San Francisco Chronicle Opposes Proposition 19 – Editorial Board calls marijuana legalization initiative “seriously flawed”

The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board recommended their readers vote NO on Proposition 19, the poorly written measure that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California.

The editorial “Proposition 19: Vote no“ (9/16/10) called Proposition 19 “seriously flawed” and said that it will “fail to deliver its promised economic benefits.”

Even Californians who support the legalization of marijuana should be extremely wary of Proposition 19. This is a seriously flawed initiative with contradictions and complications that would invite legal chaos and, more than likely, fail to deliver its promised economic benefits.

The editorial examined Proposition 19 and how it will impact daily lives:

Workplace safety:

A nondiscrimination clause would prevent employers from firing or disciplining workers who used marijuana unless an employer could prove that job performance was impaired. Pre-employment testing would be banned. Conflicts with federal law abound. For example, the feds require operators of planes, trains, trucks and buses to be removed from their jobs if they test positive for any narcotic.

Tax and regulation:

The measure establishes no state controls over distribution and product standards; it does nothing to help cure the state’s budget deficit. A seriously gridlocked Legislature…would have to decide whether to take on such issues. In the meantime, Prop. 19 allows the 58 counties and hundreds of cities to come up with their own taxation and regulatory schemes…

Driving on our roads:

The initiative does allow passengers to smoke in a moving vehicle, proponents acknowledge. This is another element of (Prop.) 19 that defies common sense.

Other editorial boards across the state that have almost unanimously come out against Proposition 19 include:

Contra Costa Times, (Palm Springs) Desert Sun, Gilroy Dispatch, North County Times, Riverside Press-Enterprise and Ventura County Star.

More: No on Prop 19

Leave a Reply