Carla Lowe, Director of CALMca.org

Carla: "It started in 1977 when I put out a questionnaire as incoming PTA President at Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, California. The first of our 5 kids was starting as a freshman, I was a resident substitute teach there, and I agreed to take the presidency for 1 year IF the school would let us put out the questionnaire to give us direction. We would address the top 5 concerns. 25% of the surveys were returned…drugs (not including tobacco or alcohol) were # 1. Our Superintendent wanted the survey put out to the other 7 high schools in the San Juan Unified School District. Drugs were #1 in all the schools! So, I got “into drugs” from a direct mandate from parents 33 years ago. Little did I dream that my “one-year” would end up this way".

It was because my son had a “bong” in his locker a few months later that I started my legislative work that took the next 25 years. After learning that a bong was used for smoking marijuana, I realized those toys and tools were in stores all over Sacramento and we needed to figure out how to get rid of this paraphernalia.

I was told of a law firm, Pacific Legal Foundation, which might help me. They said I needed to show that other people wanted to get rid of the paraphernalia also. So we collected a thousand signatures and I organized what became one of the first “parent/community” anti-drug groups in the country: Sacramento County Community Action Against Drug Abuse. (1978)

The drug paraphernalia bill was the first of 10 anti-drug bills I sponsored as a “citizen legislator.” I soon began speaking to PTA groups around the State telling them about marijuana and showing them the drug paraphernalia. It was clear we needed to start a State organization targeting the drug issue. Thus, Californians for Drug-Free Youth was born.(1979?) I heard of a lady in southern California who might be interested in helping me. I asked her to be my co-chairman. Also, during this same time, I leaned of parents on the east coast who were finding drug paraphernalia in their bookstores and boutique shops. We got together and formed the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth. (1979)

As my drug paraphernalia bill was moving through the legislature, I learned of the buying power of the drug legalization advocates. My bill was getting a lot of press by now, moving through the senate quickly. Then it started to hit strange blockades. It was suggested I check campaign contributions to Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and members of the Public Safety Committee. I found that NORML and the paraphernalia consortium …I always called them the “bong-boys”…had donated over $15,000 to them! A bunch of parents from around the State came for a key hearing…we found it cancelled! Only Assembly Speaker Willie Brown could only do this. We found the speaker in the back room of the cafeteria at the Capitol and confronted him. I asked if we parents had been able to contribute $16,000 to him and committee members if he would maneuver the bill to our favor…Speaker Brown responded, “Lady, that’s a bunch of bullshit.” I put out a press release with that quote as the lead…it made the front page of the LA Times. Our bill passed and was signed into law soon after by Governor Jerry Brown!

Other bills I sponsored were to rid schools of student smoking areas, a requirement to teach “no use” of illicit drugs, rather than “responsible use,” and maybe most important, the “USE/LOSE” law which takes a driver’s license for one year for anyone under 21 for any violation of any code section having to do with any illicit drug.

Also during these years, I traveled to 46 states and 16 foreign countries speaking in a wide range of venues….to school children, parents, professionals, dignitaries and heads of state. Marijuana was always my topic…”Know to say ‘No’” was usually the title I gave my talk. Until quite recently my interest had moved to non-punitive random student drug testing (NPRSDT) as I think a presidential mandate for testing in all middle, junior high, and high schools is the ONLY chance we have of reducing the demand, thus the market for illicit drugs.

The legalizers know this also. It was the Drug Policy Alliance and other pro-drug groups that tried to get a bill through the California Legislature in 2006 (I think) that would have prohibited NPRSDT. That’s when I met my friend Roger Morgan with whom my husband and I worked almost frantically. The bill was moving through the second house and would soon be on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk for his signature. With letters, faxes and phone calls from around the country, even from the White House, we were able to see the Governor veto the bill. A great victory!

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