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  Group Against Pot Initiative Plans Lectures
Posted by CN Staff on September 21, 2006 at 07:01:02 PT
By Kyle Henley, The Gazette 
Source: Gazette 

cannabis Denver -- The group opposing Amendment 44, which seeks to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, said Wednesday that a series of lectures will serve as the primary weapon in the campaign.

The lectures by various experts on drugs and addiction will focus on the dangers of marijuana and the effects on the state of legalizing cannabis, said Calvina Fay, executive director of Save Our Society from Drugs.

“Marijuana is much more powerful and much more addictive than it was a generation ago,” Fay said. “The change proposed in Amendment 44 has terrible consequences for our state, particularly for our children.”

Fay’s group, which goes by S.O.S., is based in Florida but is helping lead the charge against Amendment 44.

Members of the coalition include Lt. Gov. Jane Norton and Andrew Barthwell, a Chicago-based doctor and former deputy director for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

In addition to lectures, S.O.S. said it hopes to have money for radio ads, direct mail and computerized phone calls during the campaign.

Fay said the group has raised about $40,000 so far.

Amendment 44 would make it legal for Coloradans over the age of 21 to possess less than 1 ounce of marijuana.

The initiative is similar to a measure that was passed last year in Denver.

It would still be illegal under federal law to possess marijuana.

In addition, it would continue to be a violation of state law to grow or sell marijuana.

Backers of the amendment noted many of the opponents from S.O.S. hail from outside the state.

Snipped:

Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/h2f5g

Source: Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO)
Author: Kyle Henley, The Gazette
Published: September 21, 2006
Copyright: 2006 The Gazette
Contact: gtop@gazette.com
Website: http://www.gazette.com/

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http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22182.shtml

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http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22180.shtml

Ambushing The Pot Initiative
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22169.shtml


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Comment #12 posted by whig on September 22, 2006 at 07:42:28 PT
Straight's Mel Sembler
He is the chairman of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's legal defense fund. He co-hosted a fundraiser on Wednesday for Joe Lieberman (WATB-CT) who is running for re-election after losing the primary due to being a shill for the Bush administration.

http://tinyurl.com/kxhlt

Also see this:

http://pump-gate.blogspot.com/

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #11 posted by Wayne on September 22, 2006 at 05:32:55 PT
Straight
Any time I read anything about Straight, it makes me sick to my stomach. If anyone here is a parent, maybe you could explain it to me: How could ANY parent willing to put their child into that sort of torture chamber think that it is for their own good? My guess would be that it's merely the kind of parent who dreads doing their own disciplining.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #10 posted by afterburner on September 21, 2006 at 22:59:27 PT
Straight - Drug Free America Foundation - SOS
A nice little hornets' nest:

Betty S. Sembler & Mel Sembler, founding members of Straight, Inc., Save Our Society From Drugs (S.O.S.) and the Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. http://www.dfaf.org/about/founders.php

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Calvina L. Fay http://www.dfaf.org/about/board.php

Advisory Board, Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. Honorable Jeb Bush, Governor, State of Florida, Tallahassee, FL; Karen P. Tandy, Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington, DC; among others http://www.dfaf.org/about/advisoryboard.php

A STUDY OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE DRUG FREE AMERICA FOUNDATION http://www.thestraights.com/reports/dfaf-and-drug-policy.htm

CALVINA L. FAY: Testimony, Brussels, European Parliament, March 1-2, 2005, The Harm in Harm Reduction http://www.ecad.net/activ/EPFay.html

GOP and Straight. Robert DuPont, Richard Nixon's Drug Czar, had overseen funding for an ... Barbara Bush is hawking a film for the Drug Free America Foundation http://www.thestraights.com/gop.htm

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #9 posted by Max Flowers on September 21, 2006 at 10:34:12 PT
The "uber-weed" scare tactic
“Marijuana is much more powerful and much more addictive than it was a generation ago,” Fay said.

What a crock. Plants are plants, and they don't change much in 25 or 30 years. A little selective breeding and careful growing may enhance THC content, but not by much; it's the same plant it was back then. Ask any botanical scientist. This argument has no scientific merit whatsoever, and anyone advancing it should be laughed out of the discusssion.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #8 posted by Hope on September 21, 2006 at 10:27:26 PT
Comment 2, Thanks, Paul!
Read some of the presentation materials.

So many lies!



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #7 posted by Hope on September 21, 2006 at 09:59:57 PT
Lectures
Just what we need from the Nanny State reps...more lying lectures.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #6 posted by mayan on September 21, 2006 at 07:48:14 PT
Threatened Interests?
"Andrew" Barthwell is afraid that folks will someday be able to grow their own medicine instead of the "whole cannabis extract" pharmaceuticals that she's pushing now. Calvina Faye's interests are threatened since she is a big name in the drug testing industry.

I'm waiting for Mason Tvert to expose their true motives... if he hasn't been censored by the Colorado media!

S.O.S. = Suckers Of Society



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #5 posted by paul armentano on September 21, 2006 at 07:48:01 PT
More info on SOS c/o CO Confidential
http://www.coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=681

Opponents, Lt. Governor, Speak Out Against Amendment 44 Sep 20, 2006 -- 3:35 PM MDT Erin Rosa

Other speakers included Andrea Barthwell, a physician who was an advisor to president George W. Bush on drug policy, and DEA Agent Jeff Sweetin, who is in charge of the agency’s Denver Field Division. According to the Colorado Automated Licensure Information System Online (ALISON), Barthwell is apparently not licensed to practice in this state specifically, but spoke as an expert on the effects of marijuana.

The event was sponsored by SOS and held in the offices of the Signal Behavioral Health Network (SBHN), an organization that provides drug treatment and prevention services. The CEO and company President were also participants in the conference.

Grassroots? Looking At The Numbers

Opposition

* Save Our Society From Drugs (SOS) is based in Florida, according to the group's website. However, a quick on-line search and call to the Florida Department of State reveled that the organization does not seem to be registered there. The IRS did have records of the entity's nonprofit status though, and the most immediately available tax forms filed for 2003 show that total assets were $109,942.

SOS also shares an address with the Drug Free America Foundation, Inc (DFAF), another nonprofit corporation directed by Calvina Fay, although Fay has acknowledged that they are each independent organizations.

Fay also said that she had approximately $40,000 to work with in her campaign, although it wasn't known exactly where the money had come from.

* Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana (GOCAM) and Students Against Marijuana (SAM)

GOCAM and SAM are local organizations headed by Beverly Kinard, a woman written about in another Colorado Confidential piece. In the article, Kinard was reported to have said that hemp oil caused overnight skin cancer in lab animals.

Current Secretary of State records show that GOCAM has on hand $205.00, mostly donated by Kinard herself, while SAM has a $5.

In the conference, Fay also counted GOCAM and SAS as allies in the opposition campaign.

* Office For National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the DEA

DEA agent Jeff Sweetin made an appearance today, signally the agency's place in the campaign. He was also involved in a recent controversy when a leaked e-mail asking for help to defeat Amendment 44 appeared to be written by a DEA agent.

Kay and Physician Andrea Barthwell also have a history with the ONDCP, another federal entity that tackles the drug issue. Barthwell was the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at ONDCP and Kay has served as an advisor to the Office.

* Signal Behavioral Health Network (SBHN)

The SBHN CEO and President have both criticized the legalization measure. SBGN is a local nonprofit dealing with drug rehabilitation services. According to the latest IRS records filed in 2003, SBHN had $3,846,075 in assets.

Proponents

* The Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative Committee and the SAFER Voter Education Fund

The Equalization committee is the entity belonging to SAFER, with most of the money coming in from the nonprofit SAFER Voter Education Fund. The most recent Secretary of State records show that the committee has $9,517.86 on hand. IRS records were not available for the Voter Education Fund because it is was created at the beginning of 2006.

* Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana Prohibition (GOCAMP)

With the recent attention to GOCAM, GOCAMP was created yesterday, when proponents of the measure gathered in Denver to show their support. There are no current Secretary of State files.

"When will the government let us be the parent?"

Yesterday, proponents met in Denver to launch the newly formed GOCAMP committee, which includes parents and families in favor of legalization.

“We have decided that it is time for parents and adults, professionals, students, and other folks to step out and say this initiative is not about children. This initative is about adults,” SAFER spokesman Mason Tvert said at the event.

Tvert read a statement from Libertarian candidate for Governor Dawn Winkler in favor of SAFER’s proposal, and Republican “activist” Jessica Corry spoke about the issue alongside Democrat Barbara Harvey.

“We’re probably the last group of people you would expect to be supporting marijuana legalization,” Corry said, while standing with her husband and small children. “I believe we need to legalize marijuana because prohibition is destroying my daughter’s future. When will the government let us be the parents?”

The conference came after a Denver judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by SAFER, over what the group perceived as misleading language in voter information booklets.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 07:29:43 PT
CBS4: Opponents Take Aim At Marijuana Amendment
September 20, 2006

(CBS4) DENVER -- Local physicians joined Colorado's Lt. Governor Jane Norton and national drug policy experts on Wednesday to urge voters to defeat Amendment 44.

The amendment would make it legal for adults to possess small amounts of marijuana.

The group behind the statewide initiative pushed through a similar proposal in Denver.

The opponents of the amendment have started a grassroots campaign backed by anti-drug organizations like Save Our Society From Drugs, or SOS.

One concern raised by the group was how the amendment could affect Colorado's children and all of society, even those who do not use marijuana.

"It ... isn't good for the state to have your school bus drivers, your doctors and your nurses and your schoolteachers to have the legal right to use marijuana," said Calvina Fay, SOS Executive.

Norton joined the opponents in expressing concern about the impact passing the amendment could have on children.

She pointed what happened in Alaska when small amounts of marijuana was legalized. "What we saw was an increase of at least 50 percent of use among teenagers," said Norton.

"So when society says it's okay for adults there's somehow this repercussion that is a trickle-down with younger people," she said.

Proponents of Amendment 44 crticized the opponents for going out of state to get experts.

Prepared for the Web by CBS4 producer Raetta Holdman

Copyright: MMVI CBS Television Stations, Inc.

http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_263172020.html

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 07:27:27 PT
Info on Pot Initiative a Smoke Screen
By Brad Bradberry

September 20, 2006

Nobody ever said politics isn’t rough and tumble. Nobody ever said politics isn’t dirty. But when our state leaders deliberately mislead us in a publication that we count on for information, we should hold someone accountable. Think of it. We taxpayers pay to publish a voter pamphlet. We pay to send it to every registered voter. And our leaders have used it to intentionally sway our votes on one issue.

Of course I’m talking about the Colorado Legislative Council’s Blue Book and specifically the description of a marijuana initiative that would make possession of small quantities legal. Under the marijuana initiative appears a phrase that states adults can give "up to one ounce of marijuana to another individual 15 years of age or older as long as there is no compensation.”

Complete Article: http://www.canyoncourier.com/story_display.php?sid=3909

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by paul armentano on September 21, 2006 at 07:26:05 PT
Read the "Lectures" here:
Ms. Barthwell used the same "lecture series" earlier this year in IL. Check out the presentation here:

http://www.illinoismarijuanalectures.org/materials.htm

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 07:11:21 PT
Letters To The Editor from The Gazette
September 21, 2006

Reefer Madness

Let’s stop scare tactics and recognize drug’s benefits

Pete Holzmann, whose Sept. 13 letter attacked medical marijuana, should follow his own advice on seeking factual information (“Marijuana not as beneficial as writer wants us to believe”). I did a Google search and found that marijuana does not appear as harmful as he would have us believe. A more comprehensive assessment of marijuana’s medical efficacy can be found at www.mpp.org/library.

The pharmaceutical industry has a vested financial interest in demonizing medical marijuana, because it would lose billions if the product were legalized for medical use. Sales of countless overpriced prescription medications would plummet if cannabis was available to patients who could benefit from its use.

All medications have some level of toxicity, but the adverse effect of marijuana compared to many of our prescription drugs is minimal. How many patients have died from Vioxx, a supposedly safe medication? Overdose deaths from smoking marijuana are zero.

Let’s end the era of reefer madness and deal honestly with marijuana as a safe and effective medical product.

Robert Wiley

Colorado Springs

***

Marijuana Not as Dangerous as Smoking Tobacco

In a recent letter, Pete Holzmann claimed that “Marijuana is considered as carcinogenic as unfiltered tobacco when smoked.” According to an article published earlier this year in The Washington Post, “The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.”

According to Dr. Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years, “The new findings were against our expectations.” Tashkin goes on to say, “We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use. What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect.”

Lest you think Tashkin to be a quack or pro-marijuana shill, according to the Post, “Federal health and drug enforcement officials have widely used Tashkin’s previous work on marijuana to make the case that the drug is dangerous.”

Leroy Casterline

Casper, Wyo.

http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1321822&secid=13

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