Sheriff, House Candidate Speak Out On Legalization

Steamboat Springs -- Routt County Sheriff John Warner said the vast majority of people in the Routt County Jail are in custody for the same reason.

"What we see generally in the jail, I venture to say, is that at least 90 percent of the people brought to us are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Or the reason they're brought here is because of an alcohol or drug dependency," Warner said. "If somebody could figure out how to stop that substance abuse, our jails would be far less populated. And certainly, legalizing marijuana would not be a step in the right direction."

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Concern About Custer County School's Recently Adopted Code Of Conduct Has Surfaced.

At the start of the Sept. 12 school board meeting, C-1 parent Jeff Reeves shared his unease regarding the school's code of conduct policy for students participating in extracurricular activities.

According to Reeves, the policy leaves the school district open to liability troubles.

"The code went too far," said Reeves. He said the code of conduct addresses how students must behave regardless of whether or not they are at a school-sponsored activity.

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Nobody ever said politics isn't rough and tumble. Nobody ever said politics isn't dirty. But when our state leaders deliberately mislead us in a publication that we count on for information, we should hold someone accountable. Think of it. We taxpayers pay to publish a voter pamphlet. We pay to send it to every registered voter. And our leaders have used it to intentionally sway our votes on one issue.

Of course I'm talking about the Colorado Legislative Council's Blue Book and specifically the description of a marijuana initiative that would make possession of small quantities legal. Under the marijuana initiative appears a phrase that states adults can give "up to one ounce of marijuana to another individual 15 years of age or older as long as there is no compensation."

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Nobody ever said politics isn't rough and tumble. Nobody ever said politics isn't dirty. But when our state leaders deliberately mislead us in a publication that we count on for information, we should hold someone accountable. Think of it. We taxpayers pay to publish a voter pamphlet. We pay to send it to every registered voter. And our leaders have used it to intentionally sway our votes on one issue.

Of course I'm talking about the Colorado Legislative Council's Blue Book and specifically the description of a marijuana initiative that would make possession of small quantities legal. Under the marijuana initiative appears a phrase that states adults can give "up to one ounce of marijuana to another individual 15 years of age or older as long as there is no compensation."

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To the Editor,

This is in response to Krista Hopkins' libelous comments in her letter to the editor of The Flume on September 15, 2006, regarding my judgment and my campaign.

Selling drugs to children is an example of the real crimes I will pursue. There is no "war on nicotine" or "war on beer," yet selling those to minors also falls under endangerment, contributing, etc. These are important laws. I will enforce all drug laws equally.

Furthermore, if a hypothetical 10-year-old is buying drugs, CPS should investigate why the parents are not supervising, protecting, disciplining; in other words, raising their child!

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Marijuana, like alcohol, is an intoxicant. With Amendment 44 on Colorado's ballot this November, talk has focused on whether issues related to the drug would worsen if the proposal passes.

According to the American Medical Association, marijuana can cause impairment of short-term memory, attention, motor skills, reaction time and organization of complex information. A 2001 report issued by the AMA concerning the pros and cons of medical marijuana (now legal in Colorado) found that 4 to 9 percent of marijuana users meet the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence.

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Opponents of a ballot measure that would legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults of legal drinking age launched a campaign yesterday morning to fight Amendment 44.

National anti-drug group, Save Our Society From Drugs, held a press conference at the Denver office of Signal Behavioral Health Network, an organization that provides access for drug and alcohol treatment. Physicians, community activists, and law enforcement and drug policy officials joined Lt. Governor Jane Norton to suggest that Amendment 44 will do evil to children, result in increased marijuana use, cause additional traffic accidents, and bring more people to hospital emergency rooms.

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As election time draws near, the debate concerning a marijuana amendment on the ballot is heating up.

Drug enforcement officials say Amendment 44, which would legalize adult possession of less than one ounce of pot, would increase demand - -- and hence, supply from violent, organized crime units. There are also health concerns, particularly such as those related to children.

"As a federal executive branch agency, we're not for or against legislation. My opinion is it's a mistake, but the DEA's opinion is this would be a very dangerous thing for Coloradans," said Jeffrey Sweetin, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's four-state Rocky Mountain Division.

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Opponents Would Force Critically Ill To Suffer

As a registered patient and the husband of a registered patient, I have seen and experienced the positive effects of medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana users are not stoners, potheads or losers. We are humans who are sick, dying and suffering from chronic illnesses that bring us to our knees. We use a natural substance to help with our conditions.

Whether you believe in the medicinal value of marijuana or not, would you deny a loved one the opportunity to try it to see if it can help them? I hope not.

Ask any law enforcement officer who he would rather have an encounter with - -- a marijuana user or a meth/crackhead. We are not violent, drug abusers or worthless. We are patients.

Roger C. Ronas

Colorado Springs

[end]

Backers of a statewide initiative to legalize adult marijuana possession got the support of a few Republican and Democratic activists at a gathering on the Capitol steps Tuesday afternoon.

Republican Jessica Corry, a law student at the University of Denver, stood with Democrat Barbara Harvey and said prohibition of marijuana hasn't worked and distracts law enforcement from pursuing more serious drugs like methamphetamines, cocaine and heroin.

"The system is broken," Corry said. "It's not working."

Corry, who said she doesn't smoke marijuana herself, also complained about it being another example of government inserting itself into people's personal lives. She stood with her 16-month-old daughter and fellow Republican activist Laura Evans, who was with her 3- year-old daughter.

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DENVER - The proponents of a ballot question calling for the legalization of small amounts of marijuana said Tuesday their opponents have been trying to mislead voters about the measure.

Mason Tvert, campaign manager for the proponent group called Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, said their chief opponent - Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana - has been trying to frighten voters into believing that a vote for Amendment 44 on this year's ballot is a vote to turn children into drug addicts.

Tvert said that the reverse is more true, that prohibiting the use of marijuana only turns people to the shadows of the black market that can expose them to more dangerous drugs.

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I encourage all Colorado voters to return their voter guides - or Blue Books - as they receive them. The Legislative Council and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff are misleading voters - oops, I mean lying to the voters - about Amendment 44 ("Ambushing the pot initiative/Blue book language will mislead voters," Rocky Mountain News, Sept. 15).

When voters receive the guides, they should write on them or include a note about the intentionally misleading language in the arguments against Amendment 44 and send them back to The Legislative Council, Room 029, State Capitol Building, Denver, CO, 80203. Request that the council and Romanoff fix the language or call for a recall of the misleading voters guide.

Kenny Griffin

Leadville

[end]

Let's stop scare tactics and recognize drug's benefits

Pete Holzmann, whose Sept. 13 letter attacked medical marijuana, should follow his own advice on seeking factual information ("Marijuana not as beneficial as writer wants us to believe"). I did a Google search and found that marijuana does not appear as harmful as he would have us believe. A more comprehensive assessment of marijuana's medical efficacy can be found at http://www.mpp.org/library.

The pharmaceutical industry has a vested financial interest in demonizing medical marijuana, because it would lose billions if the product were legalized for medical use. Sales of countless overpriced prescription medications would plummet if cannabis was available to patients who could benefit from its use.

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In a recent letter, Pete Holzmann claimed that "Marijuana is considered as carcinogenic as unfiltered tobacco when smoked." According to an article published earlier this year in The Washington Post, "The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer."

According to Dr. Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years, "The new findings were against our expectations." Tashkin goes on to say, "We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use. What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

Lest you think Tashkin to be a quack or pro-marijuana shill, according to the Post, "Federal health and drug enforcement officials have widely used Tashkin's previous work on marijuana to make the case that the drug is dangerous."

Leroy Casterline

Casper, Wyo.

[end]

Amendment Backers Say Alcohol Is Worse

DENVER - The group opposing Amendment 44, which seeks to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, said Wednesday that a series of lectures will serve as the primary weapon in the campaign.

The lectures by various experts on drugs and addiction will focus on the dangers of marijuana and the effects on the state of legalizing cannabis, said Calvina Fay, executive director of Save Our Society from Drugs.

"Marijuana is much more powerful and much more addictive than it was a generation ago," Fay said. "The change proposed in Amendment 44 has terrible consequences for our state, particularly for our children."

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(Re: "DEA hits the fundraising trail," news briefs, Aug. 31.) In the past five years, the DEA has spent billions of dollars in Afghanistan. Yet, this has predictably resulted in more opium blooming there than ever before, punctuated by this year's record harvest of 62,000 metric tons.

Now, this is the same clownish DEA that's nervily interfering in Colorado's own electoral debate over Amendment 44, which would "legalize" small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

Surely, the feckless drug agency can't be taken seriously when its own website concedes that, despite nearly 70 years of harsh prohibition, cannabis is still quite "readily available" throughout every jurisdiction in the nation and that fully half our nation's high school graduates happily admit that they've inhaled.

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Voter approval of a statewide ballot measure that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana would put further strains on federal law enforcement officials, opponents of the proposal said Wednesday.

Drug runners will begin trafficking large amounts of marijuana to sell if Colorado voters approve the amendment, drug enforcement agency special agent Jeffrey Sweetin said.

Large amounts, he added, become a serious federal problem.

"It will clearly impact what we do," he said.

"Right now, a smaller amount of focus is on pot, but if this passes, we will be able to focus less and less on other drugs, and pot will become a major focus."

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My thanks to the News for highlighting the false information regarding Amendment 44 in this year's voter guide ("Ambushing the pot initiative/Blue book language will mislead voters," Sept. 15).

I was counting on the Blue Book to get the straight facts on this year's ballot issues before heading to the polls. But apparently facts are of little or no importance to the Legislative Council and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who oversaw the drafting of the booklet and apparently went out of their way to mislead voters on the initiative pertaining to marijuana.

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Colorado -- A group of parents gathered outside the State Capitol yesterday to announce their support for a ballot initiative to legalize the statewide possession of up to one ounce of marijuana in Colorado. Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana Prohibition believes that marijuana prohibition is harming children. "We need to rethink marijuana prohibition and what it says about the priorities of Colorado and this nation," said Jessica Peck Corry, co-founder of the organization.

"The science shows that marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol and for our children's sake it is time we treat it that way."

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Debating the Merits of Question 7 at CSNU's 'Smoke the Vote' Event

Giggles, sighs, applause and statistics echoed through the student union theater Tuesday night during a public debate over the legalization of marijuana.

The CSUN-sponsored event showcased advocates for and against Question 7 on this year's ballot.

If passed, Question 7 would allow adults over the age of 21 to legally possess and use up to one ounce of marijuana.

"Our marijuana laws don't work," said Neal Levine, campaign director for the Committee to Control and Regulate Marijuana. "Anyone who wants it can get it ... you lose all ability to control it."

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Having a friend or family member addicted to methamphetamine can often lead to feelings of frustration and loneliness. Now, they have a place to turn for support.

The Mesa County Meth Task Force along with two local therapists will run the "Share and Care" support group. The group offers a place for family and friends of meth users to come together and offer support for one another.

"They feel like they can't control the user, and they're scared and don't know what to do," said Angie Palmer, coordinator for the Meth Task Force of Mesa County. "Everyone focuses on the user and getting them help. This is a forgotten group - the family and the friends."

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Blue Book Language Will Mislead Voters

How would you react to a ballot measure allowing an adult to give "up to one ounce of marijuana to another individual 15 years of age or older as long as there is no compensation, although possession for those under 21 years of age would remain illegal"? You'd consider the measure for two seconds or less, declare it insane, and decide on the spot to vote against it. Right?

Legalize the act of plying kids with drugs?

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Amendment 44 Proponent Disputes Bluebook Analysis

DENVER -- Amendment 44 would make it legal to give up to 1 ounce of marijuana to anyone ages 15 through 20, as long as no money changes hands or other compensation is involved, according to a ballot-information booklet the Legislature has prepared for Colorado voters.

"This was not our intention," Amendment 44 proponent Mason Tvert insisted to members of the Legislative Council last week.

It's also untrue, Tvert said Monday, because anyone giving marijuana to anyone under age 18 could still be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

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Why is it that, come November, most people will either vote to violate rights of contract and uphold rights over one's body, or vice versa? The Nov. 7 ballot will feature three important measures. Referendum I would create domestic partnerships. It makes sense to assure legal standing for gay couples. Amendment 42 would raise the minimum wage and adjust it annually for inflation, and Amendment 44 would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for adults age 21 or over.

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The Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. government are the last places to get "facts" about marijuana ("DEA should keep out of state politics," Aug. 30). They are experts on prohibition, not cannabis. The rationale behind cannabis prohibition is and always has been based on lies; everything the DEA says about cannabis is suspect and should be researched by voters.

The DEA should step aside while Colorado leads the nation back on track to obey Christ God our Father in relegalizing cannabis, bringing peace on Earth and utilizing one of the great creations God has to offer.

Stan White

Dillon

[end]

Robert Melamede says science has shown marijuana "is safe and effective" ("Users of medical marijuana shouldn't be persecuted," Letters, Sept. 6). His letter dangerously overstates the case. His list of prevented diseases goes far beyond any scientific evidence. And while certain pain reduction and other beneficial effects have been found, there are also serious adverse psychoactive and cardiovascular effects that must not be ignored.

Dispensed as a medicine, marijuana would likely carry warnings ranging from dizziness and drowsinessto hypotension, depression, anxiety, blurred vision, impact on the unborn and more. Marijuana is considered as carcinogenic as unfiltered tobacco when smoked.

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Proponents Want Wording Changed In Voter Guide

DENVER - Amendment 44 would make it legal to give up to one ounce of marijuana to anyone ages 15 through 20, as long as no money changes hands, according to a ballot-information booklet the Legislature has prepared for Colorado voters.

"This was not our intention," Amendment 44 proponent Mason Tvert told the Legislative Council last week.

It's also untrue, Tvert said Monday, because anyone giving marijuana to anyone younger than 18 could still be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

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I am writing in response to Cindy Rodriguez's Aug. 27 column ("Legalizing pot would hurt kids, and here's why") and letters to the editor from Robert K. Hoshide and Matthew Hayes (Sept. 3 Open Forum).

Twelve days ago, I spent the afternoon in Swedish Medical Center with a longtime friend of mine who suffers from epilepsy. How surprised we both were when the doctor, after a short interview, mentioned that marijuana use would raise his threshold of tolerance to seizures, which in turn might allow him to take a lower dose of anti-seizure meds that are known to damage the liver over time.

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Users of Medical Marijuana Shouldn't Be Persecuted

The Drug Enforcement Agency will lose its absurd war on marijuana, because its efforts are based on lies ("Let Colorado decide - DEA should butt out of state ballot debate," The Gazette, Aug. 30).

Marijuana is a unique medicine because it is the only plant that taps into a very special system naturally found in our body - the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system regulates all other body systems (immune, cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, etc.), and does it in a way that helps protect us from age-related illnesses.

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(Re: "DEA hits the fund-raising trail," news briefs, Aug. 31.) "DEA facts" is an oxymoron. And the federal government is the last place to get facts about cannabis. They are experts on prohibition, not cannabis. The rationale behind cannabis prohibition is and always has been based on lies. Everything the DEA says about cannabis is suspect and should be researched by voters.

The fact is, re-legalizing cannabis is past due, and the DEA should step aside while Colorado leads the nation back on track to obey Christ God Our Father in re-legalizing cannabis, bringing peace on earth and utilizing one of the greatest miracles and creations God has to offer.

Stan White

Dillon



[end]

DEA facts is an oxymoron. The Drug Enforcement Agency ("DEA agent seeks help defeating marijuana proposal," Aug. 28) and the United States government is the last place to get "facts" about cannabis. They are experts on prohibition, not cannabis. The rationale behind cannabis prohibition is and always has been based on lies; everything the DEA says about cannabis is suspect and should be researched by voters.

Fact is, re-legalizing cannabis is past due and the DEA should step aside while Colorado leads the nation back on track to obey Christ God Our Father in re-legalizing cannabis, bringing peace on Earth and utilizing one of the great creations God has to offer.

Stan White

Dillon, Colo.

[end]

Kudos to The Gazette for condemning the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's decision to misappropriate taxpayers' funds and staff time to campaign against Amendment 44, The Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative ("DEA should butt out of state ballot debate," The Gazette, Aug. 30).

Whether one favors or disapproves of Amendment 44, Colorado voters deserve the opportunity to decide this issue free from federally sponsored interference.

Further, The Gazette is correct to question the DEA's "expert" credentials and to inquire whether the agency can be "an honest broker of information" regarding drug policy. According to the DEA's mission statement (www.dea.gov), the agency's primary function is to "enforce the controlled substances law."

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Editor:

In response to the Aug. 31 editorial, "Tax dollars wrong for DEA push," the Drug Enforcement Administration facts are an oxymoron.

The agency and the U.S. government are the last places to get "facts" about cannabis (kaneh bosm/marijuana). They are experts on prohibition, not cannabis. The rationale behind cannabis prohibition is and always has been based on lies; everything the DEA says about cannabis is suspect and should be researched by voters.

Fact is, re-legalizing cannabis is past due, and the DEA should step aside while Colorado leads the nation back on track to obey Christ God Our Father in re-legalizing cannabis, bringing peace on earth and utilizing one of the great creations God has to offer.

Dillon



[end]

Editor:

I am writing in regards to the Aug. 29 editorial, "DEA wrong tact for taxpayers."

Indeed, the Drug Enforcement Administration should be part of the debate. Their role in this Prohibition II is a shaky one at best and a criminal one at worst.

Whether burying studies showing positive medical attributes for cannabis (1974, Medical College of Virginia, NIH study found THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia) or stealing medicine from patients, the DEA has subverted our principles of liberty and democracy.

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Editor:

In response to the Aug. 29 editorial, "DEA wrong tact for taxpayers," the Drug Enforcement Administration facts are an oxymoron. The agency and the U.S. government are the last places to get "facts" about cannabis (kaneh bosm / marijuana). They are experts on prohibition, not cannabis. The rationale behind cannabis prohibition is and always has been based on lies; everything the DEA says about cannabis is suspect and should be researched by voters.

Fact is, re-legalizing cannabis is past due, and the DEA should step aside while Colorado leads the nation back on track to obey Christ God Our Father in re-legalizing cannabis, bringing peace on earth and utilizing one of the great creations God has to offer.

Stan White

Dillon

[end]

Kudos to the Aurora Sentinel in its Aug. 31 editorial, "Tax dollars wrong for DEA push," for rightly criticizing the Drug Enforcement Administration's decision to use taxpayers' funds and paid staff time to campaign against Amendment 44, The Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative.

Regardless of whether one favors or disapproves of Amendment 44, Colorado voters deserve the opportunity to decide this issue free from undue, federally sponsored interference.

Of course, it's not surprising that the DEA would oppose any potential liberalization to the current blanket prohibition of cannabis - a policy that results in the arrest of some 750,000 Americans on marijuana charges every year and costs taxpayers between $10 billion and $12 billion annually.

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Editor:

The Drug Enforcement Administration should be part of the debate. Their role in this Prohibition II is a shaky one at best and a criminal one at worst.

Whether burying studies showing positive medical attributes for cannabis (1974, Medical College of Virginia, NIH study found THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice - lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia) or stealing medicine from patients, the DEA has subverted our principles of liberty and democracy.

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El Paso County sheriff's deputies meet below the courthouse before 6 a.m. to get inmates who have to be taken to court. This Tuesday, 107 inmates from the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center are to appear at the courthouse.

The 4-mile ride takes only about 10 minutes, but security preparations can take hours.

Deputies J. Robinson, R. Kaman and Matt Tannehill grab handfuls of iron cuffs and shackles before driving the transport vans from the courthouse to the jail.

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Although Cindy Rodriguez admits that the moderate use of cannabis by adults is in many ways a safer alternative to alcohol, she nonetheless argues against Amendment 44 - the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative - because she believes that pot is inappropriate for children. In fact, there are many activities in our society that are permissible for adults but forbidden for children, such as riding motorcycles, skydiving, drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco. However, we do not condone arresting adults who responsibly engage in these activities in order to dissuade adolescents from doing so. Nor should we justify arresting adult cannabis smokers on the grounds of sending a message to children.

Paul Armentano, Senior Policy Analyst, NORML, Washington, D.C.

[end]

Re: "DEA education vs. lobbying," Aug. 30 editorial.

I would like to say two things to Jeff Sweetin, special agent in charge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's Denver office. First, thank you for your continuing efforts to clean up the state of Colorado. Despite the resistance you face from liberal mountain communities for your enforcement efforts, most citizens sleep better knowing your agents are up there too. Second, how can the general public make donations to help you keep marijuana illegal in Colorado?

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Cindy Rodriguez's column hit the nail right on the head. I would like to add that marijuana is also a key gateway drug for other addictive and dangerous illicit drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.

Robert K. Hoshide, Montrose

[end]

Cindy Rodriguez's arguments against Amendment 44 are persuasive, except for one key point. Relaxing anti-pot law does not mean greater use by kids. I first heard the "kids and pot" alarm in the hype leading up to California's 1996 enactment of Proposition 215 for medical marijuana. Prop 215 would send the wrong message, I heard, and I believed it at the time. But I was wrong. Kids' pot use has been on a downward trend since 1996, based on California's latest biennial student survey. Prop 215 was not the only influence in the past eight years, but if it was as bad as many thought, kids' pot use should have at least stayed flat.

John Chase, Palm Harbor, Fla.

[end]

Re: "Legalizing pot would hurt kids, and here's why," Aug. 27 Cindy Rodriguez column.

I strongly disagree with Cindy Rodriguez's stance against Amendment 44. Maybe it's because I'm a college graduate myself and I work in the tech industry that all of the adult pot smokers I've known have been of above-average intelligence with above-average salaries.

As a woman and a taxpayer, I prefer that law enforcement direct their resources toward reducing violent crimes against women and children, not waste my money chasing down otherwise non-violent, taxpaying and law-abiding adults who use marijuana.

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Feds Shouldn't Use Offices to Keep U.S. Off the Grass

It's no great shock that agents in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration oppose the Colorado initiative that would legalize the possession of small quantities of marijuana. But it is surprising that the DEA feels duly entitled to wade into a state political debate.

Amendment 44 on the statewide ballot would legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults over 21. At present, possessing this amount of marijuana is a Class 2 petty offense in Colorado, punishable by a fine of up to $100. About 3,700 people were convicted of this offense last year.

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BOULDER -- A Drug Enforcement Administration agent has asked political campaign professionals for help defeating a statewide ballot issue that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, a Boulder paper reported Sunday.

An agent named Michael Moore sought a campaign manager to defeat the measure, which would allow people 21 and older to have up to 1 ounce of marijuana.

The e-mail was sent from a U.S. Department of Justice account and asks those interested in helping to call Moore at his DEA office. Moore said there was $10,000 available to launch the campaign.

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What could you do with $1.4 billion? Would you be a hero and buy health care for a large segment of the country? Would you spend it on improving our nation's schools? Maybe you'd use it to build your own makeshift shantytown and throw a yearlong, beer-flowing, tie-dyed, bucket-of-drugs Phish concert extravaganza.

Well, the government did the opposite, dropping $1.4 billion on their anti-drug campaign since 1998. And according to a recent study by the Government Accountability Office-Congress' investigative arm-the funds might as well have been used elsewhere. Rather than convincing youths not to do drugs, the GAO found that the ad blitz may have persuaded them that using drugs is a normal thing to do, fueling the notion that marijuana usage among teens is higher than it really is. In other words, the government campaign is so inept it actually encourages drug use among teens.

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Given how badly the so-called war on drugs is going in this country and abroad, one would think that the frontline soldiers in that effort at the Drug Enforcement Agency would have better things to do with their time, manpower and money than to try to sabotage a marijuana-legalization measure on Colorado's ballot this fall. But hey, maybe it's the lack of progress on other fronts in the drug war - in Colombia, Afghanistan and Mexico, for instance - that has the drug warriors looking for easier victories closer to home.

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The Drug Enforcement Administration is looking for donations to help in its fight to keep marijuana illegal in Colorado. The DEA hopes to defeat a statewide ballot measure that would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of pot.

SAFER Colorado, the organization that sponsored the ballot measure, says the DEA, a federal agency, has no business using taxpayer money to involve itself in political campaigns. But DEA officials maintain that their actions are legal under federal law.

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Some people who work at the Denver division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration strongly oppose a Colorado ballot measure that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

And they're speaking out about it.

The question that has emerged this week is whether their efforts, which they see as educating the public, really cross the line and are prohibited lobbying.

It would seem not, according to rules written by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. But DEA officers would do well to be vigilant about keeping separate their government-paid drug enforcement mission and their personal political beliefs.

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Fate of Marijuana Measure a Local Decision

Federal agencies should stick to their knitting, as the saying goes. They have no business using their muscle to influence state ballot races.

Not only could the federal government's vast resources distort the tenor of debate within a state, it would also force out-of-state taxpayers to underwrite political campaigns that have no impact on them.

That message has fallen on deaf ears at the Denver office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is poised to assist in the campaign against Amendment 44. That measure, on Colorado's November ballot, would legalize possession by adults of as much as 1 ounce of marijuana.

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