Pubdate: Wed, 14 Aug 2013
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2013 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford

PALMER LAKE BANS POT, ADVOCATES SING BACK AT CITY AND MORE

Another town readjusts

Late last week, the town of Palmer Lake joined almost every other 
municipality in El Paso County and banned the retail sales of 
recreational marijuana, by a vote of 4 to 1. "Council member Michael 
Maddox said he enjoyed his pot-smoking days in the 1960s," reported 
the Gazette. "He even wrote a book, Peace Freak, but he said pot has 
changed. It's more potent and he didn't want the heartache such hard 
drugs would bring to the small town, population 2,200."

The action leaves the anticipated reality of Manitou Springs being 
the only spot to purchase playful pot in place. The city was set to 
hold its first working meeting on the topic Tuesday night, as the 
Indy went to press.

Acts of social significance

People in the '40s had Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," the 
'60s, Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'," and the '80s, 
Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." Now KC Stark, owner of 
Studio A64, has something for the currently dissatisfied: "Just Say Yes!"

Skipping the verse-chorus-verse structure, the song combines upbeat 
guitar strums with conversational lyrics, while the video shows 
images of protesters outside Colorado Springs City Hall the day of 
the July 23 vote.

"I was in school, they told me, 'We're special / It's one man, one 
vote. One man, one vote,' that's what they said," sings Stark. "But 
the City Council said something else. They said, 'No. Just say no.' / 
How's that worked out for you? / Well, I got a lot of people that, 
uh, they been places they shouldn't be. So I say, just say yes." See 
the video at tiny.cc/64protestsong1.

Meanwhile, marijuana advocate Mark Slaugh and supporters created a 
first-person video called "Every Vote Counts!" showing different 
people talking about Colorado Springs City Council's decision to opt 
out of recreational-marijuana sales. "There are things we can do 
about this," says the video. "We can hold our own election on this 
matter. Or we could even recall our elected officials. It's time to 
get the politicians behind the people they represent." Watch it at 
tiny.cc/64protestvideo.

Keef crumbs

A recent report from the Colorado Department of Revenue showed that 
statewide sales of medical marijuana hit $77 million in the third 
quarter of fiscal year 2012-13 (January-March), and $224.9 million 
since the state's fiscal year began last July. The state collected 
$2.13 million and $6.23 million, respectively, in sales-tax revenue. 
In El Paso County, quarterly sales hit $12.5 million, with a 
year-to-date of $36.1 million.

On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed a plan to avoid 
mandatory-sentencing guidelines for low-level, nonviolent drug 
offenders in an attempt to reduce the population of federal prisons. 
Read more at tiny.cc/holderMJ.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom