Pubdate: Mon, 15 Dec 2014
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Valerie Richardson
Page: A7

GUN GROUP PUSHES FOR CONCEALED-CARRY PERMITS FOR POT USERS

DENVER - A Colorado gun-rights group Friday launched an initiative 
campaign to allow legal marijuana users to obtain concealed handgun permits.

Edgar Antillon, co-founder of Guns for Everyone in Westminster, known 
for providing free concealed-carry classes, said he had filed a 
proposed ballot measure that would bring Colorado's gun laws in line 
with its legal recreational and medical marijuana laws.

"Basically, we just want to sync up Colorado's marijuana laws with 
our concealed-carry permit laws," Mr. Antillon said.

His group, the Colorado Campaign for Equal Gun Rights, needs 86,105 
signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot. While he said he 
would prefer to see the measure land on the ballot as soon as 
November 2015, it might be more realistic to wait for the November 2016 ballot.

"In 2015, not as many people show up," Mr. Antillon said. "We might 
have a better chance in 2016."

The County Sheriffs of Colorado concealed handgun permit application 
now asks if an applicants is "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, 
marijuana, or any depressant, stimulant, or narcotic drug, or any 
other controlled substance?"

Since voters legalized medical marijuana in 2000 and recreational 
marijuana for adults in 2012, it's unclear whether someone who 
legally uses marijuana as defined by state law would be an "unlawful 
user" of marijuana.

"The entire state of Colorado is in violation of federal law," 
campaign cofounder Isaac Chase said in a statement. "Marijuana is 
legal in Colorado, and the people voted to regulate it like alcohol. 
Consumers of alcohol are allowed to conceal, so should marijuana users."

It's still early, but Mr. Antillon said he envisions a grass-roots 
campaign without heavy involvement from national firearms or 
marijuana groups. Then again, he said he may not have a choice, given 
that firearms and drug legalization groups tend to draw from 
different ends of the political spectrum.

"Those who are pro-gun are a lot of times against marijuana, and 
those who are pro-marijuana are against guns," Mr. Antillon said. 
"For us, it's a freedom issue."
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