All Hail Señor Bongo Day

April 20, 2010

spicoli

Woohoo! Marin is in the news today.

At 4:20 pm planes may have to be re-routed for smoke that doesn’t come from a volcano. Ladies and gents, it is Marin’s only holiday claim-to-fame, 420 Day. Now cool parts of the world like Boulder, CO, Canada, and New Zealand celebrate it. Back in 1971, some kids from San Rafael would meet at 4:20 pm by the Louis Pasteur statue. Maven doesn’t condone doing anything illegal, but it is hard to ignore this homegrown holiday especially when California is going to be voting on legalizing and taxing Marijuana in November. The California Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2010) website states that the initiative:

Allows people 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use. Permits local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of marijuana to people 21 years old or older. Prohibits people from possessing marijuana on school grounds, using it in public, smoking it while minors are present, or providing it to anyone under 21 years old. Maintains current prohibitions against driving while impaired. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Savings of up to several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on the costs of incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Unknown but potentially major tax, fee, and benefit assessment revenues to state and local government related to the production and sale of marijuana products.

People who are going to use and abuse drugs are going to do so whether or not there are laws. People who toke at work will be treated like people who drink on the job. People who get high behind the wheel will be treated as if they drink and drive. It is still a crime for persons under 21 to possess, grow, or use Marijuana. Parents are not allowed to smoke in front of their kids.

Prohibition and the War on Drugs have not really worked and have been costly in terms of resources, money, and lives. All these laws haven’t curbed demand nor abuse.

Wouldn’t it be cool to free up prison space for violent offenders and focus attention on real crimes?

Oh, for the rest of us mundanes, 4/20 (Today) is the date for an Adams vs. Mazzoni debate at 7pm at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center (200 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael).

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