textfiles/drugs/MARYJANE/santacrz.drg

Here's the full text of the initiative that just passed (Yay!), and
a couple of arguments for its passage.  I scanned it from my voters
pamphlet, and make no guarantees whatsoever.

-k

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                       SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MEASURE A
                  MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL USE INITIATIVE

                   (Full Text of Proposed Initiative)


The people of the County of Santa Cruz do ordain as follows:

SECTION 1. TITLE: The title of this ordinance shall be: The Santa Cruz County
Medical Marijuana Ordinance.

SECTION 2. PURPOSE: The purposes of this ordinance are:

(1) To express the compassion of the people of Santa Cruz County for the
medically challenged in our community whose sufferings would be alleviated by
the use of medical marijuana.

(2) To express the strong support of the people of Santa Cruz County for
the restoration of Cannabis / Marijuana medical preparations to the list of
available medicines which can be prescribed by licensed physicians.

(3) To direct the elected officials of Santa Cruz County to take whatever
actions may be within their power to support the availability of Cannabis /
Marijuana for medical use.

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS: For the purposes of this ordinance, Cannabis / Mari-
juana medical preparations shall mean: all products made from cannabis or
marijuana, in any form intended or used for human consumption, for the treat-
ment of any disease; the relief of pain; or as an adjunct to any medical
procedure for the treatment of Cancer, Glaucoma, or AIDS; or for any other
medical or healing purpose defined within the bounds of the doctor/patient
relationship.

SECTION 4. FINDINGS: The people of the County of Santa Cruz make the
following findings:

(1) SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MEDICINE. Scientific and medical studies by the
National Academy of Science have shown Cannabis / Marijuana to be a safe and
effective medicine with very low toxicity compared to most prescription
drugs. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of glaucoma; epi-
lepsy; muscle spasticity; arthritis; the nausea, vomiting and appetite loss
associated with chemotherapies; anxiety and depression; and the symptoms of
withdrawal from alcohol and narcotics.

(2) DOCTORS AND PATIENTS NEED THE CANNABIS / MARIJUANA OPTION.
Studies show that one-third of all cancer patients discontinue potentially
life-saving chemotherapy due to the severe and debilitating side effects.
The same is true for many AIDS patients receiving AZT or other similar thera-
pies. Most physicians surveyed said that they would prescribe Cannabis /
Marijuana if legally available. Half of all cancer specialists surveyed said
that they have already encouraged at least one of their patients to break the
law and use Cannabis / Marijuana to ease the violent nausea and vomiting
associated with their current treatments.

(3) UNITED NATIONS APPROVES PRESCRIPTION MARIJUANA. In May of 1991, the
United Nations Narcotic Control Board voted overwhelmingly to reclassify
Cannabis / Marijuana, placing it back on Schedule 2, and making it available
by prescription. The United States Representative to this board voted in
favor of rescheduling.

(4) FEDERAL COURT ORDERS PRESCRIPTION MARIJUANA. Despite a Federal Court
Order recognizing the "clearly established medical value" of Cannabis /
Marijuana, and mandating that it be recbssified to Schedule 2 and available
by prescription, the federal government continues to deny access to this safe
and effective medicine.

(5) POLITICS BEFORE PATIENTS. By its own admission, the federal government
continues to deny access to Cannabis / Marijuana for political rather than
medical reasons. Using patients as pawns in the ever-escalating War on Drugs,
current policies place message before medicine, convenience before compassion,
and politics before patients.

SECTION 5. IMPLEMENTATION.

(1) Within 90 (ninety) days of the certification of the November 3, 1992
General Election, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors shall transmit
the text of this ordinance to the President of the United States, the Gover-
nor of the State of California, and the Federal and State Legislative Rep-
resentatives of Santa Cruz County and urge them to take whatever actions
that may be in their power to:

    (A) Restore Cannabis / Marijuana medical preparations to the list of
    available medicines which can be prescribed by licensed physicians.

    (B) Provide for by law and institute such mechanisms as may be necessary
    to insure a safe and affordable supply of Cannabis / Marijuana for medi-
    cal use.

(2) The Board of Supervisors shall request the Sheriff and the District
Attorney to adhere to the spirit of this ordinance in setting their prior-
ites and to exercise whatever discretionary powers they may possess to mini-
mize the negative impacts of current Cannabis / Marijuana restrictbns, where
medical use is apparent.

(3) The Board of Supervisors shall direct the Santa Cruz County Health Ser-
vices Agency to monitor developments in the field of Cannabis / Marijuana
medicine, including research projects, trial studies, or current govemmental
programs and to make available, upon request by any doctor or patient, accu-
rate and timely information regarding the efficacy of Cannabis / Marijuana
for various medical conditions.

SECTION 6. SEVERABILITY. If any of these provisions are held to be invalid,
all remaining portions of this ordinance shall remain in full force and
effect.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall take effect as provided by
law.

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IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS BY COUNTY COUNSEL
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MEASURE A
MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL USE INITIATIVE

If approved by a majority of those voting on this measure, it will become a
County ordinance. The measure appears on the ballot as a result of initiative
petitions which gathered more than the number of signatures required by state
law for placement on the ballot.

If enacted, the measure will not change existing laws on the availability of
marijuana for medical purposes, or on the illegality of marijuana possession.
Rather, the measure would constitute a policy statement favoring the increased
availability of marijuana for medical purposes.

If enacted, the measure would require the Santa Cruz County Board of Super-
visors to take certain actions to communicate the policy to State and Federal
elected officials. The Board of Supervisors would also be required to request
the Sheriff and District Attorney of Santa Cruz County to adhere to the
spirit of the ordinance in setting their priorities, and to minimize the neg-
ative impacts of legal restrictions on marijuana for medical use to the ex-
tent they have discretion to do so. Because no change in the criminal law on
this subject results from its enactment, however, the second directive to the
Sheriff and District Attorney is of uncertain effect.

The Board of Supervisors would also be nequired to direct the County Health
Services Agency to monitor research developments and make information avail-
able concerning medical use of marijuana. Such activities by the Health Ser-
vices Agency would be a County cost in an undetermined amount.

A "yes" vote authorizes enactment of the measure into the Santa Cruz County
Code and approves making the Findings set out in the measure.  A "no" vote
rejects enactment of the measure as a part of the Santa Cruz County Code.

					DWIGHT L. HERR
					County Counsel
					By/ Jane M. Scott
					Assistant County Counsel

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ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF MEASURE A

"My commitment as a physician is to ease suffering and to do no harm. Both
are often possible with cannabis medicines. The government's policy of deny-
ing patients this treatment is indefensible. It's a matter of compassion and
common sense. Vote yes on Measure A."
				-Arnold Leff, MD-

The emotional and financial impacts of catastrophic illness can be devas-
tating.  For the thousands of seriously ill and disabled Americans who have
a medical necessity for cannabis/marijuana, the devastation is compounded by
a government that ignores the best medical evidence and condemns them to a
criminal black market in their daily struggle for wellness.

Measure A calls on the federal government to allow licensed physicians to
prescribe marijuana for patients with life and sense threatening illnesses.

Vote Yes on Measure A.

The Controlled Substances Act allows for cannabis to be restored to the list
of available medicines if "a significant minority of physicians have accepted
it as safe under medical supervision."

In 1988, after the most extensive review of the record ever undertaken, US
Administrative Law Judge Francis Young stated that "marijuana in its natural
form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By
any rational analysis cannabis can be used safely under a supervised routine
of medical care."

Vote Yes on Measune A.

Dr. Leff and Judge Young are not alone. Seventy percent of cancer specialists,
35 state legislatures (including California), the United Nations Narcotics
Control Board, the Califomia Medical Association, and 80% of San Francisco
voters agree - cannabis should be available to the seriously ill and disabled
to ease their pain and suffering.

Measure A will ease suffering and do no harm.

Simply stated, Measure A is good medicine.

Vote Yes for Compassion.  Vote Yes for Common Sense.

Vote Yes on Measure A.

				s/ Scott Imler

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NO ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS MEASURE WAS SUBMITTED