NO ON 44

Legalizing Marijuana Doesn't Make Sense

Just say no to Amendment 44, which would legalize possession of up to
one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 or older.

In the first place, the language of the amendment, sponsored by Safer
Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, contains a major loophole. It
leaves open the possibility that an adult giving marijuana to a child
or young adult between 15 and 20 "appears to be legal," according to
Mason Tvert, SAFER's campaign director, speaking for those who favor
the amendment. He says another law, contributing to the delinquency of
a minor, "covers" the loophole.

But isn't it necessary to be precise when amending the state law? We
think so.

And so does Rob McGuire, a Superior attorney coordinating several
organizations opposing the proposal. "They call it an unintended
consequence," he says. "We considered it bad drafting."

Tvert says that opponents, whom he called "extremists, no matter how
you look at it," are "going out of their way to make this about
children, when it's not about children."

He argues that marijuana use is safer than alcohol use, which is
legal, and that consequently pot should be legal, too: "We're not
saying it's harmless; it's less harmful than alcohol."

For example, he says, referencing recent issues with alcohol abuse at
the University of Colorado, "Why is that they can't stay home and
smoke a joint before the football game? Instead what they do is drink
as much before the game as they can."

It would be better, he suggests, to allow adults to choose between
alcohol and marijuana.

Tom Gorman, a former cop who is now director of the Rocky Mountain
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, differs emphatically.

"Do you know how much an ounce of marijuana is?" he asks. "Most people
think it's a joint or two =AD but it makes 30 joints to as many as 80
or even 120." And, he notes that a heavy user is defined by drug
enforcement as someone who smokes a joint a day.

As Gorman and others note, the police do not target people for simple
possession, those whose only crime is having a small amount of pot

Gorman says if pot is legalized, its use will go up. Already, 14
million people in the United States are classified as regular users,
having smoked a joint in the last month. He agrees that alcohol can be
an even bigger problem, that more people are addicted to alcohol than
to all drugs combined.

"Let's join forces and fight for sobriety," he urges.

Sobriety is the only safe alternative to being under the influence of
alcohol, HIDTA maintains, saying, "Instead of trying to legalize
another dangerous drug, we should be encouraging sobriety. "

And Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana, another organization
opposing Amendment 44, cites physiological and psychological dangers
of marijuana use, saying, "Children and teenagers don't need to hear
the message that marijuana is safe when it is abundantly clear that
marijuana's effects are harmful."

We urge a vote against the poorly drafted and misguided Amendment 44.