MARIJUANA ADVOCATES TACKLE CINDY MCCAIN'S LINK TO BEER MARKET

A Denver group that advocates for marijuana decriminalization
launched an Internet ad campaign Tuesday labeling Sen. John McCain's
wife, Cindy, a "drug dealer" because of her ownership stake in an
Anheuser-Busch distributorship.

SAFER Colorado director Mason Tvert said it would be hypocritical if
a first lady owned a beer company while people were being jailed for
smoking marijuana.

"It clearly lays out the case that Cindy McCain is not only the
dealer of a drug," Tvert said, "but the dealer of a drug far more
harmful than marijuana."

The McCain campaign declined to comment.

Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation is the group behind the
2007 initiative that made marijuana Denver's "lowest law enforcement
priority" and a 2005 initiative that legalized marijuana possession
of 1 ounce or less in the city.

In 2006, the group called Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and former
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Peter Coors drug dealers for their
involvement with beer sales.

Cindy McCain is the chairwoman of Hensley & Co., an Arizona beer distributor.

The website DrugDealerCindy.com features wanted posters of Cindy
McCain, claiming that she "makes millions of dollars dealing" alcohol.

Tvert said the group is not attacking the McCain campaign. The group
isn't even anti-alcohol, he said.

"As we've been saying, this is not about party politics - it's about
partying politics," he said. "And right now when people in this
country party, they are being punished if they decide to smoke marijuana."

The group, a nonprofit, will start posting advertisements on blog
sites, he said.