Sacramento News & Review, 22 Nov 2012 – Re "Marijuana is legal!" by Ngaio Bealum (SN&R The 420, November 15): The voters of Colorado and Washington state have made it clear that the federal government can no longer get away with confusing the drug war’s tremendous collateral damage with a comparatively harmless plant. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a success. The drug war distorts supply-and-demand dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to deter use, prohibition is a failure. The United States has double the rate of use as the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. The criminalization of Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis has no basis in science. The war on marijuana consumers is a failed cultural inquisition, not a public-health campaign. It’s time for politicians to catch up with the people and end marijuana prohibition.

Sacramento News & Review, 22 Nov 2012 – I love your column-however, I need to make a small criticism of one "factoid." You said that buds in glass jars will retain their potency for a few months, but I’ve been curing with mason jars for more than a decade and have been able to keep the jars in my basement cellar for up to two years with no discernible change in potency. My question: With the coming ban on home cultivation in Sacramento, I’m thinking about doing a "safe-deposit box" concept, where friends could rent outdoor space, allowing them to cultivate in an area in rural Placerville. Would that work?

DrugSense

Redwood Times, 20 Nov 2012 – Northtown Books welcomes Martin A. Lee to talk about his new book Smoke Signals, a groundbreaking social history of cannabis on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. A panoramic, character-driven narrative that explains why marijuana affects so many aspects of American life, Smoke Signals chronicles the development of a grassroots movement that began in the 1960s and grew into a widespread populist revolt against prohibition. The great leap forward came in 1996, when California voters shocked the political and medical establishments by passing Proposition 215, which authorized doctors to approve marijuana use by patients. Similar laws have since been enacted in 16 other states and the District of Columbia.

Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov 2012 – California officials are warning against "drugged driving " after a statewide survey found drugs that can affect driving in one of every seven weekend nighttime motorists – nearly twice the number of those with alcohol in their system. The survey results, announced Monday by the California Office of Traffic Safety, found that 14% of drivers surveyed tested positive for driving under the inf luence of impairing drugs – both illegal and prescription – and 7.3% of drivers tested positive for driving with alcohol in their system.

Daily Trojan, 20 Nov 2012 – The arguments claiming that decriminalizing marijuana will end the influence of Mexican drug cartels and bring in billions of dollars in tax revenue are incessantly echoed in America – and both were strategically used this year to successfully convince voters to legalize the drug in Washington and Colorado. Students, especially, have been quick to embrace these arguments and are at the forefront of the movement to end the prohibition of marijuana. Young adults ages 18 to 29 are twice as likely to favor legalization than adults over 60, according to a 2011 Gallup poll.

Sacramento News & Review, 15 Nov 2012 – So weed is legal in Colorado and Washington? Should I start packing my things right now? Which state has the better policies? – -Recreational User Great day in the morning! Hallelujah! This is a huge moment for cannabis users, noncannabis users, taxpayers, those incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis offenses and people all over the United States. Everyone light one up in celebration of the democratic process.

The Chico News & Review, 15 Nov 2012 – Re "Pot-bust flashback" (Newslines, by Vic Cantu, Nov. 8): It would seem that DA Ramsey is not reading his mail. If he were, he’d be aware of the decision published on Oct. 24 by the state appellate court in San Diego. The People v. Jovan Jackson shows Butte County’s decision to prosecute the Tognolis as nothing but vindictiveness. Jovan clearly states that storefront dispensaries are legal under certain circumstances.

The Chico News & Review, 15 Nov 2012 – Medi-Pot Good for a Number of Ailments Proponents of medical marijuana have rolled out any number of useful applications from curing cancer to easing boredom. Here are five trial-proven uses for medi-pot:

The Press Democrat, 13 Nov 2012 – North Coast marijuana advocates are buzzing about the historic elections in Colorado and Washington where voters legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. They say they’re hopeful Californians will be persuaded to take a similar step when they see how the two western states benefit over the next few years.