Just about every name in North Coast weed was there; packed into a sweaty, crowded theater for a glimpse at California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Selfies with the photogenic former San Francisco mayor weren’t the only reasons Garberville’s Redwood Playhouse was standing room only — it was the first substantial outreach from Sacramento’s power players to Humboldt’s splintered-but-increasingly-vocal marijuana growers.
Newsom was flanked by local stakeholders and members of his Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy, a 21-member panel consisting of, as he put it, experts both advocating for and vehemently against pot.
Garberville’s forum was rowdy but overwhelmingly upbeat. Rhys Williams, Newsom’s communications coordinator, said the panel has met in Oakland and Los Angeles to hear from the public and stakeholders, and that Garberville (population 913) had the biggest turnout.
Newsom, Congressman Jared Huffman and Assemblyman Jim Wood started the morning at Wonderland Nursery before piling into Newsom’s black SUV and heading into the hills for a tour of a father-son pot farm. Press — at least the Journal — was not invited.
But members of the panel got an earful from the hundreds of folks that turned out to ask questions and give feedback about the potential — and by all accounts inevitable — state legalization of marijuana in 2016.
The crowd booed when Huffman used the word “trafficking” and recoiled at “marijuana” — cannabis is the preferred term, one commenter pointed out. But the mood was generally jovial, with Huffman and Newsom in a full-on charm offensive.
There were cheers and resounding applause for wildlife biologist Mourad Gabriel, who said, “We are probably in consensus here that trespass marijuana cultivation is not acceptable;” for a member of the public who decried the dangers and litter associated with butane hash extraction; and for Newsom, who warned of the big money influences already appearing in Sacramento in regards to marijuana legislation. “With respect,” Newsom said, “they’re writing a lot of you guys out and we cannot let that happen.”
Newsom spoke with the press after the meeting — look for an expanded article about the meeting in next week’s Journal.
This article appears in ‘The Future is Ours’.
Libertarian Party members and other concerned people will be glad to know that input is still being taken on a possible cannabis initiative for the 2016 ballot and Gavin Newsom is leading the way.
Taking every opportunity to speak directly with the Lt. Governor, our very own LPH Secretary, Mark Newcomb addressed the panel with concerns of patients who find themselves feeling like criminals or in jail while attempting to get medication for their illness. He espoused the importance of supporting CCHI 2016 because of how it speaks to the patients concern.
The goal of the Blue Ribbon Commission is to gain a comprehensive understanding of various policy questions related to the possibility of legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana for adults in California.
The Blue Ribbon Commission endeavors to identify the range of solutions that might be deployed to resolve those questions, address the pros and cons of various approaches, and disseminate this information to California voters, policy-makers and those likely to fund and draft a ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana for adults.
Just as the event was coming to a close and the Lt. Governor was about to leave The LPHC Tammy Newcomb and LPH Secretary, Mark Newcomb, once again took the a moment to shake The Lt Governor’s hand and thank him for coming to Humboldt with his Blue Ribbon Commission. The Lt Governor was kind enough to allow LPC Tammy Newcomb to film him with her family and took a special moment to hear what the recommendations of the Libertarian Party would be for his consideration. LPH Secretary Mark Newcomb made an especially sentimental and passionate effort to communicate the importance of including in the upcoming initiative some provision for patients who have become criminals and their concerns.
When we consider the importance of possible upcoming legislation on cannabis I was reminded at yesterday’s Town Hall meeting that Democracy requires the input of citizens and the actions of those who participate will lead the country into the future. The issue of cannabis legislation has several aspects and much interest from the medical needs of the patients to the way in which the industry will be regulated there are many options and prospective on the matter.
Tammy Newcomb
Libertarian Party Humboldt California
Legal Document Assistant
Few people travel to nations where libertarianism prevails, like Honduras, a stunningly gorgeous nation with machine gun toting cops at every tourist town and taco stand.