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Former Oakland mayor and leading gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown held a rally Monday at Oakland’s Jack London Square, making a final push toward a return to the state’s top political position. Brown was joined on stage by Sen. Barbara Boxer and San Francisco district attorney Harris, who is running for state attorney general. Brown, who was California’s governor from 1975 to 1983, leads Republican candidate Meg Whitman by a considerable margin in the latest polls.
To legalize or not to legalize? On November 2, Californinans will vote on Proposition 19, which if passed, would legalize the consumption and sale of recreational marijuana. Oakland North caught up with Oaklanders in Temescal and City Center to get their take on the controversial proposition.
While walking the streets of East Oakland, Marcie Hodge is greeted by encouraging words from residents. But Hodge’s campaign spending and qualifications for office have been scrutinized, and as of Friday she had not filed mandatory campaign spending paperwork.
As a medical marijuana patient, Ryan Landers relies on the drug to stomach a single meal each day. Despite his support of previous landmark legislation, Landers has taken a stand against Proposition 19, on the state ballot next Tuesday, which would legalize several marijuana related activities.
Not all Oaklanders will be looking at the same ballot tomorrow: while every resident is eligible to vote for citywide offices, the winners of several local offices will be determined by voters in specific districts. To see which offices and candidates you’ll have a chance to vote for, check out Oakland North’s political district maps.
Oakland North reporters Abby Baird and Teresa Chin asked a former Bay Area police officer, a smoke shop employee, a retired emergency physician, and a Berkeley parent to share their best guesses about what will happen if California passes Proposition 19, the measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Oakland mayoral candidate Terence Candell isn’t an easy man to ignore—in fact, he believes it is one of the keys to being elected mayor of Oakland. “What do I say to the people who think that I’m going to scare people away? I say good!” he said. “Its about time that they met a real black man who doesn’t back down when someone gets scared.”
Explore the arguments for and against this year’s state and local measures with our pop-up ballot.
Proposition 19, on the ballot this coming Tuesday would legalize several marijuana-related activities statewide, allowing for taxation and regulation of the drug. To better understand where the law would fit in California history, scroll over some dates from the timeline below for a short history of cannabis, locally and nationally.