Pubdate: Wed, 10 Oct 2012
Source: Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Gazette
Contact: http://www.gazette.com/sections/opinion/submitletter/
Website: http://www.gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/165
Authors: Daniel Chacon and Bob Stephens

COUNCIL, COMMISSIONERS OPPOSE MARIJUANA AMENDMENT

The Colorado Springs City Council and the El Paso County Commissioners
on Tuesday gave a thumbs down to Amendment 64, the statewide measure
that would regulate marijuana like alcohol.

But for council, it wasn't without controversy.

Calling Amendment 64 "a bastardization of the Colorado Constitution,
the council voted 5-1, with council President Pro Tem Jan Martin
opposed and City Councilman Tim Leigh refusing to vote on the matter.

"I wasn't afraid of medical marijuana dispensaries, and I'm not afraid
of this bill," Martin said.

Leigh wanted to abstain, but council rules prohibit abstentions. Leigh
excused himself, saying the council shouldn't be making pronouncement
or crafting resolutions for statewide politically-charged issues.

"The easy vote today would be to vote with the majority of my
co-councilors and support the resolution against Amendment 64," Leigh
said. "But that's the hypocritical and intellectually dishonest vote.
Frankly, being honest, we should admit the war against drugs is a
failed war (and) that we're spending billions every year attempting to
prevent adults from using substances that are arguably less harmful
than alcohol - the real gateway drug."

City Councilwoman Brandy Williams left early, leading some to
speculate that she didn't want to vote on a hot-button issue. But she
said later that she had to attend another meeting and that she
would've voted with the majority.

City Councilwoman Lisa Czelatdko was out of town.

Several speakers encouraged council to shoot down the resolution.
Others, including District Attorney Dan May, urged support.

"Amendment 64 is bad public policy. It's bad for Colorado, and it's
bad for our youth," he said.

"It allows anyone from the world to come here and buy it or to sell it
to anybody out in the world of unlimited amounts," he said. "There is
no one-ounce limit for retail sales to consumers."

El Paso County commissioners voiced unanimous opposition to Amendment
64.

"It'll be the genie out of the bottle," May told commissioners.

Commission chairwoman Amy Lathen, sponsor of the resolution, said
passage of the amendment on Nov. 6 would have a negative economic impact.

"Marijuana and other drugs help decimate part of the work force and it
would just get worse," Lathen said. "Besides, marijuana use is
federally illegal. It would affect the money that comes here from the
federal government for all sorts of things. It would be a big states
rights issue.

"Forget all that and look at what it would do to our young people.
Increase accessibility and acceptability, and you increase usage. Why
on earth are we doing this?"

Sheriff Terry Maketa said: "The thing that scares me most is Internet
sales. Underage kids could just check the box that they are 21 and
complete the transaction. I'm concerned about abuse by our youth,
which could lead to crime."

But others say alcohol is more dangerous.

More than 300 doctors across Colorado - including 27 in Colorado
Springs - endorsed Amendment 64 on Tuesday.

"In my 35-plus years as an emergency physician, I saw hundreds of
injuries, accidents, and deaths due to alcohol, but virtually none
associated with marijuana. It is time to embrace a more commonsense
policy, and stop criminalizing adults for using a substance less
harmful than alcohol," Dr. Larry Bedard, former president of the
American College of Emergency Physicians, said in a statement.
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