LA County Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs Votes Unanimously to Oppose Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Use

Alhambra, CA - September 14, 2016 -

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ Commission on Alcohol and Drugs voted unanimously today to oppose Proposition 64, the ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana.

The Commission is an appointed body of alcohol and drug experts, who among them have experience in the substance abuse treatment field, city government, community advocacy, and law enforcement. The Commission advises the Board on alcohol and drug issues with the goal of reducing problems and the negative impact of substance use disorders on the quality of life for individuals and their families residing in Los Angeles County.

Following a three-hour moderated debate between proponents and opponents of Prop 64 and after multiple questions from community members, the Commissioners were unconvinced that legalizing recreational use would benefit our youth and communities. In an LA County Department of Public Health Auditorium, full with over 100 attendees, the commission unanimously voted to recommend that the County Board of Supervisors oppose Prop 64.

Panelist Police Chief Medrano from the Gardena Police Department commented that enforcement of marijuana delivery and personal use cultivation regulations will be a “low priority for officers in the field” and “nearly impossible to enforce”.

Prop 64 proponent, Lynne Lyman of the Drug Policy Alliance, spoke about the potential for revenues from a 15% excise tax on recreational marijuana tax to fund research and prevention efforts. She emphasized that legislators and marijuana advocates are “still learning” how to best approach regulating recreational marijuana use and that the proposition could be subsequently amended by bills that pass in the California Senate with a simple majority.

Prop 64 opponent Moises Moreno of Smarter Approaches to Marijuana took issue with measure ballot provision to allow advertising marijuana on broadcast television, stating “If this passes, we could be watching the Olympics with our children and have them exposed to marijuana advertising”.

Commission member Lou Lamont is the mayor of one of the six cities in LA County that allow marijuana dispensaries, the City of Malibu, but was first to make the motion for the Commission to discuss the issue further before taking a vote. Several Commission members commented during the discussion that there remained many unanswered questions related to the implementation of Prop 64 and the potential for unintended consequences. Ultimately, the decision to oppose the ballot measure was unanimous among the 12 Commission members that were present.

In public comment, Jennifer Harris, a Prevention Specialist from Behavioral Health Services, Inc. stated that the youth she works with “named marijuana as the number one substance abuse issue they face.”

In other public comment, Ruanda Frank from Rethinking Access to Marijuana stated that “Prop 64 would present an enforcement burden to all cities and counties, so it’s problematic that Prop 64 excludes any local jurisdiction that bans marijuana activities from the tax revenues earmarked for enforcement.”

In closing remarks from the audience made by Gilbert Mora, Chair of Rethinking Access to Marijuana, stated that “commercialization of marijuana would lead to a normalization of its use and increase access to youth which in turn leads to more use by youth. If youth is the priority and not profit, then we need to ensure we do not make it easier for them to access.”

About Rethinking Access to Marijuana (RAM)

RAM is a collaboration of public health professionals seeking to prevent marijuana-related harms by limiting youth access to marijuana in the County of Los Angeles. The group was established with the vision of educating communities about the potential harms of marijuana use; implementing and evaluating environmental strategies formulated to limit youth accessibility to and availability of marijuana; and influencing policy actions that support flourishing youth and communities free from marijuana-related harms.

RAM neither supports nor opposes any specific legislation. Rather, RAM takes a prevention-oriented public health approach, educating policy-makers and communities about ways to protect youth from the potential harms of marijuana use and abuse.

RAM is a collaboration of over 25 community-based groups, including:

• Asian American Drug Abuse Program

• Behavioral Health Services, Inc.

• Children's Hospital Los Angeles

• Day One

• Helpline Youth Counseling

• Koreatown Youth and Community Center

• LA County Office of Education

• MJB Transitional Recovery

• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - San Fernando Valley

• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the East San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys

• Partnership for a Positive Pomona

• People Coordinated Services of Southern California, Inc.

• Pueblo y Salud

• Phoenix House of Los Angeles

• San Fernando Valley Partnership

• Shields for Families

• Social Model Recovery Services

• South Central Prevention Coalition

• SPIRITT Family Services

• Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc.

• Watts Healthcare Corporation

• Westside Impact Project

• Venice Bridge Project

Contact:

Maurina Cintron

Prevention Specialist

Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc.

14181 Telegraph Rd., Whittier

office: (562) 926.5566 x24689