cannabisnews.com: Dope Measure on Colorado Ballot





Dope Measure on Colorado Ballot
Posted by CN Staff on August 16, 2006 at 17:28:47 PT
By Tim Dickinson
Source: Rolling Stone 
Colorado -- The nonprofit group SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation) is building on its success in de-criminalizing personal pot use in Denver. It announced today that it has gathered enough signatures to place a measure on Colorado’s November ballot that would make it legal for residents 21 and over to posess and use an ounce of marijuana. From the group’s press release:“The campaign will highlight the hypocrisy of laws that prohibit the use of marijuana while allowing and even encouraging the use of alcohol, an infinitely more harmful drug,” said SAFER Campaign Director Mason Tvert.
“We will be asking Colorado Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave why she continues to accept so much money from the National Beer Wholesaler’s Association - the primary lobbying arm of the beer, wine and liquor industry - when police in her district attribute its above-average rate of rape there to above-average alcohol consumption.“And we expect Colorado gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter to explain why he is publicly opposing this initiative despite the fact that he used marijuana on multiple occasions,” Tvert said. “There is little doubt he would have gone on to become Denver’s district attorney and a frontrunner in the race for Colorado’s highest office had he been arrested and prosecuted for his choice to use marijuana. This just goes to show that many responsible, hard-working people around Colorado can choose to use marijuana - much like many choose to use alcohol - and they are not the drug addicts and deadbeats our opponents would like to have people think.”Complete Title: Rocky Mountain High: Dope Measure on Colorado Ballot Source: Rolling Stone (US)Author: Tim DickinsonPublished: August 16, 2006Copyright: 2006 Straight Arrow Publishers Company, L.P.Contact: letters rollingstone.comWebsite: http://www.rollingstone.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Safer Coloradohttp://www.safercolorado.org/SAFER Pushing To Legalize Marijuana Statewidehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21638.shtmlPot Advocates Push Statewide Legalizationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21462.shtmlMarijuana Wars Set To Continuehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21430.shtml
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Comment #30 posted by Hope on August 17, 2006 at 18:54:21 PT
Listening to 
Drugs Against War!Amen and Amen!http://f-l-o-w.com/Drugs_Against_War.mp3
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Comment #29 posted by Hope on August 17, 2006 at 18:50:36 PT
Cannabis!
Be Kind!
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Comment #28 posted by Hope on August 17, 2006 at 18:49:24 PT
Cannabis, Oh Cannabis!
Cannabis, created for the people!Cannabis! A gift to mankind!Mine the cannabinoids!Save a brain! Save a life! Cannabis!Fields and Fields of Cannabis/Hemp!Cannabis. It's a good thing.Cannabis, as far as the eye can see.Cannabis helps you see!Cannabis! Brain food!The Big Green! It does you good!
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Comment #27 posted by Max Flowers on August 17, 2006 at 18:40:45 PT
SAFER and BETTER
Not only is cannabis 1000 times safer than alcohol, it just feels a lot better too!What a slogan! Here's more, courtesy of Sloganizer.net:Feel good with cannabis.Cannabis - Just do it.Cannabis - now!Cannabis inside you.Cannabis empowers you.Next stop, Cannabis.Endless possibilities with Cannabis.Let's Cannabis!Cannabis - forget the rest.Cannabis evolution.One goal, one passion - Cannabis.Cannabis for everyone.It's my Cannabis!Cannabis is the best!Cannabis wanted.All you need is Cannabis.
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Comment #26 posted by whig on August 17, 2006 at 11:50:12 PT
Celaya
This could be fun. Of course the beer manufacturers dislike the SAFER campaign. We're not just saying that cannabis should be legal -- it should -- but we're comparing it with his product and saying -- truthfully and accurately -- cannabis is safer.
cannablog - Peace and love, y'all
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Comment #25 posted by Celaya on August 17, 2006 at 08:46:52 PT
Rocky Mountain Brew
I'll bet Coors will be fighting against the initiative. This was a pretty good indication:http://www.freecolorado.com/2004/10/coorsvco.htmlPete Coors, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and one of the world's most prominent manufacturers of the recreational drug alcohol, said he opposes the medical use of marijuana, even though Colorado voters legalized medical marijuana in 2000.Today Coors's spokesperson Cinamon Watson said, "Pete is opposed to the medical marijuana." She said Coors offered no explanation for his position, but instead replied to her "yes or no question."Ironically, while Coors opposes states' rights on the matter of medical marijuana, he has supported states' rights in other matters. In a June 24 story about the drinking age for The Washington Times, Valerie Richardson wrote, "Mr. Coors said he resented the federal government's intrusion in what he sees as a state issue. During the 1980s, the federal Transportation Department threatened to withhold highway funds unless legislatures raised the drinking age in their states to 21." Richardson quoted Coors, "I haven't said that 18 is a better age. I'm saying we should reopen the debate and let the citizens decide, without bureaucratic intervention."If SAFER can uncover Coor's backing of anti forces, it could be a good tool for getting out the yes vote.Especially since Peter Coors lost his driver's license for DUIA 8^)Beer baron Peter Coors' driver's license has been revoked by a hearing officer who ruled the executive had been driving under the influence of alcohol, officials said.Hearing officer Scott Garber ruled Friday that Coors did not stop at a stop sign on May 28 and was driving intoxicated.Coors, 59, said he had consumed a beer about 30 minutes before leaving a wedding, the Rocky Mountain News reported Saturday. 
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Comment #24 posted by Had Enough on August 17, 2006 at 05:57:55 PT
Colorado Ballot
Music to these ears. Time to stir the troops up. Here it is, get registered, go vote this in. Take a friend with you. This has got to pass.
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Comment #23 posted by The GCW on August 17, 2006 at 05:43:35 PT
Yes
It's on.Pot proposal joins 13 other measures on Nov. ballotBy Fernando Quintero, Rocky Mountain News 
August 17, 2006http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_4922730,00.html
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Comment #22 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on August 17, 2006 at 04:32:34 PT
Thanks Christen-Mitchell and Colorado activists!
To add to Hope and FoM's chorus.FoM-"Marijuana Legalization Measure on Colorado Ballot"Now that's just a little too objective, accurate, and fair to be a headline. Sounds like it was written by someone with one of them fancy journalism degrees. 
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Comment #21 posted by Hope on August 16, 2006 at 22:16:23 PT
Christen-Mitchell
Thank you, so much. I've felt some of what you are talking about...so I can easily imagine the pain. You're a brave and wonderful person to have done all that you do. I hope and pray it passes, too.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 22:08:59 PT
Christen-Mitchell
Thank you so much for doing all that work. It can't be easy at all. I really hope you win. 
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Comment #19 posted by Christen-Mitchell on August 16, 2006 at 21:50:37 PT:
Repression
In the beginning collecting signatures for the initiative took an emotional toll on me. Addressing each passer-by on whether they'd like to endorse marijuana brought frowns, rude glares and one unkind remark from the wife of a cop.The worst aspect was to see the young, cool trendy types sneer and shake their head. Posers, I thought, you can bet they toke. Many middle class and others refused to endorse it because they feared being put on a government list - repression.I learned to simply wear a pot shirt and tape a sign on the back of my clipboard. It picked up my spirits as many people would now come up to me with a smile and sign. I got 800.I'm optimistic the measure will pass. Denver narrowly approved it, but it has a large population in relation to the rest of the state. Except for Denver, and the Front Range east of the Rockies has relatively fewer tokers than west of the Continental Divide. Even 'focus on your own dam family' Colorado Springs will help.I plan on doing a registration table and hope to put together a smoke-in in advance of the November 7th election. The fascist powers that be have threatened to take the issue to court if it wins. Bring it on, anything to expose the false democracy that exists in this country.Ideally this will remove a brick from the wall. There are thousands more to go. CANNABEM LIBEREMUS - Liberate Cannabis!
Hemptopia - Our Greener Future
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 21:49:36 PT
TroutMask 
You wife did good. Thank her from me if you will.
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Comment #17 posted by Wayne on August 16, 2006 at 21:24:36 PT
TroutMask
Yeah, but think if it didn't fail. What would the world be saying then? Something like, "Maybe these Americans aren't so stupid after all..." Maybe they would even join in the fight with us, who knows?
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Comment #16 posted by TroutMask on August 16, 2006 at 21:18:20 PT
Win/Win
My wife helped collect petition signatures. I am proud of her (as usual). I'm 50/50 on optimism of it passing in the election. But even if this fails in the election, the fact that it's going to be on the news around the world is a WIN.-TM
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 19:30:10 PT
Bush Pardons 17 Minor Criminals
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/politics/15290360.htm
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 19:18:18 PT
rchandar 
I looked to see what years Colorado voted for a Democrat and I thought it was interesting. In 1992 for Clinton and in 1964 for Johnson. I love the Internet. It makes looking up information so much easier. I hope they win in Colorado. It seems like a place that it should be legal to me. 
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Comment #13 posted by rchandar on August 16, 2006 at 18:59:19 PT:
FoM
It would be wonderful to see it pass. Expect, though, an ONDCP campaign against it. It's also a kind of test of our grasp of voter issues: Colorado is predominantly Republican, yet has prided itself on liberal, laissez-faire approaches to pot over the decades. It is like tossing the first bomb in a general warfare, and Colorado won't be excused from Drug War rhetoric. If the measure fails, that will encourage Coloradans to adopt "traditional" Drug War rhetoric; they will be inundated with concepts, themes, rationalizations against legalization.If it does pass, it would be a significant victory--a step in the right direction. The last time California voted against legalization was 1986; Nevada has it on the ballot again after being unsuccessful in 2004. I think in theory the idea is good, where, state by state, prohibition laws are dropped, setting the stage for a Congressional fight.--rchandar
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Comment #12 posted by BUDSNAXZ on August 16, 2006 at 18:51:10 PT
TRUTH you beat me to it
Truth,
I was just reading the comments from the bottom up to make sure no one else had already brought up your point; the same comment I was just about to post.
You are completely in tune with how I was thinking. I even read through the article and did not find cannabis to be referred to as dope anywhere in it so why such a disgusting and derogatory title? It sure doesn’t help our cause any.Peace All
Mac
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Comment #11 posted by whig on August 16, 2006 at 18:39:36 PT
Truth
And the people who sniffed airplane glue were called Dopes.
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Comment #10 posted by Truth on August 16, 2006 at 18:38:03 PT
Your right FoM
Dope is for building model planes. The word has nothing to do with cannabis.
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Comment #9 posted by potpal on August 16, 2006 at 18:27:30 PT
counter culture - ot
Just finished watching 500 Nations, a documentary on the history of native americans. So sad. Talk about suppressing a counter culture, jeez. How enlightened the American Indian was. How brutal the European.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 18:26:37 PT
Truth 
I'm glad Rolling Stone did the article but they could have picked a better more user friendly title. This would have been a little better then Dope.Marijuana Legalization Measure on Colorado Ballot
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Comment #7 posted by Truth on August 16, 2006 at 18:26:06 PT
Jon Bennet
I'm glad they got her killer. To bad they didn't bring him in a couple of months ago so Patsy could have died in peace.Vendication for the parents.
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on August 16, 2006 at 18:23:34 PT
The Bush/Blair Cartels
They're getting richer by the second...Afghan opium cultivation hits a record: 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/afghan_opium_boomIn unrelated news, it must be getting late in the game. Ignored,laughed at,attacked...BOLLYN - 9/11 Investigative Journalist Harassed and Beaten by Undercover Cops *PIC*:
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?noframes;read=91920CHRISTOPHER BOLLYN ARRESTED IN CHICAGO:
http://www.rbnlive.com/Bollyn.htmlNow it's time to win...Dr. Frank R. Greening to argue in support of government account of the events of September 11, 2001 at the National 9/11 Debate:
http://www.teamliberty.net/id289.htmlWhat we know and don’t know about 9/11:
http://lookingglassnews.org/viewstory.php?storyid=6923False Flag News - Saving the world one drill at a time:
http://falseflagnews.com/
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Comment #5 posted by Truth on August 16, 2006 at 18:20:38 PT
pass the pipe
but not filled with tobacco. : )There are kinder alternatives.It was nice to see that this article was in Rolling Stone.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 17:52:28 PT
Truth
You are right about what the song was about I'm sure but people that I knew thought it meant marijuana. You know these words.Lie around the fireand watch the evening tirewhile my friends and my old ladysit and pass the pipe aroundand talk of poems, prayers and promises
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Comment #3 posted by Truth on August 16, 2006 at 17:42:55 PT
John Denver
I think his Rocky Mountain High was alcohol. He drove on it. I wonder if he had a legal, safer alternative if he would have avoided that run in with the law over alcohol.I always thought the song was about the natural high of the Colorado Rockies.
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Comment #2 posted by whig on August 16, 2006 at 17:42:25 PT
Do it Colorado
The MMJ and the SAFER approaches are both correct, both appropriate for different circumstances. MMJ focuses on getting healing medicine to patients, but does nothing about having safer alternatives to alcohol and cigarettes. We need both, and if California is the model for MMJ then Colorado can be the model for harm reduction.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 16, 2006 at 17:34:08 PT
Rocky Mountain High
Colorado has been a state considered a marijuana friendly state since John Denver wrote Rocky Mountain High. If only Colorado would embrace this opportunity it would do wonders for tourism and tourism means money, money, money, that's what they like you know.
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