As I make my way back from Woodstock, I say vote "YES" on California Prop. 19

As I make my way back from Woodstock, I say vote "YES" on California Prop. 19

I'm still making my way back from Woodstock (that's hyperbole, and a metaphor).

When my sister enmeshed herself in the born again Christian zeitziest, she gave me her vinal Joan Baez albums. I've always liked Joanie.

I don't smoke pot. I may have once,in a previous life, but I didn't inhale.
But if I was in California, I woud vote "YES" in Nov. on Prop. 19, legalizing pot.

The drug war is an expensive failure. It has cost us billions, w/o making a dent in drug use. Even Bill Buckley, the non-libertarian conservative, long supported legalizing drugs.

So what would Prop. 19 do, if passed?
It, very likely, would:
1.provide Cal. with $2 billion in revenue and savings..$1 b. in taxes and $1b in court/prison cost savings;
2.regulate the use of pot;
3.promote hemp, which can be used in many eco-friendly ways..ie, it can save cutting trees for paper;
4.and would de-regulate low level use of pot, rather than the current prohibition which encourages escalating "up" on more powerful drugs.
This is, as I understand it, because speed,coke and herion remain in a person's blood for 72 hours, while pot can remain for 30 days. If someone has to take a drug test on a Monday, and wants to party on Fri., than the incentive is to escalate drug choice upward.

Judge Joe Grey,Orange Cty., is a leading advocate for ending the existing drug war. He says we have 5% of the world's population,and 25% of its' prisoners (largely because of the drug war). And the war is highly racist.

He wants a "YES" victory on Prop. 19, but feels the industrial-prison complex, and the prison guard lobby, will likely defeat it.

You can see some speeches by Grey on C-span and YouTube.
His book on this topic is:
http://www.judgejimgray.com/whyourdrugla...