Pubdate: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 Source: Daily Camera (Boulder, CO) Copyright: 2006 The Daily Camera. Contact: http://www.dailycamera.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/103 Cited: Amendment 44 http://www.safercolorado.org Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Amendment+44 NO ON 44 Legalizing Marijuana Doesn't Make Sense Just say no to Amendment 44, which would legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 or older. In the first place, the language of the amendment, sponsored by Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, contains a major loophole. It leaves open the possibility that an adult giving marijuana to a child or young adult between 15 and 20 "appears to be legal," according to Mason Tvert, SAFER's campaign director, speaking for those who favor the amendment. He says another law, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, "covers" the loophole. But isn't it necessary to be precise when amending the state law? We think so. And so does Rob McGuire, a Superior attorney coordinating several organizations opposing the proposal. "They call it an unintended consequence," he says. "We considered it bad drafting." Tvert says that opponents, whom he called "extremists, no matter how you look at it," are "going out of their way to make this about children, when it's not about children." He argues that marijuana use is safer than alcohol use, which is legal, and that consequently pot should be legal, too: "We're not saying it's harmless; it's less harmful than alcohol." For example, he says, referencing recent issues with alcohol abuse at the University of Colorado, "Why is that they can't stay home and smoke a joint before the football game? Instead what they do is drink as much before the game as they can." It would be better, he suggests, to allow adults to choose between alcohol and marijuana. Tom Gorman, a former cop who is now director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, differs emphatically. "Do you know how much an ounce of marijuana is?" he asks. "Most people think it's a joint or two =AD but it makes 30 joints to as many as 80 or even 120." And, he notes that a heavy user is defined by drug enforcement as someone who smokes a joint a day. As Gorman and others note, the police do not target people for simple possession, those whose only crime is having a small amount of pot Gorman says if pot is legalized, its use will go up. Already, 14 million people in the United States are classified as regular users, having smoked a joint in the last month. He agrees that alcohol can be an even bigger problem, that more people are addicted to alcohol than to all drugs combined. "Let's join forces and fight for sobriety," he urges. Sobriety is the only safe alternative to being under the influence of alcohol, HIDTA maintains, saying, "Instead of trying to legalize another dangerous drug, we should be encouraging sobriety. " And Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana, another organization opposing Amendment 44, cites physiological and psychological dangers of marijuana use, saying, "Children and teenagers don't need to hear the message that marijuana is safe when it is abundantly clear that marijuana's effects are harmful." We urge a vote against the poorly drafted and misguided Amendment 44. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath