Global Ganja Report

The Stop19.com website —self-dubbed "Cannabis Users Against Prop 19"—features the following interview with Dennis Peron, California's foremost pioneer of the medical cannabis movement, in which he propounds against Proposition 19, the state's pending legalization initiative.

The RAND Corporation has released a new study entitled "Reducing Drug Trafficking Revenues and Violence in Mexico: Would Legalizing Marijuana in California Help?" The headline for the Oct. 12 press release reads: "Legalizing Marijuana in California Will Not Dramatically Reduce Mexican Drug Trafficking Revenues." It states: "The study calculates that Mexican drug trafficking organizations generate only $1 billion to $2 billion annually from exporting marijuana to the United States and selling it to wholesalers, far below existing estimates by the government and other groups." It says the study also refutes the often-cited claim that marijuana accounts for 60% of gross drug export revenues of Mexican drug trafficking organizations, and notes that Proposition 19 would affect only one state in any case. But Jon Walker of the pro-legalization blog Just Say Now actually read the text of the study itself, and found some contrary findings:

Former administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) John Bartels, Peter Bensinger, Francis Mullen, Jack Lawn, Robert Bonner, Tom Constantine, Donnie Marshall, Asa Hutchinson and Karen Tandy threw down the guantlet over Proposition 19, writing an editorial which doubled as an open letter urging Attorney General Eric Holder to bring suit against California —just as the Obama administration sued Arizona when that state passed its controversial immigration law.

Country music legend Willie Nelson has come out for Proposition 19, the California initiative that would tax and regulate cannabis. Asked by Mary Otte of High Times his opinion on the measure, Willie recently responded:

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of California has endorsed Proposition 19, the state's cannabis legalization initiative. LULAC is one of the most prominent organizations representing Latino voters. The group announced Oct. 8 it is supporting the initiative.

Voters in four East Bay cities face measures to expand the medical cannabis industry, tax it at a higher rate, and prepare for the passage of Prop 19 in November. In Berkeley, Measure T would mandate permitting six indoor medical cannabis farms in the manufacturing district. It would also permit residential medical cannabis collectives to cultivate up to 200 square feet. The measure would boost the number of local dispensaries from three to four, and require they be at least 600 feet from schools and other dispensaries.

In the Oct. 5 debate between the two candidates for state attorney general, both were asked: If California voters pass Proposition 19, would they defend it in court? Neither Democrat Kamala Harris, the San Francisco district attorney, nor Republican Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles district attorney, gave a direct "yes" or a "no" answer.

A debate over California's Proposition 19 was disrupted by critics of the measure, who heckled scheduled speakers and interrupted proceedings at the International Cannabis and Hemp Expo at San Francisco's Cow Palace Sept. 25. What the Legalization Nation blog wryly dubs "Stoners Against Legalization" teamed up with cultural conservative crashers to shout down Prop 19 advocates.