I am a liberal Democrat and activist who strongly believes in my party’s platform and commitment to civil rights and individual liberty. As such, I cannot possibly support the bad policy evidenced in the language of Measure N.

Criminalizing people who are abiding by California state law is bad policy.

Criminalizing more people with a lack of ability to enforce is bad policy.

Criminalizing people’s activities in their own homes is extremely bad policy.

Authorizing county law enforcement to enter private homes at their discretion to inspect for plants is detestable policy to any civil libertarian.

The California State Democratic Party’s adopted 2014 platform includes language supporting the legalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana (not medical – just a straight up end to the prohibition).

The party’s platform is adopted every two years. It reflects the values and input of Democratic activists and legislators up and down our state.

We Democratic activists go to great lengths to debate and compromise in order to come up with statements of policy that are workable and just. It is a reflection of values and policy positions that every Democrat can run on.

Measure N in no way moves us toward that this goal outlined in our platform. It moves us backwards.

It is reactionary and unjust.

We, as Democrats, believe that prohibition is a failed policy. The war on drugs (which right now includes marijuana) has only served to make war on our own citizens. Measure N only adds to the morass.

I cannot support any county policy that makes people criminals for exercising their rights under California law.

I cannot support any policy that sets up people to be criminals without any measure of justice or responsiveness to the community.

I am well aware that some in our community have suffered at the hands of rogue growers who don’t care about their neighbors or the community they live or operate in.

However, making more criminals does not alleviate these people’s suffering. Measure N addresses none of the concerns of my neighbors and friends.

We need responsive inclusive policy in this county to regulate all aspects of the marijuana industry. And we need the funding to enforce it. Measure N provides none of this.

Send our Board of Supervisors back to work, and ask them to come up with a policy here in Lake County that protects all of us.

Vote no on N!

Rebecca Curry lives in Kelseyville, Calif.