Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jan 2016
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2016 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Authors: Nat Stein and Griffin Swartzell

CITY ADOPTS PENALTIES FOR UNDERAGE POSSESSION OF PARAPHERNALIA, D-11 
RELEASES MARIJUANA OFFENSE STATS

Not for kids

If you're under 18, don't get caught with marijuana paraphernalia in 
Colorado Springs. You could face harsher punishment here than 
anywhere else in the state.

On Tuesday, City Council adopted an ordinance that imposes a maximum 
fine of $500 on minors found in possession of paraphernalia, broadly 
defined to include "equipment, products or materials of any kind 
which are used, intended for use or designed for use in propagating, 
manufacturing, compounding, converting, production, processing, 
preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, inhaling or 
otherwise introducing marijuana into the human body." The new local 
law reiterates a state law passed in 2014, but with added teeth at 
the recommendation of local law enforcement, prosecutors and the 
municipal court.

According to a statement from the city, this ordinance will give 
convicted minors more education and treatment options under a state 
grant program the Colorado Springs Probation Department joined this 
summer. Around 50 young people have already gone through the program, 
according to city communications specialist Kim Melchor, who can't 
yet provide recidivism data. "We're also working to connect youth 
with some sports or other organized activities such as writing 
workshops, nature walks, and training in some vocational areas," she 
tells the Independent.

Council President Jill Gaebler, who has two teenagers at Palmer High 
School, sees the ordinance as a way for the community to take control 
of its own fate. "I think everyone's concerned about short-term 
consequences of just legalizing marijuana," Gaebler told the 
Independent. "We did it very quickly as a state and now we're kind of 
playing catch-up trying to protect our kids." It's just better to 
adjudicate the issue at the lowest possible level, Gaebler thinks.

Bill Murray was one of two dissenters on City Council (the other 
being Helen Collins.) He worries the ordinance strays too far from 
its original intent, which was to deal with the prevalence of vape 
pens in schools. "You have to think of how these things play out," 
Murray said. "If you have a legal marijuana grow at home for whatever 
medical condition and your kids have access to paraphernalia, is that 
probable cause? One woman asked me, now are they going to arrest all 
of my kids?"

The ordinance does not apply to minors with medical marijuana cards. - NS

Student marijuana offenses stable in D-11

School District 11 has released data on marijuana-related offenses 
that occurred prior to the passage of Amendment 64. Legalization 
hasn't caused much change, or so it appears.

Devra Ashby, D-11's director of communications, has provided the Indy 
with the district's marijuana-offense statistics from fall semester 
2010 through fall 2015. The data suggests the number of marijuana 
offenses per semester has remained stable. Over those 11 semesters, 
D-11 saw a median of 111 marijuana offenses per semester, with the 
count spiking at 151 offenses in fall 2014. In fall 2015, the 
district had just 104 marijuana offenses. (This data doesn't account 
for changes in enforcement procedures or the number of campus 
resource officers.)

When we wrote about cannabis offenses in Fort Collins' Poudre School 
District (CannaBiz, Dec. 30, 2015), we noted state law now requires 
school districts to track and report all marijuana offenses. D-11, 
however, tracked its students' marijuana offenses before that law 
went into effect last July. As a result, the district is able to 
provide some insights into how legalization is impacting marijuana 
use among its students. - GS
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom