Having Lee Baca on the other side doesn’t bother me. The guy is a tabloid laughing stock. We could run stories from now till election day about his outrageous dealings.

And yet you’ll notice he’s running unopposed, just like always.

Well I guess since high unemployment really does result in increases in crime, I guess all those folks saying no on 19 due to increases in crime will support a massive new stimulus bill. Right?

Just as was the case with Prop 8, opponents of Prop 19 make outrageous false claims with impunity.

Anyone know offhand how much money DiFi has received from the prison guards union or others with a financial stake in perpetuating pot prohibition?

Baca said that as many as 97% of the dispensaries had become criminal enterprises, and that many purchased their marijuana from Mexican drug cartels.

Even if that assertion were true, wouldn’t it make sense to legalize and (thus) create financial havoc within the cartels? Doesn’t the importation / control of marijuana trafficking constitute something like 60% of cartel revenues? What am I missing here?

Actually, at this point, I believe the prison guard unions have declared themselves neutral on Prop 19

tsk tsk: now you’re being logical. Logic does not apply in these kind of emotions-on-steroids issues.

Follow the money, as always. Who is getting paid to say what.

That’s what they say, but do they mean it?? Doubtful.

If Sheriff Baca weren’t intoxicated by the money and hysteria against marijuana, he would not be making this kind of rookie mistaken analysis.

The correct word is bribed:)

They may not mean it but so far they haven’t taken action against Prop 19 so until they do, I think we should take their statements at face value

Narconon is a secular program based on the research and writings of L. Ron Hubbard, who also founded the Scientology religion.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

Secular and Scientology in the same sentence even the guy’s Sci Fi was bad when did Ron learn Science?

A subset of NDAP materials requested was provided for review. NDAP was evaluated for accuracy, developmental appropriateness, and teaching methods. Some drug-related information presented in the NDAP and supplementary resources provided to schools—although aligned with the Narconon drug rehabilitation methodology—does not reflect accurate, widely accepted medical and scientific evidence. Some information is misleading because it is overstated or does not distinguish between drug use and abuse.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

My bold maybe Doctors can give California schools a better more scientific program than the Scientology guys?
Just because you put science in your religion’s name does not mean your group has any scientific Cred.

It’s extremely frustrating how dedicated California Democratic leaders like Feinstein are to being on the wrong side of an issue where 1) California is out front of the rest of the country, and 2) Democrats are far better poised to take advantage of the irreversible trend toward legalization than Republicans.

I guess it’s because she’s old. I was pursuing a project on the link between discretionary sentencing for marijuana possession and the age of judges and prosecutors but it turns out that in my state, no one compiles records of that data, court offices actively work to keep you from compiling that data, sentencing records don’t contain the name of the magistrate or judge, and 10-15% of sentencing records are simply missing. HOW CONVENIENT.

And yeah, Narconon is insane. The main myth I remember them spreading from my research on Scientology is that drugs stay forever in your spine so when you crack your spine they go into your bloodstream and make you have a psychotic break. Other sources for this information include your dredlocked freshman roommate and your dredlocked freshman roommate’s girlfriend.

The Narconon treatment program is described as a “social education” model of drug rehabilitation. It is a four-to-six month, drug-free rehabilitation program that includes a detoxification regimen of aerobic exercise, dry-sauna sweating, hydration and nutrition supplements; life skills trainings; and personalized plans for after-graduation living.1-3 As a social education program it does not always require licensing designed for medical, psychiatric or other models of drug rehabilitation.

1

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

My bold how does an unlicensed by the medical, psychiatric or other models of drug rehabilitation program.
Get any state contracts? The dept of Education normally has tons of paperwork and red tape but these guys got a contract?
Who is Clouting them?

That is NOT what the Narcanon program promotes or states in it’s literature. Re-read the actual materials if you want the correct information on how the program works, and how drugs are stored in the body, and how to rid the body of said drugs.

Nowhere in the Narcanon literature does it talk about breaking ones spine and releasing drugs into your bloodstream. I have no idea where you got that from, but it’s 100% inaccurate.

NDAP instructional materials do not clearly identify authors, their institutional affiliations or qualifications, or whether the materials underwent content or pedagogical review; although one material references L. Ron Hubbard as the source of its information.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

So its fact checking is as good as Glen Beck’s or any Right Wing blog.

A 2002 piece on Narconon in California: http://www.xenu.net/archive/narconon/

Examples of inaccurate information presented to students in NDAP presentations and supplementary resources include:

drugs burn up vitamins and nutrients
drug-activated vitamin deficiency results in pain which prompts relapse
marijuana-induced, rapid vitamin and nutrient loss causes the “munchies”
small amounts of drugs stored in fat are released at a later time causing the person to re-experience the drug effect and desire to use again

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

Can we get a complete list of examples of L Ron the only source cited being wrong? I love a good game of lets see who can find the most mistakes first.

Examples of misleading statements and inferences presented to students in NDAP presentations and supplementary resources include:

drugs are poisons
the amount of a drug determines if it acts as a stimulant or as a sedative
anyone who takes drugs does so to avoid problems
drugs ruin creativity and dull senses

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

My bold I saw part of BattleField Earth it was that bad I assume L Ron wrote that strung out on Heroin. That and Charles Bukowski was sober. Art and altered states is almost a requirement.

Accurate information without the use of scare tactics

Strategies designed to frighten students into avoiding drugs do not work, and can be counterproductive. Statements presented to students in the NDAP are indicative of scare tactics. These include failure to clearly distinguish between drug use and abuse and overstating risks. Example:

“…’Even coffee can cause some serious problems if someone takes too much of it. In fact enough coffee in a short period of time could potentially kill a person. Now, I’ve never heard of anyone dying from an overdose of Starbucks. But I have heard of people dying from an overdose of caffeine. Usually that’s from taking caffeine in pills. . . . Other drugs do the same thing. Have you ever seen someone go to a party and the first thing they do is drink beer? . . . if he keeps drinking, he could kill himself.’” (2.1)

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/narcononevaluation.asp

Scare tactics typical authoritarian thinking

This issue is popular with Dem voters does DiFi think she can win over GOPers?

Read the Narcanon literature, not that of a hit piece.

She is not running for anything this year.

Well, the bit I just mentioned about drugs “staying in your system forever” and then magically diving back into your body to make you stoned and an addict is listed under “Medical and Scientific Accuracy” in that same report. I mean, I didn’t even believe that shit when I heard it as a little kid, but Baca is apparently behind paying taxpayer money to promote it.

I heard that little bit about acid as a teenager. That’s what made you have flashbacks!

I believed it then.

Maybe because I was on acid at the time.

I could save lots of money if that stuff would start diving back in. Does Scientology teach you how to get that diving started?

You just have to crack your back or exercise. It’s stored in spinal fluid and fat cells.

I’ve been losing weight through exercise and can crack my back, but don’t feel anything diving back in. Once again, my faith in Scientology is crushed.

Watch your mouth. I’m telling Tom Cruise on you.

You don’t understand how the program works.

When someone ingests drugs/toxins/pesticides, and such, some of it remains in the fatty tissues of the body. The residue of toxic foods/drugs and such stays in the body and causes all kinds of problems. Asthma, cancer, tumors, and other chronic diseases are associated with this very problem. Hence, more and more people are trying to eat organic, use water filtration systems, etc.

If you have psychotropic drugs, LSD, pot residue in the body, why is it so far fetched that it could get into the blood stream and cause drug effects on the person? Those effects could be intense potentially, or more commonly a dullness or lesser energy and that sort of thing.

If you can get all that residue out of your system in some manner, maybe it would brighten a person up. Drugs do dull the senses. I have yet to see a drunk, or someone stoned that was entirley with the program! We’ve all done things on drugs/booze that we heard about later and don’t remember.

People who support prohibition, like Obama, are either making money from it or they are ignorant. Cowardice also enters in. There is no good reason to defend prohibition.

Haha!!

Yeah, good thinking!

Man I’d love to have it get back in my system again. It’s just being wasted sitting there in my back. :)

“LA County Sheriff Lee Baca Endorses Jane Harman,”

“Sheriff Lee Baca testifies on marijuana legalization at LB City Council meeting August 3, 2010“

Because, ***EDITED IN MODERATION*** who is worried about toxins, that’s not how science works.

Do you want to know how long cannabinols stay in your system and have psychoactive effects? Would you be surprised to learn that doctors and scientists asked that very same question a long time ago? The damndest thing is they did a bunch of studies about it using their book learning and practical experience and you can look them up on the Google.

You can actually find out how LSD and ‘pot residue’ (actually some chemicals with names!) do not float around in your body to make you have ‘less energy’, because a real doctor found that out and then some other doctors checked that he was right by doing the same thing.

***MODNOTE: disagree with the message but do not insult demean or otherwise go after the messenger***

Just wanted to let everyone know that I didn’t swear at her or anything. :)

The Good Sheriffs Wife Carol Chaing Baca is a Scientologist

http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/stats/by-name/c/carol-baca.html

Jane, a belated thanks for your several posts on this asshole.

Gah, the two-bit greed, religious grift, huckster noise, endlessly recombining – what a tide we fight ..

Of all the people on my “if I could go back in history and prevent their having been born” list, L. Ron Hubbard is up there. How much fuckery this one person has caused and still causes is staggering to ponder. The success of his “religion” (aka tons of drunken gibberish he farted out of his ass) is yet another sad testament to the terrifying power of a focused predator on the malleable human mind.

Do the program, you’ll see that what I say is correct. My friend who did the detox program had drug trips re-occur while doing the program. He hadn’t taken LSD in atleast 5 yrs.

Doctors proclaim all sorts of things, it doesn’t make them so.

Seems unproductive to belittle, or deride someone who doesn’t fit your view. Specifically when we are all supposed to be on the same team.

Regarding religion…We can make fun of any and all religions, but remember that for a majority of the population on this planet, religion plays a part in their lives. I understand the frustration with feeling like it is forced on you through legislative attempts and such. But aside from that, it brings personal peace, stability, and reason to hope for the future for alot of folks. Those are all good things, and I wish them in abundance on all. If someone gets that from Christianity, Scientology, or Buddhism….who are we to condemn them for attempting to have a higher understanding, or inner peace?

Religious freedom is part of the foundation of our country. We should all keep that in mind, and respect the rights of others to believe, and or practice as they see fit.

Most religions have outreach programs. Yes, it is to spread their version of the good word. It is also to help. People like helping others, and people need help from others. It doesn’t have to be a devious, or underhanded activity that a church would engage in community services and programs.

Atheism is great! I was raised as one, nobody in my immediate fam goes to church or ever has. That doesn’t mean that I foster hostility towards those that do. I may not understand, but that’s fine, I don’t have to understand. If it makes them feel good, and they want to spend their time in that manner, then good for them.

Respect goes both ways. You grant it to others, they are much more inclined to reply in kind.

I agree 100%.

The main results of prohibition are an empowerment/enrichment of organized crime, an exponential increase in violence, the diversion of law enforcement agencies from actual law enforcement, the strengthening of terrorist groups who help launder the cartels’ money, and the filled coffers of the contracted-out, for profit, private prison industry. The cowardice is of those elected officials who refuse to address or even acknowledge these by-products of prohibition.

BTW, I’m a middle-aged professional, don’t use drugs, probably never will, but this useless, counter productive, and terribly misnamed “war on drugs” has got to end.

Narconon invariably makes claims of very high success rates – anything up to 85%, a remarkable figure when one considers that conventional drug rehabilitation programmes achieve only a rate of around 20-30%. It is, however, extraordinarily difficult to obtain the source data for such figures. They appear never to have been published.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/studies.htm

The 84.6% percent figure quoted by the Narconon and the Church of Scientology corresponds to 11 out of the 13 people interviewed after completion saying that they were not using drugs presently. The alternative figure of 78.6 percent refers to 11 out of the 14 completions (but is skewed due to the uncontactable 14th person being counted as a failure). This is, to say the least, a very partial presentation of figures which overall are extremely unflattering for Narconon:

* 77% of those who enrolled on the course quit before completing it.
* 50% of those who did complete it went back onto drugs afterwards (and another 14% somewhat mysteriously didn’t know if they had or not).
* 54% of those interviewed afterwards who did not complete it went back onto drugs.
* 34% of enrollees said they had completed the programme and relapsed but claimed to be drug free at the moment.
* 6.6% of enrollees said they had stayed totally drug free for one year afterwards.

Nice catch!

More:

“ACLU Tells Court County Needs Detailed Plan Before Closing Jail,” July 19, 2009 (follow ups, “ACLU Releases Expert’s Report On Nightmarish Conditions At Men’s Central Jail In Los Angeles,” Apr. 14, 2009 ; “Rutherford, et al. v. Baca, et al. – Plaintiffs’ Notice of Motion and Motion for Preliminary Injunction,” Aug. 3, 2010)

“ACLU Calls On Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Officials To Abandon Plans To Use Military Heat Ray Device Against Jail Inmates,” Aug. 26, 2010

I’m not letting Narconon get their dam dirty hands on my precious bodily toxins. Let them get their own.
Enjoy.