Last night’s Long Beach screening of the new
documentary Legalize It was a
smashing success, drawing crowds from many quarters to hear the tale of a
pioneering social movement and the future of drug law reform. The screening was
hosted by Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of law
enforcement officials opposed to the war on drugs. A number of LEAP speakers
appear in the documentary, which followed the narrowly defeated 2010 campaign
to legalize marijuana in California, and were on hand afterward to discuss the
issues raised in the film.
“It boggles my mind that marijuana is still illegal,”
said former police officer Kyle Kazan, “Few policy changes would do more to end
budget deficits, increase public safety, restore community trust in the police
and improve racial relations in this country than ending the prohibition of
marijuana. The Prop. 19 campaign may not have succeeded in changing the law,
but it did change a lot of minds. It set the stage for reform in places like
Washington, Oregon and Colorado, where voters are now poised to make history by
ending these ridiculous laws once and for all.”
A panel discussion featuring law enforcement, clergy
and others followed the film. There was also an awards ceremony honoring the pioneering
medical cannabis educators at Oaksterdam University. Many in the room remarked
on the parallels with initiative campaigns to legalize marijuana currently on
the ballot in three states and several localities.
LEAP speaker and retired Redondo Beach Lieutenant
Commander Diane Goldstein commented, “The fact that we sold out this theater is
indicative of a growing belief in the failure of current marijuana policy.
Public support has never been higher. Cities and states all across the nation
are instituting reforms and at this point, change is inevitable. When that
change comes, we will all be indebted to those on the Prop. 19 campaign who
first forged the path toward ending prohibition.”
