Lt. Governor Gavin Newsome has staked out a position for himself that almost all other elected officials dare not tread. He has unequivocally called for an end to the War on Drugs and has not only spoken out for an end to marijuana prohibition but serves as the chair of an ACLU sponsored committee on marijuana legalization.
At the recently concluded 2014 Democratic Convention, Lt. Gov. Newsom delivered an impassioned speech on the evils of the drug war and the critical importance of legalizing marijuana. (To view this dynamic speech CLICK HERE) For reasons beyond comprehension his presentation was at the very end of the afternoon convention and only about 200 of the 2,000 delegates remained.
After his speech I went behind stage and was able to speak with him for a moment. Handing him a Brownie Mary Democratic Club business card, I introduced myself and reminded him that I had interviewed him for my TV show about eight years when he was in Palm Springs. He kind of said he remembered which means that he didn’t.
Totally awed that I was actually there speaking with him I said “Lt. Governor Newsom – what a shame that your presentation was last. You should have been first.” He smiled and thanked me. So much for my first meeting with Lt. Gov. Newsom – I hope to score another in the not-to-distant future in a more appropriate setting.
Not surprisingly a perspiring politician running for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor, former California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring, has tried to get some free press by appealing to the dwindling number of reefer madness idolaters and challenging Lt. Gov. Newsom to a debate. Referring to Gov. Brown’s remarks about potheads on a recent Meet the Press, Nehring intoned "If Gavin Newsom is not willing to debate me, then perhaps he would be willing to debate Gov. Brown.”
Since Nehring is just one of several perspiring politicians running for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor, it is unlikely that Newsom will grant him any special status and debate him. Since not all Republicans suffer from Reefer Madness, it is too early to say what the position of his eventual challenger in the November election will be regarding marijuana, but if it is Mr. Nehring or another of his ilk, then I hope there is a debate between the two on marijuana legalization and the War on Drugs.
Drug warriors usually avoid any kind public debate cause they almost always come up with the short end of the stick. I am fairly certain that Nehring has never engaged in any such debate and has no idea how Newsom would chew him up and spit him out.
Like their positions on health care, reproductive rights, immigration, same-sex marriage and other hot button issues, a candidate’s position on marijuana has become part of the standard repertoire of issues that they will have to address on a regular basis. Marijuana is no longer the issue so controversial that even the press feared bringing it up.
Although I have been reliably told by people who know better than I, which is most people, Executive Board meeting are usually closed. In celebration of the pro-marijuana legalization plank adopted by the California Democratic party last week, the Sunday, March 17 teleconference of the Executive Board meeting of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club will be open to all.
Items to be covered include a review of what happened at the Democratic Convention, planning activities and special events, fundraising, selecting a candidate to help in their election and recruiting new members.
Of special interest is that Chris Cauhape is attending a rally Sunday at noon featuring Democratic Congressman Raul Ruiz. Chris intends to ask Congressman Ruiz if he will be supporting the marijuana legalization plank passed by the California Democratic Party. Chris will report to us what the answer is. Don’t get your hopes up – Congressman Ruiz has been a major disappointment on this issue.
Participating in this special BMDC Executive Board meeting is a good way to get an idea what political involvement involves without having to drive to a meeting. The idea, of course, is to get you hooked on it just like you are hooked on marijuana.
The Sunday, March 17 teleconference begins promptly at 7 p.m. To join in call 661-673-8600. When the seductive voice prompts you, enter the following access code: 275905#.
The Medical Cannabis Resource Center has opened in Yucca Valley to provide local residents with information on medical marijuana and to act as a focal point for spearheading the drive for safe and reliable access to medicinal marijuana in the Morongo Basin.
The THCF Medical Clinic has opened a branch clinic at the center providing new recommendations and renewals for local patients. Stop by sometime and check it out. The Medical Cannabis Research Center is located at 55940 29 Palms Hwy, Unit #1, Yucca Valley 92284. For more information on the Center or getting your mmj recommendation there, call 760-218-2972.
Featured on the Monday, March 17 at 6 p.m. Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense radio show is DanceSafe, a nonprofit organization whose youth volunteers set up tables at raves and other events to distribute non-biased educational literature containing information describing the effects and risks associated with the use of various drugs and selling testing kits that help users obtain information about the contents of whatever they are planning to ingest. With 9 chapters in the US and Canada. DanceSafe has been awarded the Dr. Andrew Weil Award for Achievement in the Field of Drug Education.
DanceSafe Executive Director Missi Wooldridge is the first guest on the show explaining how DanceSafe works, the problems associated with getting rave and dance promoters to allow them in and how the organization is spreading globally.
Our second guest is Debbie Tharp from Riverside Safe Access, the organization behind the initiative petition drive in the city of Riverside to rescind the ban and establish regulations for their operation. She will discuss the progress that has been made, the hurdles the city has erected in an attempt to slow signature gathering and how people can get involved and become paid signature collectors.
Join us at 6 p.m. this Monday, March 17 for a very special show featuring DanceSafe and Riverside Safe Access on Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense simulcast at www.kcaaradio.com (click on Tune In to hear or click on ustream.tv to hear and see) and broadcast over the air on KCAA 1050 AM in the Inland Empire.
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