Pubdate: Thu, 24 Oct 2013
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Ryan Parker

FOREIGN OFFCIALS GET LESSON ON POT

Praising Colorado's approach, members of an international delegation 
shared their concerns and hopes as they move toward legalization of marijuana.

After a tour of the RiverRock dispensary Wednesday in Denver, 
government officials and legislators from Uruguay, Mexico and Canada 
said Colorado is proving that pot can be legally regulated, leading 
to significant opportunities and changes for their countries.

"This gives us a big lesson," said Rene Fujiwara, a congressman in 
Mexico. "There are facilities like this in my country, but people 
there are armed, doing it illegally and provoking a lot of social damage."

The tour was led by River Rock co-owner Norton Arbelaez, who told the 
delegation that the business side of legal marijuana was not a simple 
undertaking.

"This is not a get-rich-quick scheme," Arbelaez said. "This is social 
entrepreneurship that hopefully, if everything is done right, yes, 
there will be some reward. But we're about the long term here, not 
the short term."

Julio Bango, a congressman in Uruguay, said the legalization and 
regulation of marijuana would not have an "excessive" impact on that 
county's economy but would be a tremendous asset for public policy.

"This will be another tool against drug trafficking. ... It's going 
to allow us to separate the marijuana market from the other hard drug 
markets," Bango said. "We're encouraging health and safety."

Uruguayan lawmakers are debating legislation that would make the 
country the first to license and enforce laws pertaining to the 
production, distribution and sale of pot, which officials have 
reported might be sold for a dollar per gram.

Libby Davies, a member of the Canadian Parliament, said Colorado has 
become an integral part of the legalization debate for her country.

"What I've learned (here), most of all, is to understand that there 
is a credible, regulatory system that can be put in place," Davies said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom