TOP O' THE BONG TO YA

A marijuana law reform group is advising partiers to smoke pot
rather than drink this St. Patrick's Day.

Safer Alternatives For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) - based in
Boulder - says even though drinking alcohol is legal, it is still
more dangerous than smoking marijuana.

"Obviously, St. Patrick's Day is a day when a number of people are
encouraged to go out drinking," said Mason Tvert, executive director
for SAFER. "If they're going to party, it may not be a bad decision
to consider marijuana rather than alcohol."

Tvert has planned a demonstration in Denver on St. Patrick's Day,
but on Tuesday he wouldn't provide details about the precise nature
of the demonstration.

After St. Paddy's Day, Tvert will be collecting signatures to
pressure other universities to reduce their penalties for marijuana
use, and working on passing easier marijuana laws around the country.

CU students passed a referendum providing for precisely that last
year. CU officials aren't enforcing it.

But SAFER isn't just trying to change the laws or make marijuana
legal, it is trying to inform people that alcohol causes more social
and health problems, said Tvert.

"We encourage adults to consider the facts when they go out to
party," said Tvert. "You are far more likely to be hurt drinking
than when using marijuana."

Even though he has a strong stance against booze, Tvert said he
isn't trying to attack alcohol users or companies.

"We're really just trying to get it out there as a public service
announcement," said Tvert.

Coloradans are more aware of the differences between marijuana and
alcohol because of recent highly publicized SAFER ballot initiatives
at CU, Colorado State University in Fort Collins and in the City of Denver.

"We started SAFER as a response to alcohol overdosing in Colorado,"
said Tvert.

In 2004, a string of student deaths from alcohol poisoning hit
Colorado and the nation. A pledge, Gordie Bailey, died during an
initiation rite at a CU fraternity in fall 2004. At CSU, Samantha
Spady died in a fraternity house after drinking dozens of shots and beer.

"Kids were drinking themselves to death, but marijuana rules were
harsher than (those for) alcohol," Tvert said.

Following successful referenda at CU and CSU last year, in November,
SAFER helped pass a law in Denver that would allow people over 21
years old to possess an ounce of marijuana.

"We're obviously very pleased, but our work is clearly not done,"
said Tvert, who mentioned that police are still arresting people
that smoke marijuana in Denver. "We don't want people to break the
law, but we want people to consider the options."