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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (June 20, 2014)
4 street roots June 20, 2014 The American public has turned a comer' Congressman Earl Blumenauer talks about the marijuana revolution, gay rights and, of course, money BY JAKE THOMAS S TAFF W R IT E R widespread belief. I think the practical matter is that the homeless population appears to be from somewhere else because it’s hard for people to focus on i t It’s invisible. They see it, but they don’t see who the people are. My sense is that, yes, there are people that are transient people who shift around slightly given the weather or baseball season or whatever. It is hard for people to understand that these are our vets, that these are our urban Native Americans, that there are kids that are messed up or alienated or abused. I’m not persuaded that this is a huge mobile population. They are less mobile than the general population. ongressman Earl Blumenauer has the veneer of a seasoned Beltway politician, trademark bowtie aside. But to his core/ he’s a true Portlander. Much has been written about his enthusiasm and support of cycling, mass transit and civic engagement But on a deeper level, this is the man in Washington fighting for, among other issues, legalized marijuana, gay rights, environmental protections, ending government-sanctioned torture, preventing climate change, closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, and restoring personal privacy against the government surveillance. More than four decades ago, Blumenauer S.R.: There was that vote the House took was a fresh face in Oregon’s Legislature, pretty recently that basically told the federal serving the first of three terms there. He government not to interfere with medical turned to local politics in 1978, serving marijuana laws. eight years on the Multnomah County Commission followed by 10 years on the E.B.: Actually, there were three votes in Portland City Council in charge of public the evening of May 28 that had bipartisan works. He jumped into the national scene in majority support to restricting the federal . 1996 when he was elected to his first of now government from interfering with the eight terms in Congress. He currently sits cultivation of industrial hemp, and one that on two of the most influential bodies in would withhold funds from the federal Congress: The House Budget and Ways and government to interfere with medical Means committees. marijuana laws that states have approved. Earlier this month, the congressman was It’s a culmination of what wé’ve seen over in Portland to receive the Urban Pioneer the last couple years. award from Portland State University, in Prior to this the marijuana legislation, recognition for his contributions to the efforts had been lead by former political, social and physical landscape of the representatives Barney Frank Portland region. (D-Massaehusetts) and Ron Paul (R-Texas), While in town, Blumenauer stopped by both of whom have moved on to other the Street Roots office. He spoke frankly things, but I indicated to Barney several about the financial trials ahead for the years ago that I would step up and help federal government, his campaign for coordinate a little b it marijuana laws and a little background on The votes last week were the culmination the transportation woes Portland is ■ of people starting to realize that the grappling with today. marijuana train has left the station. It’s not > just the two states that have legalized it for Street Roots: There is, a theory that adult use in Colorado and Washington, but everybody’s homeless population shows up it’s 22 states and the District of Columbia from somewhere else. They’re not ours, get that have medical marijuana. It’s a million them out of here. What do you think about people who are authorized to use medical that? marijuana, as well as thè research about the potential impacts it can have and there are E arl Blum enauer: I think that it is a B hundreds of perfectly legalbusinesses involved. They are becoming more aggressive making their case on Capitol Hill, and the American public has turned the corner. S.R.: This was really bipartisan. How did the House come together on this, but on so many other issues it struggles? | E.B.: Street Roots is dedicated to making some significant but incremental steps in helping people get their act together. You are able to combine resources to support the publication, and part of it is self- perpetuating. That’s my theory of legislation. Yeah, you can try for grand slam home run, but before you bit a grand slam home run, you have to hit singles and doubles — you have to get someone onbase. Virtually all the legislation we have is bipartisan in nature. The infamous “death panels?” We had 50 bipartisan co-sponsors on that. Marijuana is important on several levels. We have a policy on marijuana that simply makes no sense. Prohibition has failed miserably. Nobody thinks that their eighth-grade daughter has a rougher time getting a joint than a six-pack of beer. Nobody checks your driver’s license ifyou buy a joint. The failure of prohibition is becoming clearer and clearer. We now have public opinion surveys that think it ought to be legal. The disconnect between arresting two-thirds of three-quarters of a million , people a year for something 58 percent think should be legal. It’s starting to catch up and catch on. People are starting to put these pieces together, and hemp, ironically, is playing a very important role. Virtually everyone has some hemp product; There is hemp ice cream. Drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper. We had a hemp flag fly over the Capitol last year, and the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency indicated that was the low point of her professional career. [Slaps table.] Where have you been, woman, and what have you ! been doing if this is the low point of your career? We’ve got 20 states that have either explicitly authorized hemp cultivation or they are taking steps to promote it, Oregon being one of them. It’s'fascinating that it’s one of those moments in history th&t’s ripe, and Oregon, this year,'is poised to be the turning point nationally. We’ve got these two states, Colorado and. Washington, which have done it. Everything’s going to be trained on Oregon. People think that if they can beat it in Oregon they can beat it anywhere. If it wouldn’t pass in, Oregon, where would it pass? If it passes, the wave will crest. We’re a cheap state to campaign in; so there will be energy and attention. If it passes here, California is a foregone conclusion, as is Maine. We’ve been arguing all along and to reschedule marijuana. It’s a Class I Substance, among LSD and heroin, and more dangerous than cocaine and meth. S.R.: Afri/z? E.B.: That’s according to the schedule. And a class that can have no medicinal qualities, except people have been medicating with marijuana for millennium and millions of people are doing it with a vote of the people. S.R.: So what’s the next step for all the people behind bars?' E.B.: Well, there are efforts. The administration is finally moving to deal with the potential of commuting sentences. States are figuring it out. They’re filling their prisons! They can’t afford it, and it’s not working. We’re going through a sea change. We are sending billions to Mexican drug cartels, and it’s like A1 Capone. Prohibition made A1 Capone. We need better research on marijuana impacts. The DEA, with its restrictive research, will give research grants to people See BLUMENAUER, page 5
