March 5th, 2002: Medical marijuana advocates scored important victories in several local races in the California primary election:
* North Coast: In upsets, Humboldt and Sonoma voters tossed out their incumbent DA's for challengers with a more liberal line on medical marijuana. The victors, Steve Passalacqua in Sonoma and Paul Gallegos in Humboldt, had both appealed to Prop. 215 supporters. The incumbents, Mike Mullins in Sonoma and Terry Farmer in Humboldt, had both been appointees on the Attorney General's Task Force on Medical Marijuana, where they took a cautious, law enforcement line. Meanwhile, libertarian Mendocino DA Norm Vroman was re-elected, completing a bloc of reformist DAs on the "Emerald Coast" from Sonoma north.
* Humboldt Sheriff Dennis Lewis, a bane of pot supporters and civil libertarians, was overwhelmingly defeated by challenger Gary Philp.
* Butte County: Sheriff Scott MacKenzie, who bragged about seizing the highest amount of marijuana in recent history, was upset by challenger Perry Reniff, who argued that enforcement should be retargeted from marijuana to methamphetamine. However, incumbent DA Mike Ramsey easily beat back a challenge from defense attorney Dale Rasmussen, who had urged stronger efforts to implement 215.
* San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno, the sponsor of SF's medical marijuana sanctuary resolution, edged out Harry Britt for the Democratic nomination for the 13th Assembly District. Leno's election is certain in this overwhelmingly Democratic district; he will serve as the first (or one of the first two) openly gay male(s) in the legislature.
* Oakland: Two strong pro-215 candidates for City Council did well: Desley Brooks was elected, while David Stein will face a November run-off.
Some disappointments were also recorded:
* El Dorado County: In the DA's race, incumbent Gary Lacy was narrowly edged out by his former henchman Erik Schlueter; medical cannabis advocate Dale Schafer, who with his wife Dr. Marion Fry is involved in a federal marijuana case, came in a distant third.
* Calaveras County. Reform candidate Bill Kaiser lost his bid to unseat incumbent, Sheriff Downum, who has been a ferocious pot warrior.