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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE - Contact: Zack Kaldveer, (510)
444-4710 ext. 316 - September 14, 2004 -
New Poll
Shows Strong Support For Oakland's Measure
Z, Overwhelming Opposition To War On Drugs
David Binder
Research survey finds 65% support Measure
Z, the Oakland Cannabis Initiative
(Oakland, CA) A
new poll conducted by David Binder
Research shows overwhelming majorities of
Oakland residents support Measure Z (65%),
the Oakland Cannabis Initiative, believe
marijuana should be legalized (70%), and
say the federal government's war on drugs
has been ineffective, costly, and racist
(73%). The measure, if passed, would make
marijuana offenses the lowest police
priority in Oakland, and direct the city
to support changes in public policy
regarding marijuana with the aim of
regulating, licensing and taxing its sale
as soon as possible under California law.
The poll,
conducted by David Binder Research,
surveyed 400 likely Oakland voters from
August 4th to August 8th, 2004. The poll
suggested that voters' solid support for
Measure Z was largely due to their strong
feelings that the war on drugs has failed,
that marijuana offenses should be the
lowest police priority, that current
penalties for marijuana possession are too
strict, and that medical marijuana should
be made more accessible. In fact, 77% of
those surveyed want to make it easier for
sick patients to buy medical marijuana and
only 18% think legalization would lead to
increased use of "hard" drugs like cocaine
and heroin.
"Oakland voters
clearly understand the war on drugs has
been a failure and detrimental to our
community," said Judy Appel, staff
attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance
Network. "Criminalizing marijuana has
unfairly imprisoned thousands of
non-violent offenders, including a
disproportionate number of people of
color. Meanwhile, our police are wasting
time and energy they could be using to
focus on violent crime. Measure Z offers
Oakland an alternative to the failed war
on drugs."
Every year
California spends $150 million to arrest,
prosecute and imprison marijuana
offenders. Measure Z proponents say it
makes more economic sense to raise money
by taxing and regulating marijuana than
spending money to criminalize it. Revenue
raised would help fund city services like
schools, libraries, and health care.
While Measure Z
would liberalize marijuana laws it would
control marijuana sales; it would not
allow sales on the streets, near schools
or to minors. The measure also prohibits
the promotion of marijuana use, broadcast
or billboard advertising, or smoking in
public.
"We are
encouraged by the strong support for
reform demonstrated by Oakland voters,"
remarked Measure Z Campaign Chair Dale
Gieringer, executive director of
California NORML. Last year, Seattle
passed a measure to deprioritize marijuana
offenses, and it's already had positive
results. By passing Measure Z, Oakland
will join a growing national movement for
sensible drug laws as an alternative to
the right wing agenda of John Ashcroft,"
he continued.
Prominent
supporters of the measure include the
California Nurses Association, the
Democratic Party of Alameda County, State
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata,
California Superior Court Judge James P.
Gray, Alameda County Supervisors Nate
Miley and Keith Carson, and Oakland City
Councilmembers Nancy Nadel and Desley
Brooks.
Click
here to download press release as a PDF
file
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