CU-BOULDER: DORMS DON'T HAVE DEAL WITH POT DISPENSARIES, DESPITE JOHN
SUTHERS' CLAIM

Residence halls at the University of Colorado don't have discount
arrangements with medical marijuana dispensaries, despite what
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said this morning while
debating his Democratic challenger Stan Garnett, CU officials said.

In response to a question about whether marijuana should be legalized,
Suthers referenced CU as an example of the hypocrisy of law
enforcement's current relationship with marijuana in Colorado.

"We have situations now where dorms at CU have discount arrangements
with particular dispensaries," Suthers said during this morning's
attorney general debate on radio station AM 760.

"That sort of hypocrisy is unhealthy," Suthers said. "I think it's
sending the wrong message to children."

After the debate, CU-Boulder spokesman Bronson Hilliard said there is
no official relationship between the university's housing office and
any medical marijuana dispensaries.

"Very often Boulder businesses offer students discounts on merchandise
by showing their student ID, and if some medical marijuana dispensary
is doing that, there is nothing we can do to stop that," he said. "But
there is no official deal between CU and a dispensary."

And Hilliard said he's unaware of any unofficial offers.

"It's possible that some provider out there could have illegally
canvassed our residence halls with medical marijuana fliers," he said.
"But there is no formal relationship whatsoever."

All commercial relationships with CU students must be approved, and
Hilliard said the university would never approve a relationship with a
medical marijuana provider.

"We are diligent about what happens in residence halls," he
said.

Suthers told the Camera after the debate that his comment was based on
a mother's complaint several months ago that her son, a junior at CU,
had obtained a medical marijuana card. When she asked him how,
according to Suthers, the student explained that most of the students
in his residence hall had one because of an arrangement with a
Denver-based dispensary.

Students from that dormitory would get a discounted price on cards and
marijuana, Suthers said. Although Suthers said he didn't know the name
of the woman, the dorm or the dispensary, he believed it to be true.

"When a woman calls and is mad as hell and tells me a story, I'm
inclined to believe her," he said.

Suthers said he wouldn't be surprised by such an agreement because the
"vast majority" of people being attracted to the medical marijuana
industry don't have a debilitating condition.

"The only reason I care whether people are smoking marijuana or not is
that all the research shows that the acceptability and accessibility
to marijuana determines the rate of use among adolescent youth," he
said.

Garnett, the Boulder County district attorney, said Suthers' assertion
that CU dorms have some agreement with dispensaries is completely
untrue and his office has worked closely on law enforcement issues
with the university's athletic director, chancellor and regents.

"It is an insult to CU to suggest there is some kind of inappropriate
relationship between dorms and dispensaries," Garnett said. "The
people at CU are committed to having a healthy and safe environment,
and they do a great job of it."

Garnett said he is proud of CU and impressed by its handling of
medical marijuana issues.

"I'll assume that John misspoke, but it doesn't sound like he got his
facts straight," Garnett said. "If he wants to know what's going on
with CU or with anything in Boulder, all he needs to do is call me.
I'll fill him in."

Several students who lived in the residence halls last year told a
Camera reporter Tuesday that they never heard about any dispensary
deals on medical marijuana.

Alex Douglas, executive director of NORML@CU, said "nothing exists
that would be even similar to (Suthers') comment" on CU's campus.

"In no way would that add up," Douglas said. "The university is not
going to allow a dispensary to advertise on campus."

Some dispensaries around Boulder said they do cater to the college
student market, though.

At The Greenest Green, 2034 Pearl St., co-owner Lauren Meisels said
the dispensary will offer 15 percent discounts to students on Wednesdays.

"Now that students are getting back to school, we'll offer a
one-day-a-week special," Meisels said.

Recent CU graduate Michael West, the new owner of Dr. Reefer, across
the street from CU's campus on University Hill, said students don't
get any special deals. But the dispensary caters to them by ordering
what they tend to like, including edibles.

Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas contributed to this report.