VIDEO: Congressman Rohrabacher Just Says Yes: "Regulate Marijuana Like Wine" Initiative, by Sam Sabzehzar

Editor's Note: We thought there was no better post than this to introduce new blogger Sam Sabzehzar, a Belmont Shore resident and activist in support of regulating weed like wine. This was a fundraiser for the Regulate Marijuana Like California Initiative for the 2012 ballot. Sam reports that Rohrabacher and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) have also worked with Americans for Safe Access at the National level and have championed other medical cannabis legislation, this being the first time he has spoken out about fully regulating it. Sam has been traveling abroad, which delayed the posting of his debut Patch blog.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, recently attended a Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Initiative Fundraiser, where the Congressman reflected on the time in his life when he smoked marijuana.

Thankfully he was never caught, noting that prohibition has made it very difficult for people who have had such misfortune for being busted with a bag of pot.

“This idea, that in our society, which is based on individual rights and freedom and respect for people living their lives in the way they choose to live, that for us to be taking people for smoking weed and putting them in prison and jail, for that, is a travesty. It’s against everything our Founding Fathers believed in, and somehow our country got away from that.”

The Congressman, who represents part of Long Beach, not only understands the war on drugs is a compete failure, but he has also Co-sponsored legislation to help protect the rights for medical marijuana patients, with bills like the Truth in Trials Act, which would stop federal marijuana cases from restricting medical information pertaining to the plant and the patient being charged.

Retired Superior Court Judge Jim Gray was another featured speaker, as was Retired LAPD Deputy Chief Stephen Downing, as the Judicial and Legislative branches of government threw their weight behind what Judge Gray calls “a historic initiative.”

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition‘s Diane Goldstein, who is a Retired Lieutenant from the South Bay, also spoke at the event that was attended by some of the most well-respected citizens from both LA and Orange County, including Fullerton City Councilman Bruce Whitaker.

Whitaker, who is also the District Director for Assemblyman Chris Norby, who was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, spoke on his behalf.

While adding that the Assemblyman was instrumental in implementing the Medical Marijuana ID Program while he was with at County Supervisor position, he also is proud to be behind such a groundbreaking step in the right direction.

While Whitaker told the audience he hopes to see this initiative pass, the Councilman and Director said he also believes “we have post-prohibition wine and beer problems, and I believe we’d all benefit if we had a more European attitude towards some of these things.”

For being a historic initiative, it was certainly a historic event, especially for the Congressman and his family.