Geneviéve Jones-Wright

PUBLIC OFFICIAL

Q&A with Geneviéve Jones-Wright

Candidate for District Attorney’s Office

What are some of the main concerns or problems that you are currently encountering concerning cannabis within your community?

The County Board of Supervisors has banned new cannabis businesses (both medical and recreational) and decided to phase out old ones in unincorporated parts of the county. This has put the implementation of cannabis policy at odds with the democratically voted will of the people. My concern is that our government is spending too much time and too many resources trying to fight the medical and recreational use of marijuana instead of working on proper implementation of cannabis policy, including public safety and public health regulations.

Describe some of the negatives that our community will experience without proper legalization implementation?

To start, I wish people understood just how much thought, time, research, and expertise goes into creating and implementing cannabis policy. With that being said, without proper implementation you allow the black market to continue to thrive, miss out on the business tax and tourism money that could go into county coffers, and lose the ability to properly regulate and monitor for public health and safety hazards. The black market pot shop doesn’t pay taxes or get tested for pesticides, and they don’t pay their fair share into our system. Those are just some of the drawbacks of not having proper legalization implementation.

What do you know, about cannabis, legislation, politics, etc. that you wish the SD public knew?

As to cannabis in general, if the public knew the many benefits of cannabis and its byproducts, we would see less of an opposition to its legalization by certain segments of society who are uninformed. Research and studies have shown that cannabis has several health benefits. This directly ties into legislation and the politics behind the debate about the legalization of marijuana, and more specifically, big pharma groups. There is reliable data that medical cannabis patients are substituting cannabis for pharmaceuticals at a very high rate. There’s the rub: Big pharma is being hit in their pockets as a result of the legalization of medical marijuana. Compared to states that have not legalized marijuana, opiate overdoses have decreased by 25% in states with legalized marijuana. We are seeing that it is likely that individuals are using medical marijuana to alleviate pain rather than opioid painkillers or are using opiates in lower doses because of the use of medical marijuana. And that leads to politics. We will start to see a change in cannabis-related policy and legislation once big pharma starts to make their way into the industry. (And believe me, it’s coming.)

How can our readers learn more about you and engage with the campaign?

Go to www.JonesWrightforDA.com and sign up to volunteer, subscribe to campaign updates, host an event in your home or business, and give a donation. Hundreds of people have already stepped up to demand justice in San Diego County, and I am excited and honored to be working alongside, and on behalf of, the people of San Diego County.

You can also follow me on Facebook (www. facebook.com/JonesWrightforDA), Twitter (@JonesWright4DA), and Instagram (JonesWright4DA).

What are some of the major changes you would make, related to cannabis, in the DA’s office, if elected?

The DAs office has politicized the cannabis industry in such a way that no one feels safe, including legally operating cannabis business owners, their families, and even their attorneys. Because of what is going on right now in our courts, San Diegans are fearful that the entire concept of attorney-client privilege is in jeopardy and that the government can seize individual family members’ life savings before a single charge is levied. The decisions made by the DAs office have consequences far beyond cannabis.

As DA, I will respect the will of the people. Prop 64 is not only the will of the people but also the law, and should be respected as such. Let me be clear, the way the DAs office operates right now is wasteful, not effective, and counterproductive to public safety. The policies don’t make our communities safer—they, in fact, take resources from combating and addressing violent crimes. The policies waste millions in taxpayer dollars each year. As DA, I will re-prioritize the handling of the prosecution of crimes so that we aren’t wasting taxpayer dollars and hundreds of man hours. Further, I refuse to engage in failed drug war antics. C