SAFER OR NOT? AMENDMENT 44 PROMPTS QUESTIONS ABOUT POT

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.

"It is true that tolerance and dependence, the two factors indicating
physical addiction, don't develop as quickly or as intensely with
marijuana as they do with other drugs," Montrose clinical psychologist
Nicholas Taylor said.

"However, it is important to note that addiction is a parallel
experience involving both physical and psychological factors."

Taylor didn't have an opinion on Amendment 44, a measure that would
decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana by
adults over 21, but spoke generally of pot's addictive qualities.

He said that while heavy marijuana use may not lead to severe
withdrawal tendencies and cravings, its frequent use to deal with
stress can make it hard for people to cope without at least a little
bit of the drug. People also use alcohol the same way, Taylor said.

"When it comes to marijuana, regardless the legality of any substance
- -- alcohol and prescription drugs included -- it can be
psychologically addictive if misused to accomplish a mental state or
mood the person is not able to, or is unwilling to accomplish on their
own."

Amendment 44 supporter Mason Tvert said alcohol was far more
devastating than marijuana, but legal for adults to consume. Tvert is
part of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation Colorado.

"We don't encourage them to do it (pot), but the fact is, it's out
there. As adults, we're faced with many choices. We simply think
adults should be allowed to make the rational, safer choice to use
marijuana rather than alcohol."

Additionally, he said it's marijuana's illegal status, not its
addictive properties, that create the perception that it's a "gateway
drug."

"People don't refer to alcohol or tobacco as illegal. But when
millions of people use marijuana, we're forcing them into an illegal
market where they have other illegal substance available."

Opponents said SAFER hadn't offered any proof that marijuana is less
harmful than other drugs. Several organizations have come out against
Amendment 44 because they believe it will harm children.

Jeffrey Sweetin, agent in charge of the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration's Rocky Mountain Division said criminalizing alcohol
for those under 21 hadn't stopped them from abusing the substance. (As
a federal agency, the DEA does not take official positions on
legislation.)

"Using the alcohol example is one piece of evidence that things that
are legal for adults become very interesting to kids."

He pointed to Alaska, which had decriminalized pot for adults, but saw
an increase in use and addiction rates for teenagers.

"All of a sudden, we say it's legal for adults. We're sending those
kids the message, 'We're wrong; it's not harmful.' We're really at the
edge of sending our kids a very dangerous message and that is that
it's a safe drug."

But Tvert said the present system isn't keeping marijuana from kids.
He reported that 86 percent of surveyed high school students said it
was easy to get marijuana, while others were under the mistaken
perception that smoking marijuana once a week was more risky than
binge drinking.

"If they're so concerned about kids using marijuana, we need to take
all the resources we're wasting on adults," he said. "Clearly, the
system's not working right now. We do not think anyone under 21 should
use marijuana, but we do need to tell the truth about it."