QUESTIONING CARLISLE'S COLUMN LAST WEEK

In Marc Carlisle's recent column ("A little advice before early
voting begins," Sept. 27), he said Amendment 44 "purports to legalize
the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but does nothing of the
sort, since state law cannot supercede [sic] Federal law."

While it is true that marijuana possession would technically remain
illegal under federal law if Amendment 44 passes, the federal
government has never arrested people for simple marijuana possession,
and they have even acknowledged in recent weeks that they would not start now.

According to Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, who was formerly
a U.S. Attorney, the federal government does not handle marijuana
cases involving less than 100 plants. In an interview with a CBS
affiliate, he said, "They're not going to take possession of an ounce cases."

Or you could take it straight from the feds themselves. "There aren't
enough federal resources on the entire planet to handle ounce size
marijuana possession," said DEA spokesman Jeffrey Sweetin in the same
CBS story. "Your viewers should understand if this passes, we're
really legitimately legalizing an ounce of marijuana. They're not
going to be prosecuted."

Mason Tvert

Denver