| Photo: FosseTheCat |
| West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran: “Marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol” |
West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran says he’s the first politician in Southern California to support a statewide ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in the state.
The measure, which appears to have enough signatures but has not yet been certified for the ballot by the Secretary of State, would treat marijuana like alcohol, tax it and make it available to adults 21 and older, reports Dennis Romero at the L.A. Weekly.
Polls indicate a majority of Californians support legalizing marijuana.
The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 is funded by Richard Lee, owner of an Oakland dispensary and Oaksterdam University. His drive got 680,000 signatures; only 433,971 need be valid for the initiative to be on November’s ballot.
“During Prohibition, the most dangerous form of underground alcohol was ‘moonshine’ that was unregulated and sometimes fatal,’ Duran said.
“Today, Mexican drug cartels produce unregulated marijuana heavily laden with unsafe pesticides and making billions of U.S. dollars in the process,” Duran said. “The reefer madness mentality of our failed criminalization of marijuana must come to an end just as Prohibition did. Marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol.”
