Looking for advice before going to the polls tomorrow, especially on the most talked-about of the 17 statewide propositions?
City Councilman Thomas Small is joining the evident majority of Californians in endorsing Prop. 64, legalization of marijuana.
Logic dictates voting affirmatively.
“I will vote in favor of it,” he said, “because having it be under prohibition just has created more problems for law enforcement.”
Prohibition of alcohol did not work in the 1930s, said Mr. Small, and it clearly is not working with today’s favorite recreation, marijuana.
The outlawing of pot has spawned “an underground empire of drugs. The war on drugs has not worked.”
Mr. Small listed one more reason:
“It is not as harmful as alcohol.
“I talked with my friend Dr. Kelly Kent (of the School Board), the neuroscientist. She explained to me how it really has much less effect on your brain, and on children’s brains, than alcohol does. And alcohol is legal. I think we are having a parallel thing.
“I hope it will become more normalized,” said Mr. Small, “and less attractive because it is available.”
Just as the outlawing of liquor heightened its appeal, the outlawing of drugs has had the same effect, the Councilman said.
