop” model that has become unpopular and dramatically reduced during the past few years as well as the increased social ramifications such as increased crime, drugged driving crashes, and healthcare costs.

Taxing marijuana is also analyzed in the article. “Regarding the supposed economic benefits of taxing marijuana, some comparison with two drugs that are already regulated and taxed — alcohol and tobacco — is worth considering,” the authors say. “People don't typically grow their own tobacco or distill their own spirits, so consumers accept high taxes on them as retail products. Marijuana, though, is easy and cheap to cultivate, indoors or out, and Proposition 19 would allow individuals to grow as much as 25 square feet of marijuana for "personal consumption.”

According to the Oakland Tribune, several other organizations and influential individuals in California have publicly denounced Proposition 19 because of the threat to public health and safety. They include:

• Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown (California)
• Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman (California)
• Nominees for California’s state attorney general race: San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley
• U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving
• California Narcotics Officers Association
• California Police Chiefs Association
• California State Sheriffs' Association
• California District Attorneys Association
• California Chamber of Commerce
• California League of Cities