Oregon marijuana legalization opponents fear the truth

Josh Marquis is the Clatsop County District Attorney.

Law-abiding guy that (one would think) he is, Marquis shouldn't have a problem with someone making public record requests to see whether he broke the law against using taxpayer dollars for a political purpose. 

But Marquis is freaking out over marijuana activist Russ Belville's efforts to learn whether officials in Clatsop County, Marion County, and other places in Oregon illegally used federal funds to plan an inaccurately named "Oregon Marijuana Education Tour" -- which actually is an effort against Measure 91, Oregon's marijuana legalization effort.

Head over to The Weed Blog to read an interesting tell-all post, "DA Josh Marquis Attacks Russ Belville Over Open Records Requests."

Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis of Astoria, Oregon, is none too happy about citizens like me poking around in his public records. 

Now DA Marquis, the de facto spokesperson for law enforcement’s opposition to Oregon’s Measure 91, our marijuana legalization initiative, is trying to intimidate me into ceasing my investigation into misuse of federal grant money and county resources to plan, produce, promote, and present so-called “educational events” that only occur when marijuana legalization is on the ballot.

Yesterday I learned that DA Marquis has filed a complaint with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office regarding my fundraising for this investigation.  I have created an online fundraiser at http://gofundme.com/fightsabet to raise $5,000 for the fees that five counties will charge me for Oregon Open Records Requests. 

I’ve made requests for these counties’ district attorney’s and drug prevention coordinator’s emails concerning the planning of the Oregon Marijuana Education Summit & Tour featuring my nemesis, Kevin Sabet.  Knowing Sabet’s anti-legalization marketing campaign like I do, I knew that this “education” would consist of scaremongering, half-truths, and obfuscations intended to produce doubt among Oregon voters who are predicted to pass Measure 91.

DA Marquis’ complaint is frivolous, but it is a significant reaction to the headway I have been making in this investigation. 

It isn't surprising that Marquis is afraid of Belville finding out the truth.

This is just about the only strategy opponents of Measure 91 have: spreading falsehoods and distracting voters from knowing the many benefits marijuana legalization would bring Oregon.

The Eugene Register Guard has joined the Portland Oregonian in calling for a Yes vote on Measure 91. The newspaper's editorial makes a lot of sense.
Download Legal, regulated marijuana: Yes | Opinion | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

Removing the threat of a drug bust from the lives of nearly one in eight otherwise law-abiding Oregonians would be one primary benefit of Measure 91. Another would be to kill or cripple the black market in marijuana.

Prohibition keeps drug dealers in business — dealers who have no compunction against selling pot and other drugs to children, selling products of dubious purity and feeding profits to organized criminal enterprises. Measure 91 would pinch one of the conduits for the cash that finances drug cartels by bringing much of the underground marijuana economy into the open, where it could be monitored, regulated and taxed.

Under Measure 91, legal sales of marijuana would be taxed at a rate of $35 per ounce — a rate low enough to ensure that licensed outlets could compete with illicit sources, yet high enough to generate revenue for the state.

The Legislative Revenue Office estimates that marijuana tax revenues in the first biennium would amount to $46.6 million. Forty percent of the money would be dedicated to public schools, 35 percent to law enforcement and 25 percent to drug education, treatment and mental health programs.

The Yes on 91 folks are holding a Party to End Prohibition on October 14 at The Jupiter Hotel in Portland. Tickets are $100. Congressman Earl Blumenauer will be a special guest. This is a great opportunity to support what hopefully will be a historic marijuana legalization vote this November.
Download Party to End Prohibition (PDF file)

Victory is by no means a done deal, not with truth-shaders like Josh Marquis and Kevin Sabet running around spreading falsehoods about Measure 91. Donate what you can to Measure 91.

Comments

[tucson]

After all the hoopla and celebration is finished and everyone settles down, what we will have after ending marijuana prohibition is not much different than after ending alcohol prohibition... Legal access to a substance that people will enjoy and even benefit from while others will use it to their detriment and to the detriment of others. Cheers and tears.

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