Finally…exhale…there is a TV ad touting the legalization of marijuana. It’s the first TV ad either side in the Prop 19 battle has produced, as Comrade Fagan told us. Rolls Tuesday in L.A.

No, funnymen, it doesn’t feature Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson (though we’d REALLY like to see that one). The pro-dopers are all about respect. So we get the well-respected former San Jose police chief Joseph McNamara looking into the camera and saying, “Let’s be honest. The war on marijuana has failed.”

Though we try to avoid talking back to law enforcement officers, a couple of counter-points for Chief Mac:

1. When he says he join me and others in law enforcement in supporting the measure, he neglects to use the word “retired” or “former.” You can count the number of current law enforcement types who will — publicly, at least — endorse this measure on your hand that’s not clutching a bong. Understandable. Backing dope isn’t good for career advancement, shall we say. The retired guys don’t need to worry about that.

2. When the Chief says the measure will generate “billions” for local communities, that’s a big if. The state’s biggest cash crop COULD bring $1.4 billion in tax revenue to locals, but ….that depends…and we’ve detailed all the IF’s here.

Prop 19 was up in early polls, but is trailing in the Public Policy Institute of California survey and the LA Times/USC poll in recent days.

Our chums at the Commonwealth Club in SF are having a pro-con Prop 19 throwdown Wednesday night. Check out info here about that.

Let’s go to the videotape: