PARENT GROUP ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR POT MEASURE

Colorado -- A group of parents gathered outside the State Capitol
yesterday to announce their support for a ballot initiative to
legalize the statewide possession of up to one ounce of marijuana in
Colorado. Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana Prohibition believes
that marijuana prohibition is harming children. "We need to rethink
marijuana prohibition and what it says about the priorities of
Colorado and this nation," said Jessica Peck Corry, co-founder of the
organization.

"The science shows that marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol and
for our children's sake it is time we treat it that way."

Joining Corry at the press conference was Safer Alternative For
Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) campaign director Mason Tvert, Democratic
activist Barbara Harvey and Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dawn
Winkler. SAFER is pushing for Amendment 44, which aims at passing
similar statewide legislation as Denver's Initiative 100, which passed
last year and legalized the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana
for adults 21 years of age and older.

Supporters discussed how they feel as parents about marijuana
prohibition. They pointed to statistics that indicate that 86 percent
of high school seniors say marijuana is "very easy" or "fairly easy"
to get. The parental group said because of misleading propaganda, 12-
to 17-year-olds believe smoking marijuana once or twice a week is more
dangerous than having five or more drinks once or twice a week.

"Our government has done such a good job demonizing marijuana that
young people think smoking marijuana once or twice a week is equally
as risky as trying the potentially deadly drug heroin," said Tvert.

SAFER appealed a decision by the Legislative Council last week that
will include language in the state voters' guide indicating that
Amendment 44 would allow people to transfer up to one ounce of
marijuana to juveniles 15 and older as long as there is no
compensation. Tvert said the initiative would in no way allow for that
because the measure would still prohibit anyone under the age of 21
from being in possession of marijuana. Because Colorado law makes it a
Class 4 felony for anyone to induce, aid, or encourage a child under
the age of 18 to violate any state or federal law, it would remain a
felony for a person to give marijuana to someone under the age of 18.

Colorado District Court Judge John McMullen dismissed the case last
Wednesday based on a lack of jurisdiction. House Speaker Andrew
Romanoff, D-Denver, speaking for the Legislative Council, decided not
to amend the language. Romanoff said it was not the Council's job in
the first place to correct errors or conflicts in the way proponents
word initiatives.

To which Tvert replied:

"This is entirely false. It is not the proponents' duty to point this
out. It was the Legislative Services' job when we originally drafted
the language to submit as an initiative, then it was the Title Board's
job during the ballot title hearings, then it was Legislative
Council's job during the ballot analysis drafting, then it was
Romanoff's committee's job during the hearing."

Nevertheless, SAFER and its parental supporters are forging ahead and
proposed yesterday legislation that would erase any doubt about the
impact of Amendment 44 on individuals under the age of 21, assuming
the measure passes in November. The legislation the coalition is
recommending would ensure that the current fine for transfers of small
amounts of marijuana to individuals 18 to 20 years old is retained and
the statutory fine for transferring less than an ounce of marijuana to
individuals 15 to 17 years old is doubled.

Today, local physicians will be joined by Colorado Lt. Governor Jane
Norton and national drug policy and prevention experts to conduct a
news conference to announce a grassroots campaign urging voters to
vote no on Amendment 44.

Opponents of Amendment 44 will discuss statistics that reveal that
today's marijuana is more powerful and more addictive than it was a
generation ago, said a spokesperson for the group.

The group suggests that of all teenagers in drug treatment, about 62
percent have a primary marijuana diagnosis.

The coalition plans to conduct a series of educational presentations
called Colorado Marijuana Lectures designed to educate Colorado
citizens on the dangers of marijuana. Experts affiliated with the
group claim that legalizing marijuana will make Colorado the No. 1
drug tourist destination in America.