The National Association of Court Professionals released a Position Statement on September 7, 2010 unanimously opposing California’s Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, also known as Proposition 19.
If passed in November, Proposition 19 makes it legal for anyone over 21 years of age “to possess, process, share and transport up to one ounce of marijuana, and to cultivate marijuana plants for personal use in a plot up to 25 square feet.”
The NADCP claims that scientific evidence was distorted when reports were issued claiming marijuana use was not harmful. Fearing that false or misleading information could sway the voters to vote in favor of Proposition 19, the NADCP refuted some of what it calls “egregious inaccuracies.”
NADCP asserts that marijuana is more harmful than cigarettes, with 50-70 more carcinogenic components, and that smoking marijuana causes respiratory problems such as bronchitis. According to NADCP, a marijuana user has a one in 10-12 chance of becoming addicted to the drug. Further, the risk of having a traffic accident while under the influence of marijuana is far greater the group says. A marijuana user is also more likely to be implicated in a crime, although the NADCP admits the crime would most likely be for criminal possession of the drug.
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