cannabisnews.com: Will The DNC Go To Pot?





Will The DNC Go To Pot?
Posted by CN Staff on August 19, 2008 at 06:54:14 PT
By Peter Marcus, DDN Staff Writer
Source: Denver Daily News
Colorado -- Pot smokers may be free to light up in the streets of Denver next week if a voter-required panel endorses a moratorium on marijuana citations during the Democratic National Convention.Protesters heading into the convention have wanted to recreate the vibe of 1960s America. Well, Denver could resemble San Francisco during the Summer of Love if the Marijuana Policy Review Panel today recommends a moratorium on pot citations for adults during the convention.
Denver voters in 2005 approved the adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, an initiative spearheaded by Denver-based Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation. But the Denver Police Department continued to arrest people under state law. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said police intend to enforce state law during the Democratic National Convention as well.“We’ve always enforced the state statute,” he said. “That was the law before the initiative and it’s nothing new. I don’t know why we’d relax any law.”  Reflecting Will of Voters?  Pot proponent Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, said the moratorium is necessary to reflect the will of Denver voters. He also said the issue is about safety, arguing that marijuana is a less harmful drug than alcohol.“The DNC will be safer if the city gives convention-goers, demonstrators and Denver citizens the option of using marijuana instead of alcohol,” he said. “After all, it’s alcohol — not marijuana — that fuels riots, violence and property damage.”The Marijuana Policy Review Panel was assembled last year after voters approved a second initiative by SAFER to make marijuana enforcement the police department’s lowest priority. The initiative required Mayor John Hickenlooper to appoint the policy review panel, which consists of city officials, attorneys and community leaders. Tvert is expected today to ask the panel to adopt his proposal for a moratorium.The police department could choose to ignore the recommendation.Tvert also is expected today to release statistics that indicate despite the two voter-approved pot initiatives, marijuana citations are sill on the rise. There were 1,600 marijuana citations issued in Denver in 2007. The city is currently on-track to reach at least 1,800 marijuana citations this year, said Tvert, who added that there were 927 citations issued through June. In that same period, there were only 64 cases of drunk and disorderly conduct, said Tvert.“Cops only cited people for being drunk and disorderly 64 times, yet they cited 927 (adults) for simply possessing a little pot,” he said. “Just goes to show where their priorities are.”   Not a Priority? City Councilman Doug Linkhart, who sits on the marijuana enforcement panel, said he does not believe marijuana enforcement will be a priority during the convention.“The ordinance says lowest priority, it doesn’t say stop prosecuting,” he said. “I’m not concerned police will get carried away.”Tvert, however, said all police officials have to do is promise not to enforce marijuana laws, and then citizens are guaranteed no problem.“It’s time we allow adults to make the safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol, if that’s what they prefer,” he said.The AP contributed to this story.Note: Pro-marijuana group wants moratorium on busts at DNC.Source: Denver Daily News (CO)Author: Peter Marcus, DDN Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Copyright: 2008 Denver Daily NewsContact: editor thedenverdailynews.comWebsite: http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/Safer Choicehttp://www.saferchoice.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on August 21, 2008 at 19:11:58 PT
sue the police officers personally 
sue the police officers personally -also.-0-Every chance.
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Comment #9 posted by OverwhelmSam on August 21, 2008 at 04:25:32 PT
GCW
Abuse of authority is a far worse offense to Society than private cannabis consumption could ever be. You've got to love those costly law suits, the insurance companies that insure cities and counties will surely begin to require riders about how marijuana law enforcement is not covered. Then the real fun starts. Keep suing guys, and you can also sue the police officers personally for violating any civil right. I'm betting that once individual police officers start losing their homes, wives and children, that they will begin to understand what they are doing is evil. 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on August 20, 2008 at 17:00:51 PT
Colorado Medical Marijuana News
Fort Collins Couple To Sue City Over $200,000 Worth of Dead Marijuana PlantsAugust 20, 2008http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080820/UPDATES01/80820014
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on August 20, 2008 at 12:24:39 PT
OT: Ohio Congresswoman ‘Critical’
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/ohio-congresswoman-critical/
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 20, 2008 at 10:53:36 PT
rchandar 
I know what you are saying. I hope the voting public sees as clearly as some of us do.
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Comment #5 posted by rchandar on August 20, 2008 at 10:49:50 PT:
Elections--Worldwide--The Scam Exposed
Hello--It's good that we have this post. I wanted to share an observation with all of you, and forgive me if you happen to fall on the "other side."Conservative/Republican election strategy has involved a bit of trickery that we should be aware of. Kind of like in CCR's song, "Fortunate Son." Whenever an election draws close, by some magic formula the economy becomes better, allowing the voter to become more confident in the Republican, Conservative, right-wing party that holds the administrative office. The people vote, for the conservative, and the economy stays solid for about five, six months. Then it starts to go downhill.Translation: roughly five to six months of prosperity, hope, maybe small successes in foreign policy. Then, three to six years of high unemployment, strife, war abroad, endless escalation.This is NOT merely the Republican formula, engineered by Karl Rove. It has been used with success in the European countries--UK, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands. What it means is that the Republicans have been doing this for the past eight years, and they are trying to do it again. Got issues with Bush? Well, the gas prices went down from $4.17 to a very liveable $3.63. The invasion of Georgia means that we have to "get tough," and Obama can't do this because he's a liberal. Bush's approval rating goes up--to a praiseworthy 33%. So that means that everything's aok. Now this is the SECOND time, that they are doing it. So it's worthwhile to notice how the duping is a veil, a stop-gap way of keeping them in power so they can screw up for a long period of time.--rchandar
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on August 20, 2008 at 02:20:21 PT
More - From the heart and soul of DENVER
US CO: Marijuana Advocates Tackle Cindy McCain's Link to Beer MarketPubdate: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 Source: Denver Post (CO) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n762/a03.html?1051-0--"SAFER Colorado director Mason Tvert said it would be hypocritical if a first lady owned a beer company while people were being jailed for smoking marijuana."-0-Cindy McCain IS A DRUG DEALER. "...this is not about party politics - it's about partying politics," (DNC talk)
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on August 20, 2008 at 02:11:44 PT
treated "like an animal" 
US CO: $150,000 Settlement Likely for Man Denied MedicationPubdate: Sat, 16 Aug 2008Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n790/a04.html?1051-0-A person using !deadly! alcohol or pharmeseuticals is accepted.A person using the relatively SAFER God given plant cannabis (kaneh bosm) is, treated "like an animal" ... 
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Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on August 19, 2008 at 12:06:02 PT
Tvert, My Man
You gotta love Tvert's in your face approach to stop marijuana enforcement. "Tvert, however, said all police officials have to do is promise not to enforce marijuana laws, and then citizens are guaranteed no problem."That's it, make them promise, cross their heart and swear on a Bible. LOL
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 19, 2008 at 08:36:41 PT
MI: Medicinal Pot Advances and No One is Afraid
By Eartha Jane MelzerAugust 19, 2008Michigan’s proposed medical marijuana law, which would allow people with physician approval to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana and to grow up to 12 plants at a time, has broad support.URL: http://www.michiganmessenger.com/2565/medicinal-pot-advances-and-no-one-is-afraid
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