cannabisnews.com: Big Moment for Marijuana





Big Moment for Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on November 02, 2006 at 19:24:51 PT
By Andrew Harley, Summit Daily News
Source: Summit Daily News 
Colorado -- One side claims to be “troubled” by the idea of the legalization of marijuana, while a member of the other side calls the current laws “Draconian at best.”Either way, voters revisiting the polls on Tuesday to choose yes or no on Amendment 44 will be deciding on a heated issue that burst into flames recently when Gov. Bill Owens and supporters faced off at a Denver rally.
The Amendment represents the only statutory change to Colorado law on this year’s ballot, so it’s the only proposed amendment that will not affect the Colorado State Constitution. This fact does not detract from the passion exhibited by members representing both sides of the issue.Mason Tvert, campaign director for the support of the proposed amendment and director of SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation), headed up the drive to collect signatures to get the amendment on this year’s ballot. Tvert and other volunteers managed to collect 130,815 signatures — less than 68,000 were required.“The initiative is designed to remove the threat of arrest for adult marijuana use because we think adults, over 21 — of age to use alcohol — should be allowed to make the safer choice: to use marijuana instead,” said Tvert. “There are a number of positive health effects of marijuana, and they’re well-documented.”Beverly Kinard, the former director of Drug Watch Colorado and president of the Christian Drug Education Center, has been inspired to be a leading opponent to any efforts to legalize marijuana by the story of her son, who began smoking at the age of 12. Kinard, who also directs GOCAM (Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana), and her husband, David (a retired Denver Police detective) were approached by their son when he was 17 because he felt he needed help. He suffered a subsequent mental breakdown and was labeled disabled by his doctors.“I went to 30-some different cities in Colorado from back in June and July,” Beverly said. “I first started working on this Dec. 29 of last year when it (news of the amendment) first hit the newspapers last year in Denver.”Dr. Robert Melamede, associate professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, has researched free radicals (highly reactive chemicals our bodies produce as a byproduct of how we burn fuel) and DNA repair for decades. Dr. Melamede has been interested in cannabinoids for years, having started to consume cannabis when he entered college at age 16. “What we now know is that we all make marijuana-like compounds, and those compounds help to homeostatically regulate and balance our biochemistry, and they do that literally almost everywhere in your body,” says Dr. Melamede. “Marijuana mimics the way our bodies normally work. In many respects, it can be viewed as an anti-aging drug.”Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, Governor Bill Owens and Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton disagree with Dr. Melamede’s findings. “I am particularly troubled by the message of the proponents that marijuana is a safe alternative to alcohol,” said Suthers. “I think it is both a incorrect and irresponsible message. I am particularly concerned about the message it sends to kids.”Contrary to debate regarding the amendment’s function to legalize marijuana distribution to minors, the amendment will preserve the Class 4 felony of distributing the substance to minors.“The only thing that will change in Colorado if this initiative passes is that if someone over 21 is found to be in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, they will no longer receive a $100 citation and Class 2 petty offense and will no longer have that drug crime on their record,” said Tvert.Tvert says that there are no laws against private use of marijuana, only laws against public use and display. These laws will not change under the provisions of Amendment 44.Michael Moore, a father a Drug Enforcement Administration employee from the Denver area field division, stands against the amendment.“I wouldn’t say it’s a major issue, but it is an issue. It opens up a door.”Some local and regional voices:Summit Cove resident Stan White has lived in Summit County since 1982. He has two children.“I think Colorado can be a better place to live by not lying to children ... As a parent, I just cannot lie to my children. I will lose their credibility,” says White. “If we lie to our children and tell them that cannabis is bad, and then they try it and find it not to be bad while we tell them not to use hard drugs, then they’re probably not going to believe us.“It’s really insane that the federal government places cannabis in the same category as heroin and LSD.”State Representative Gary Lindstrom supports the passage of Amendment 44.“I was a police officer for several years, and I’ve always felt that (Colorado and national) marijuana laws are Draconian at best. They virtually have no purpose whatsoever,” said Lindstrom. “I just think that the time has come.”Summit County Sheriff John Minor is against the legalization of marijuana and says he’ll uphold the law whatever the outcome.“I will follow the will of the people for justice with compassion,” said Minor.Sidebar: Amendment 44 states: “Shall there be an amendment to section 18-18-406 (1) of the Colorado revised statutes making legal the possession of one ounce or less of marihuana for any person twenty-one years of age or older? (YES or NO).” Note: Battle over Amendment 44 heats up as voting deadline approaches.Source: Summit Daily News (CO)Author: Andrew Harley, Summit Daily NewsPublished: November 2, 2006Copyright: 2006 Summit Daily NewsContact: news summitdaily.comWebsite: http://www.summitdaily.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Safer Choicehttp://www.saferchoice.org/Safer Coloradohttp://www.safercolorado.org/So Why is Pot Really Illegal?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22323.shtmlSafety at Heart of Pot Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22317.shtmlNo Logical Reason To Punish Adults for Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22312.shtml 
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Comment #20 posted by whig on November 03, 2006 at 19:20:39 PT
La 
Stan is great. He gives us chocolate cake. (Sorry, thinking of a Bill Cosby routine, wonder if anyone knows what I'm talking about....)
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on November 03, 2006 at 18:12:39 PT
FoM
Yes, it is great.Imagine. They interviewed one of us...someone who disagrees with the status quo. Thanks so much, Stan.
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on November 03, 2006 at 18:09:55 PT
A "local voice".
Some local and regional voices:Summit Cove resident Stan White has lived in Summit County since 1982. He has two children.“I think Colorado can be a better place to live by not lying to children ... As a parent, I just cannot lie to my children. I will lose their credibility,” says White. “If we lie to our children and tell them that cannabis is bad, and then they try it and find it not to be bad while we tell them not to use hard drugs, then they’re probably not going to believe us.“It’s really insane that the federal government places cannabis in the same category as heroin and LSD.”State Representative Gary Lindstrom supports the passage of Amendment 44.“I was a police officer for several years, and I’ve always felt that (Colorado and national) marijuana laws are Draconian at best. They virtually have no purpose whatsoever,” said Lindstrom. “I just think that the time has come.”
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on November 03, 2006 at 18:09:48 PT
Hope
Isn't that great! 
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on November 03, 2006 at 18:08:23 PT
Hey!
Our Stan White was interviewed for this article.Way to go Stan!I guess it's our Stan White, anyway.
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Comment #15 posted by afterburner on November 03, 2006 at 13:50:23 PT
A Vote against 44 ...
is a vote against children. Illegal drug dealers do not ask for ID. Polled children admit that illegal drugs are easy to get.is a vote for organized crime. By refusing to allow a legal supply, prohibitionists enrich the criminals and reduce public safety. Alcohol and tobacco merchants do not engage in shoot-outs over turf.
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Comment #14 posted by whig on November 03, 2006 at 13:47:36 PT
Hypocrisy theater presents
http://cannablog.wordpress.com/2006/11/03/introducing-a-new-category-for-hypocrisy/
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Comment #13 posted by whig on November 03, 2006 at 13:06:26 PT
mayan #7
Thanks.http://tinyurl.com/y4fy5m
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Comment #12 posted by Sam Adams on November 03, 2006 at 07:30:08 PT
Another failed parent
"Beverly Kinard, the former director of Drug Watch Colorado and president of the Christian Drug Education Center, has been inspired to be a leading opponent to any efforts to legalize marijuana by the story of her son, who began smoking at the age of 12. Kinard, who also directs GOCAM (Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana), and her husband, David (a retired Denver Police detective) were approached by their son when he was 17 because he felt he needed help. He suffered a subsequent mental breakdown and was labeled disabled by his doctors."Great, another failed parent who wants to punish me for her poor job. Her family skills and effort, combined with her religion, produced a kid who was addicted before he could drive.  The government was already "helping" by punishing kids for her, and that didn't work either.So now she wants us all to pay for the government to attack us adults as well, who have no children and nothing to do with children. My question continues to be, if arresting people is the best way to "help" them not use cannabis, and her kid came to her asking for help, why didn't they immediately take him down to the police station, for beat-down and jailing? In fact, I believe she and her husband are likely in violation of conspiracy laws as well. If they knew her kid was breaking the law and didn't report it, isn't that a criminal offense as well? 
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Comment #11 posted by paul armentano on November 03, 2006 at 07:24:29 PT
LTE: Acknowledge the harmlessness of cannabis
http://www.collegian.com/media/paper864/sections/20061103Opinion.html?norewrite200611031018&sourcedomain=www.collegian.comHome > Opinion Acknowledge the harmlessness of cannabisIssue date: 11/3/06 Section: Opinion
     
Hats off to the Rocky Mountain Collegian for its endorsement of Amendment 44, the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative. Our nation tried alcohol prohibition from 1919 to 1931, but discovered that the unintended harms associated with this restrictive policy were more damaging than the behavior Americans sought to discourage. With tobacco, America has learned over the last decade that education - not criminal prohibition - is the most effective way to dissuade use and abuse. Yet, America's criminal laws and public policies fail to apply these same lessons to the responsible use of marijuana by adults.The criminal classification of cannabis is disproportionate in relation both to its relative harmlessness to the user, and to the harmfulness of other substances - particularly alcohol and tobacco. It's time to acknowledge this reality by voting yes on Amendment 44.Paul Armentanosenior policy analystNORML FoundationWashington, DC.
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on November 03, 2006 at 06:12:10 PT
Thank you, Mayan
You're my newsman. I appreciate my Mayan Report. No exit polls seems kind of fishy.
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Comment #9 posted by Wayne on November 03, 2006 at 05:20:03 PT
re: mayan #7
I saw that story on the news last night. I wonder, "What about the CHILDREN???" I wonder if any of those officers teach DARE classes? The parents in that county should be screaming bloody murder. What do Beverly Kinard and John Suthers have to say about THAT?What really got me after reading that article you linked was that Sheriff Cassell, after being charged with reselling drugs to the public for 8 YEARS, was RELEASED on $25,000 BAIL!! That seems like an awfully low number. I say hold them to the same standards that they hold US to. Deny them bail.They're not holding the policemen to the same standards that they hold us to. "What message does that send to our children??" It confirms what I've believed all along...just become a police officer, you can use and sell all the illicit drugs you want!! Pigs.
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Comment #8 posted by mayan on November 03, 2006 at 03:55:50 PT
No Exit Polls
The Exit Pollsters: An Election Night Quarantine:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1553682,00.htmlNews Networks Install "Quarantine Room" For Election Night: No One Gets Out With Exit Poll Info... 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/01/news-networks-install-qu_n_33075.htmlThe Diebold machines might show vastly different numbers than the exit polls. Wouldn't want the natives to grow restless!Other links to help you keep up on mid-term madness...The Brad Blog:
http://www.bradblog.com/The Free Press - Speaking Truth To Power:
http://www.freepress.org/index2.phpTPM Poll Tracker:
http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/polltracker
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on November 03, 2006 at 03:22:02 PT
CrOoKeD cOpS
Sheriff, employees charged in drug case:
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/nation/ci_4596099Regarding the above linked article, I imagine that scenario is pretty much par for the course. Cops everywhere are crooked yet we see the hypocrites posturing and begging us not to vote for legal medical,recreational and industrial cannabis. How sickening. Everyone knows that cops get the best weed! 
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on November 03, 2006 at 01:13:10 PT
A Major Issue
“I wouldn’t say it’s a major issue, but it is an issue. It opens up a door.”Oh, but this IS a major issue! Why else would the federal drug czar,the Colorado governor,the Colorado attorney general,etc. be constantly campaigning against 44? Why else would their desperate lies be spewing from their mouths louder than ever before? Regardless of whether 44 wins or loses, the prohibitionists now realize that they have become an endangered breed. At the same time they witness our numbers grow every single day! The writing is on the wall and prohibition is on the run!SAFER Colorado Blog:
http://safercolorado.org/blog.html THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...TerrorStorm Continues Amazon Chart Blitz:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/november2006/011106terrorstorm.htmReview of TerrorStorm: A History of Government Sponsored Terrorism: 
http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=8989Gore Vidal Calls for New 9/11 Investigation 'Before We Find Our Leaders Dragged off to The Hague in Chains':
http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/021106_vidal.htmlDoubletree video release to 'shock & awe' before election? 
http://killtown.blogspot.com/2006/11/doubletree-video-release-to-shock-awe.htmlNYC Direct Action - Emergency Public Education:
http://www.truthmove.org/action/nyaction.html911 call on 9/11 response:
http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2006/10/31/911CallOn911Response
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Comment #5 posted by lombar on November 02, 2006 at 21:44:49 PT
Hold the phone...
“I am particularly troubled by the message of the proponents that marijuana is a safe alternative to alcohol,” said Suthers. “I think it is both a incorrect and irresponsible message. I am particularly concerned about the message it sends to kids.”So, is he saying that alcohol is safer?“I wouldn’t say it’s a major issue, but it is an issue. It opens up a door.”A cell door.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 02, 2006 at 21:27:45 PT
whig
I don't know this for sure but when they changed Ohio's law and decriminalized marijuana back in the 70s I think it is in the State Constitution. I never see any arrests in our weekly paper's police log.
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Comment #3 posted by whig on November 02, 2006 at 21:04:00 PT
Do we need a constitutional amendment?
I am throwing this open for discussion because it seems like it would take some time to come up with appropriate language and better to start if we want to consider this.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 02, 2006 at 20:50:09 PT
The GCW
I looked at the article and Marty Neilson doesn't sound good to me either. Good luck in Colorado this election day.
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on November 02, 2006 at 20:41:40 PT
Marty Neilson is "bothersome" to cannabists
For Colorado voters who live in this district...The race for state senator for District 16,including Boulder and Summit County... etc. Has Marty Neilson running against Democrat Joan Fitz-Gerald 
The Boulder Weekly has the following printed this week:Unfortunately, on other matters her (Marty Neilson) views are not as good. She opposes Amendment 44, which means that she opposes the right of adults to control their own bodies with respect to marijuana use. Obviously, giving the state so much power over our lives is inconsistent with Neilson's pledge to "protect our liberty." Isn't free-market economist Milton Friedman a hero to those who want to limit taxation? Friedman signed a letter calling for "a regime in which marijuana is legal but taxed and regulated like other goods." According to Forbes, Friedman said, "It's absolutely disgraceful to think of picking up a 22-year-old for smoking pot. More disgraceful is the denial of marijuana for medical purposes." More disgraceful is the fact that so many Republicans endorse such rights-violating policies. Thankfully, Colorado already has a medical-marijuana program, and Amendment 44 would remove state-level legal penalties for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and older. (Note: Marty Neilson is bad news / "bothersome")http://www.boulderweekly.com/libertybeat.html
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