LEGALIZING POT IN COLORADO?

Activists Trying Despite Rejection in California

Despite Californians rejection of a ballot initiative last week that
would have legalized marijuana for adults in the state, Colorado
activists are moving forward with a legalization effort of their own.

Some of the top names in the national legalization movement met in
Denver over the weekend to discuss the prospects of legalizing
marijuana after the failed attempt in California. Also on Saturday,
activists met with students at the University of Colorado at Boulder
to energize their efforts in drumming up support for legalization.

Mason Tvert of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, a
pro-legalization group, believes Colorado will now become a main
focal point for efforts to legalize marijuana. Tvert's group is
planning to run an initiative on the 2012 Colorado ballot that would
legalize marijuana.

Tvert said he was upset that the legalization ballot initiative
failed in California. However, he believes the initiative was a
"massive net gain" because it sparked a major national debate.

Tvert added that Colorado is a much different state than California
and credited his group's efforts with helping convince many people
that marijuana is a safer drug than alcohol. Additionally, Los
Angeles banned almost all medical marijuana dispensaries, while
Denver grandfathered in approximately 200 medical marijuana centers.

"The most important thing is that Colorado isn't California," Tvert
said. "It's a different political climate, also has a different
climate in regards to marijuana."

Tvert believes that having Democrat John Hickenlooper as governor
will be better for the legalization effort than Gov. Bill Owens, the
Republican who was in charge when SAFER previously tried, and failed,
with a legalization ballot initiative in 2006. However, Hickenlooper
has generally dodged questions about marijuana and has stopped far
short of advocating for the drug's legalization.

"Ultimately all we can ask is that he doesn't obstruct the progress
for the state," Tvert said. "He should leave it to the voters and
work on behalf of whatever they decide."

Some voters in parts of Colorado decided last week that they don't
want medical marijuana around them. Approximately 20 cities and
municipalities voted to ban dispensaries, while nine municipalities
voted to allow them.

Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, a pro-marijuana activist group,
didn't see the dispensary bans as being a serious blow to the
pro-legalization effort.

"The more people vote on marijuana, the more the support rises
because they're forced to think about it," he said.

Tvert and Vicente are working together to craft a legalization ballot
initiative for 2012. Meanwhile, another pro-legalization group N'
Cannabis Therapy Institute (CTI) N' is going forward with its own
legalization initiative for 2012. Although the groups share similar
goals, they disagree on one main issue N' how much marijuana should
be able to be taxed.

Laura Kriho of CTI believes any legalization initiative should only
allow the sales tax to be charged on marijuana.

Meanwhile, Tvert's initiative would likely cap any possible excise
tax on an ounce of marijuana at $50. Tvert believes banning an excise
tax on marijuana would be "a nail in the coffin" for the measure.

Vicente hopes that the two groups will be able to reach some
agreement and work together. He believes the public sentiment is
swinging in favor of legalization.

A Rasmussen poll released in May found that 49 percent of Colorado
voters support legalizing marijuana. The pro-legalization poll
numbers are significantly higher than when Colorado voters rejected a
ballot initiative to legalize marijuana on a 61-38 percent vote in 2006.

Californians rejected the legalization of marijuana on a 56-to-44-percent vote.