Pubdate: Wed, 12 Sep 2012
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2012 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford
Note: headline is website only

PRO-64 FORCES SUE OVER BLUE BOOK

THC Tete-A-Tete

A meeting to determine the final wording of the pros and cons of 
Amendment 64 took an unexpected turn last week when Legislative 
Council member Sen. Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, initiated a series of 
votes that ended up with some supportive language being removed from 
the state voters' blue book.

 From the deleted passages: "The use of marijuana by adults may be 
less harmful than the use of alcohol or tobacco, both of which are 
already legal for adults to use and are regulated by the state. 
Furthermore, marijuana may be beneficial for individuals with certain 
debilitating conditions. The consequences of burdening adults with a 
criminal record for the possession of small amounts of marijuana are 
too severe, and there are better uses for state resources than 
prosecuting such low-level crimes."

Sensing shenanigans, and citing confusion among committee members at 
the time of the vote, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol 
has filed suit in Denver district court "seeking a Preliminary 
Injunction asking the court to direct the Legislative Council Staff 
to reinsert the deleted arguments," says a release. "It also filed to 
obtain a Temporary Restraining Order over the weekend to prevent the 
Legislative Council Staff from sending the blue book to print with 
the improper modification."

At the same time, some members of the medical marijuana community - 
themselves divided about backing the amendment due to fears its 
passage would bring a bigger federal backlash against MMJ - have 
taken the opportunity to support the modifications. "We urge the 
Legislative Council to not adopt any language that would further 
mislead or confuse Colorado voters concerning Amendment 64," reads an 
e-mail from advocates Kathleen Chippi and Rico Colibri, with Cannabis 
Alliance for Regulation and Education, "and advise that if such 
changes are made through litigation or otherwise we will be forced to 
take legal action."

The Denver Post reports the lawsuit will have its day in court on 
Wednesday, Sept. 12. Get updates at regulatemarijuana.org/blue-book.

Keef crumbs

* According to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the use of marijuana by Colorado youth decreased 2.8 
percent between 2009 and 2011, reports the Huffington Post. 
Nationally, the rate rose by 2.3 percent.

"Teen marijuana usage has been going down in Colorado since the 
passage of our comprehensive medical marijuana regulatory model," 
said Mike Elliott, executive director of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group.

* Though Rep. Paul Ryan told KRDO-TV last week that "the states 
should decide" their own marijuana laws, a spokesman with the 
campaign immediately backtracked, saying that the vice presidential 
candidate "agrees with Mitt Romney" that marijuana should be illegal.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom