Bylaws Interpretation establishing endorsement timing for California Cannabis and Hemp Initiative of 2014

Subject: GPCA endorsement of California Cannabis and Hemp Initiative of 2014
Sponsor: Coordinating Committee

Background:  GPCA Bylaws speak in several places about the endorsement process for statewide ballot measures.  In one place, they specifically refer to ballot-qualified statewide ballot measures.  In three others, they refer simply to statewide ballot measures, without mentioning whether they or not are qualified.  This is relevant because at the October 2009 General Assembly in Cotati, the General Assembly approved a proposal that the GPCA consider endorsement via County Polling of the Constitutional Convention initiative(s) then in the drafting phase, once those initiatives were issued Title and Summary by the Attorney General, because it was deemed in the strategic interest of the party. It can be reasonably argued that endorsement of the California Cannabis and Hemp Initiative of 2014 also is in the strategic interest of the GPCA.  Hence this proposal.
 
Proposal: That the CC approve the following Bylaws Interpretation 
 
Whereas GPCA Bylaws are silent about taking positions on initiatives once those initiatives were issued Title and Summary by the Attorney General; and
 
Whereas GPCA Bylaws speak in several places about the endorsement process for statewide ballot measures - in one place ballot-qualified statewide ballot measures are specifically mentioned and in three others, reference is simply  to statewide ballot measures, without mentioning whether or not they are qualified, and
 
Whereas the October 2009 General Assembly in Cotati, the General Assembly approved a proposal that the GPCA consider endorsement via County Polling of the Constitutional Convention initiative(s) then in the drafting phase, once those initiatives were issued Title and Summary by the Attorney General, because it was deemed in the strategic interest of the party because a Constitutional Convention held the possibility of achieving electoral reforms the GPCA has long advocated (http://www.cagreens.org/plenary/archives/agendas/0910proposals.pdf); and
 
Whereas the California Cannabis and Hemp Initiative of 2014 received Title and Summary on September 26th and offers the opportunity to address several public policy goals identified in the GPCA Platform around marijuana decriminalization/legalization (http://www.cagreens.org/platform/drugs), industrial hemp (http://www.cagreens.org/platform/organic-farming), and ending the drug war, lessening prison overcrowding and amending Three Strikes (http://www.cagreens.org/platform/criminal-justice); and
 
Whereas in light of the passage of Proposition 14 in June 2010, along with its implementing statutes, the Green Party can only remain on the ballot if it maintains a voter registration total above a given threshold and that currently the Green Party is only narrowly over that threshold; and
 
Whereas support of and participation in the signature-gathering drive for the California Cannabis and Hemp Initiative of 2014 can help increase Green Party registration; 
 
Therefore the Coordinating Committee finds that it is in the strategic interest of the GPCA to consider endorsement of the California Cannabis and Hemp Initiative of 2014 and thus will place the measure before the GPCA Standing General Assembly for consideration, as is the process for endorsement for statewide ballot measures specified in GPCA Bylaws.