GROUP WANTS POT IN AIRPORT LOUNGES

Marijuana proponents want to know why federal officials continue to
allow people to use alcohol on airplanes, but won't allow pot smoking
in the lounges at Denver International Airport.

"Does it make sense to allow adults to use a drug that causes problems
on airplanes and not allow them to use one that does not cause
problems on airplanes?" asked Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer
Alternatives For Enjoyable Recreation.

SAFER held a press conference on Tuesday outside the offices of the
Federal Aviation Administration in Denver to propose a solution to the
rash of in-flight disturbances on airplanes over the last year.

Last week, a New York woman, Christina Szele, was arrested after she
started smoking in her JetBlue airline seat and punched a flight
attendant who stepped in to stop her. Her plane, enroute to San
Francisco from New York, was diverted to Denver because of the situation.

And in the last few months, DIA has been a hot spot for arrests of
drunken, unruly airplane passengers.

Tvert argues that marijuana alleviates anxiety for people who are
afraid to fly and that passengers could use pot in the smoking lounges
at the airport as a safer alternative to alcohol.

DIA spokesman Chuck Cannon said he does not foresee marijuana smoking
in the airport.

"Marijuana is illegal isn't it?," he said. "All the bars and
restaurants are concessions and they sell what they sell. I do not
know that we are going to tell them what they can sell. Alcohol is
legal and tobacco is legal and marijuana is not."

Tvert said he doesn't have a problem with alcohol being sold in
airports, he just wants people to have another option, which he
believes is more sensible, available to them when they are flying.

"It just goes to show how brainwashed they are," Tvert said. "Alcohol
and pills are perfectly acceptable, but they have a problem with
marijuana being available in any way, shape or form. God forbid you
use a drug that is proven less harmful than both of them."