California, Civil Rights, Culture, Election, History, Media, Ocean Beach

OB Rag Editordude Quoted in “Ballotpedia” on Calif. Marijuana Initiative

Frank Gormlie June 29, 2016 2 Comments 0 Likes 493 Views

Hey, this is crazy! I – editordude of the OB Rag – am quoted in “Ballotpedia” – the “online encyclopedia of American politics and elections,” in their complete run-down and neutral analysis of California’s marijuana initiative.

Their goal:

“… is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality….”

Here’s their lead-in:

The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Initiative (#15-0103) will be on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as an initiated state statute….

And as you scroll down the page, under the sub-title “Arguments in Favor”, my quote is listed along with others, and here is how they present it:

Frank Gormlie, lawyer and grassroots activist, wrote the following about San Diego’s need to support marijuana legalization in the San Diego Free Press:[15]

“So, as the people are on the verge of ending marijuana prohibition in this state, our local law enforcement and County supervisors are weighing down the progress of history, trying to keep their reins on a changing culture that is no longer in their control.”

My quote was from an article entitled, “The Pot Wars 2016: The End to Marijuana Prohibition in California Is Near” posted at San Diego Free Press, and also, of course, at the OB Rag. BTW, I’m quoted just before Bernie Sanders on the same issue.

Here is more of my full quote – which they did not use – in discussing the backwardness of San Diego County:

Meanwhile, back in Dinosaur San Diego

While the rest of the state seems to be adjusting to the reality of the coming of the end of prohibition, our local leaders backpedal from history.

Just recently, our County Board of Supervisors voted to extend a moratorium against new medical marijuana activity in San Diego County.

But worse, is the City Attorney of San Diego’s latest move against un-certified medical marijuana clinics. According to the Times of San Diego on May 13th:

San Diego Police and the City Attorney’s Office launched a crackdown this week on illegal marijuana dispensaries that operate without city permits in competition with the city’s 14 legal providers.

Two of these dispensaries had their operators slapped with criminal charges of illegally operating a marijuana dispensary in violation of zoning regulations, with penalties of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count.

The City Attorney’s Office has closed nearly 300 illegal dispensaries, including 242 that were shut down through court orders. Additionally, it has secured more than $2 million in civil penalties against the most flagrant violators.

Listen to City Attorney Jan Goldsmith talk about those who continue to operate un-licensed dispensaries:

“These last remaining illegal pot shops are being run by criminals and we’re not messing around with them. These outlaw dispensary operators and their landlords need to know their time is up. There will continue to be raids and arrests, and we will seek convictions and jail time for operators and landlords.”

Goldsmith and the San Diego establishment are so proud that they have permitted 14 medical marijuana dispensaries – this after California voters passed the legislation in 1996 – 20 freaking years ago. And this is the great County of San Diego where our DA Bonnie Dumanis took the issue of medical cannabis clinics all the way to the California Supreme Court – unsuccessfully of course – using our tax money.

San Diego has a shameful history in opposing the will of the people, the voters. Law enforcement dinosaurs like Dumanis and Goldsmith need to go their own way, and get out of public office.

So, as the people are on the verge of ending marijuana prohibition in this state, our local law enforcement and County supervisors are weighing down the progress of history, trying to keep their reins on a changing culture that is no longer in their control.

hat tip to Doug Porter who found and used it in his column at San Diego Free Press today.

Author: Frank Gormlie

A former lawyer and current grassroots activist, I have been editing the Rag since Patty Jones and I launched it in Oct 2007. Way back during the Dinosaurs in 1970, I founded the original Ocean Beach People’s Rag - OB’s famous underground newspaper -, and then later during the early Eighties, published The Whole Damn Pie Shop, a progressive alternative to the Reader.

2 thoughts on “OB Rag Editordude Quoted in “Ballotpedia” on Calif. Marijuana Initiative”

Molly says:

June 29, 2016 at 12:01 pm

Oh, gormlie You’re such a show off.

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krakenbound says:

June 29, 2016 at 7:45 pm

Shame that in order to reclaim our inherent freedom to use minor recreational drugs in which some of our founding fathers used, the progressive-statist politicans in california will be levying an aproximate 30% total taxation rate on the people. Grow your own, avoid supporting the progressive-statists!

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