BRECK GROUP FILES TO CHANGE MARIJUANA LAWS

BRECKENRIDGE - A group called Sensible Breckenridge is working to
give town voters the chance to change local marijuana laws.

The group plans to gather signatures for a ballot initiative for the
November election. The aim would be an ordinance to remove all
criminal penalties from Breckenridge's town code for the private use
of marijuana, under one ounce, by adults 21 and older. Smoking in
public and drugged driving would remain illegal.

Breckenridge's Chief of Police Rick Holman opposes the initiative. "I
worry about the collateral affect of the youth of the community," he said.

If the initiative did pass, marijuana would still be illegal under
Colorado State law and federal law. Holman said his department would
have the discretion to enforce those laws, but wouldn't comment if
they would use that discretion because he said he didn't know.

"Obviously we're a police department that's here to service the needs
of the community and often times cater toward those needs and what we
see as priorities," Holman said.

The initiative wouldn't affect the Sheriff's Department, which is
bound to uphold state law.

The petitioners' committee filing the affidavit is comprised of a
number of local leaders including Breckenridge Town Councilman
Jeffrey Bergeron and local attorney Sean McAllister.

"It's a cause I believe in, and I think the initiative reflects the
will of the people of Breck," Bergeron said. "I don't think there's
any public safety concerns in regards to an adult possessing less
than one ounce of marijuana."

"The main issue is marijuana is safer than alcohol," said Sensible
Breckenridge's Josh Kappel.

"Alcohol is far more toxic than marijuana; there has never been a
death reported from a marijuana overdose," said Mason Tvert,
co-author of the forthcoming book, "Marijuana is Safer: So Why do We
Drive People to Drink?"

Holman said they're both problematic. "It's no safer to get behind
the wheel of a car if you smoke a joint than drink," he said.
Although during winter nights, when more people are in Breckenridge,
Holman said drinking is the primary problem.

Public safety issue? The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency website
maintains that the "legalization of marijuana, no matter how it
begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety.
It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to
use other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers."

"In the wrong hands it's definitely life-affecting, but at the same
time I don't know that it's the government's job to protect us from
ourselves," said Breckenridge resident Sam Breede. "I would say
education would be important if it went forward."

The Summit Prevention Alliance declined to comment on the issue,
saying they needed more information first.

Marijuana possession is currently a misdemeanor in Breckenridge, but
marijuana convictions do show up on background checks, possibly
affecting people's ability to get hired.

"As a criminal defense attorney, I have defended numerous locals and
tourists for marijuana possession and have seen too many otherwise
law-abiding citizens' lives damaged by these zero-tolerance laws that
penalize adults for making the safer choice to use marijuana instead
of alcohol," McAllister said in a press release.

"This would give the police an opportunity to use their time in
another direction, like keeping drunk drivers off the road," Bergeron said.

If approved, the initiative would set Breckenridge apart, Tvert said.

"Breckenridge is in a position where it can really set a precedent
and send a message to the rest of the state that it's OK to have
different laws than the state," Tvert said. "I think that would send
a direct message to the state Legislature that it's time to let
cities decide for themselves if adults can use marijuana."

Sensible Breckenridge is currently seeking local volunteers to help
gather signatures to place the initiative on the ballot. The contact
information is (970) 453-6594 or sensiblebreckenridge@gmail.com

SIDEBAR:

The Petition

The marijuana reform group, Sensible Breckenridge, filed an affidavit
with the town clerk on June 4 to get the issue of decriminilizing the
private use of marijuana by adults 21 and older in Breckenridge on
this November's ballot. They have about a month to collect 499
signatures, which is 15 percent of the registered voters in
Breckenridge from the last election. In 2006, 72 percent of
Breckenridge's voters supported the unsuccessful Amendment 44, which
had similar language to the Breckenridge initiative but applied to
the entire state of Colorado.