FLASH!!!

For immediate release: April 26, 1999
SACRAMENTO -- The Libertarian Party of California has
launched a new web site -- www.215Now.com -- designed
to pressure government officials into fully implementing
Proposition 215, the medical marijuana initiative passed
by voters in November, 1996, Libertarian state chairman
Mark Hinkle announced today.

County to Conduct Medical Marijuana Study

Plans by San Mateo County to spend $500,000 to Conduct a Medical Marijuana Study amount to political tokenism. If the County would address the main issues involving marijuana use and cultivation by individual citizens in its jurisdiction, this problem would go away. Of course the County would have to forego Drug War money, and divert some Sheriff’s deputies to the task of protecting county residents from unlawful actions by Federal or State agents .

Individual adult citizens have a fundamental Constitutional right to determine what to ingest into their bodies, whether it be for nutritional, medicinal, recreational or other purposes. Ideally, the individual should strive for self-sufficiency in obtaining, cultivating or producing the chosen substances, be they herbs, vegetables, mushrooms, spices, fermented products, etcetera.

Marijuana should be restored to its original status. Personal cultivation and use of marijuana should be of no concern to legislators. Whether it is regarded as dangerous by some or medically beneficial by others is irrelevant. If pharmaceutical companies wish to cultivate plants for sale by prescription, let them pay for the studies necessary to certify their product, and optimize the delivery system.

The illegality of marijuana possession or cultivation has created a black market.  Our jails are filled with individuals whose only crime is that of making a personal choice--a choice which did not involve crime against others.

The "black market" in marijuana (and other drugs) creates a fundraising arena for corrupt politicians, radical military groups (such as the Contras) and other organized crime elements. They prey upon our impressionable youth who have a propensity for "excitement", and on less fortunate members of society.

These protectors of the "black market" are formidable enemies of society, upon whom the wrath of those who would defend "individual rights" must be unleashed.

A good start would be to take the $500,000 proposed for the study, and use it to defend San Mateo County citizens charged with crimes under questionable Federal laws--laws whose Constitutionality is dubious (under the 10th Amendment) and which conflict with California law in the area of victimless crimes.