Oregon legislator, Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association support marijuana legalization

[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: none; border-radius: 0.3846em 0.3846em 0em 0em; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Oregon legislator supports marijuana legalization[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top: none; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3846em 0.3846em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A prominent state lawmaker has given his support to Measure 80, an initiative that would legalize marijuana.

State Rep. Peter Buckley has served as co-chairman of the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee for the past two sessions.

The Ashland Democrat told the Mail Tribune newspaper (http://is.gd/1TiCgA ) he supports regulating marijuana in a manner similar to the regulation of alcohol under the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Legalization would take the "black market" out of Oregon, he said.

Oregon voters will decide this November on the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act. The measure would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana consumed by adults.

And related, also from today:
[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: none; border-radius: 0.3846em 0.3846em 0em 0em; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Endorses Measure 80[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top: none; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3846em 0.3846em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Marijuana Legalization Initiative Gets Endorsement From Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Portland, Ore. – Joining civil-rights organizations like the NAACP and labor organizations like United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555, the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (OCDLA) has officially endorsed Measure 80.

--snip--

Measure 80 would effectively tax, regulate and enforce the cannabis industry similar to how Oregon regulates the liquor industry, with state-licensed stores, sales to only adults 21 and older, and tough new criminal and civil penalties for selling or providing cannabis to a minor.

Honestly, my support of Measure 80 isn't about marijuana anymore. It's not about getting high. It's about the way the War on Drugs has turned against American citizens, putting them behind bars, seizing property, generally destroying lives over it. Measure 80 may be about marijuana legalization, but it's also about trying to dismantle some of the drug police state, the for-profit private prisons, etc.

PB