cannabisnews.com: Officials, Pro-44 Lobbyists Clash Officials, Pro-44 Lobbyists Clash Posted by CN Staff on October 28, 2006 at 09:10:04 PT By John Fryar, The Daily Times-Call Source: Daily Times-Call Denver, CO -- Supporters of Amendment 44 outnumbered the state and local law enforcement officials who gathered Friday on the state Capitol steps to detail their opposition to that marijuana-legalization initiative.“This is a sad day for Colorado,” Gov. Bill Owens said after the pro-44 demonstrators heckled and chanted during the anti-44 news conference. Owens, one of the featured speakers at the news conference, complained he’d never before seen a news conference where a legitimate debate by organizers was “shouted down.”Owens ignored a challenge from Amendment 44 proponent Mason Tvert to debate the initiative, which asks voters to make it legal under state law for anyone age 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.In the news conference sponsored by Save Our Society from Drugs, one of the groups campaigning against Amendment 44, Owens and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers were joined by about a dozen law enforcement officers, including Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and Weld County Sheriff John Cooke.But more than four dozen marijuana-legalization supporters showed up, many of them wearing green “Yes on 44” shirts and carrying signs directed at the anti-44 law officers that said, “Protect the People, Not Your Jobs.” Demonstrators aligned with SAFER, the group supporting Amendment 44 that contends marijuana offers a safer alternative to alcohol, jeered when Suthers said: “There is nothing safe about marijuana.”Accompanying Tvert and the SAFER protestors was Norm Stamper, a 34-year law enforcement veteran who was a San Diego police officer before serving as Seattle’s police chief from 1994 to 2000.Stamper said in an interview that drug prohibitions have led to more death, disease and crime than would have been the case under a system of taxation, regulation and control of drugs like marijuana. Marijuana laws now “are not working and need to change,” Tvert said.But Owens, Suthers and law enforcement officials at the news conference offered a laundry list of reasons against the measure.“We are also concerned that legalizing marijuana will cause a spike in impaired-driving fatalities and injuries caused by more motorists driving impaired on marijuana,” said Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener, president of County Sheriffs of Colorado.“The reality also exists that it is more difficult for law enforcement to detect impairment caused by marijuana and other drugs as compared to alcohol,” Wegener said.Source: Daily Times-Call, The (CO)Author: John Fryar, The Daily Times-Call Published: October 28, 2006Copyright: 2006, The Daily Times-CallContact: opinion times-call.comWebsite: http://www.longmontfyi.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Safer Choicehttp://www.saferchoice.org/Safer Coloradohttp://www.safercolorado.org/Opponents, Proponents Tangle Over MJ Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22330.shtmlOwens Drug Talk No Love-Inhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22328.shtmlProponents of Marijuana Initiative, Governor Clashhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22327.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #26 posted by FoM on October 29, 2006 at 09:56:22 PT New Poll Results Excerpt: "The Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation group managed a successful campaign to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in Denver last year, but its effort to also change state law trails by 23 percentage points. About 57 percent of those polled were against Amendment 44, while just 34 percent favored it. Mason Tvert, who heads the SAFER campaign, said the poll was inaccurate. 'Virtually nobody under 30 has a land line' to allow them to take part in the poll, Tvert said...http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/2006/10/29.html#a6032 [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by FoM on October 29, 2006 at 09:42:44 PT Treeanna I agree that forfeiture laws are a big thing. I hope someday it changes in all the states. [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by Treeanna on October 29, 2006 at 09:38:55 PT FOM Yes, I understand. It is indeed a pretty important thing, though. Obviously, the war on MJ is the driving force behind most asset forfeiture actions.Without this income, the cops wont be so gung-ho to seek folks out, and with any $$ they DO get being diverted to treatment, etc. they wont bother.The statistic in the article showed a 75% decrease in forfeiture actions after that measure passed (with 67% of the vote).I think that is very relevant to our movement.It is indeed a shame that you would have had to snip it. All the same, by my posting the link, I suppose the purpose of my comment has been served ;)thanks [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by Hope on October 29, 2006 at 07:21:18 PT John Tyler....So true. "...it’s about being free..." [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by John Tyler on October 29, 2006 at 07:06:57 PT the publics' duty A brief review of current history will show that in almost all instances that arrogant, self-righteous politicians have refused to listen to the public on many issues that they considered closed. (Actually very few issues are closed forever. Many are revisited from time to time.) Politicians would not listen to the public on the “closed issues” of segregation or the Vietnam War until people took to the streets to voice their concerns and made them listen. The same is true here. Politics can be “rough and tumble”. Feeling can get hurt. If the governor doesn’t like being called a liar to his face he should start telling the truth or go into another line of work. The people have a right and a duty to tell the politicians etc. when they are wrong on any issue, closed or not. They can be nice at first, but sometimes they have to say it a little louder. It's called Democracy. (You know, the voice of the people.) Our government promotes it to foreign countries. Let’s try it here at home. Make no mistake, this is not just about being free to use cannabis products, it’s about being free. And isn't this the land of the free? This concept is from high school civics. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by FoM on October 29, 2006 at 05:41:41 PT Treeanna Thank you for the link. I did see it before but I have been trying to keep the article numbers down to conserve bandwidth if they aren't of a broad interest to CNews readers. I know Mapinc. posts almost all drug related articles so I'm keeping it right now to the issues up for election. It also is from a paper that I must snip. I hope you understand. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by mayan on October 29, 2006 at 05:36:54 PT Free Speech Zone That's where we belong. If they herd us into a "free speech zone" then what is the area outside of the "free speech zone" called?America? America is not dead yet. She's still kickin'.Thank you, Coloradan supporters of 44.Now get a load of this cripe from Sandy Heverly,executive director of Stop DUI...FROM OUR READERS: QUESTION 7: 'Drug Dealer Protection Act': http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-29-Sun-2006/opinion/10425464.htmlTesticular fortitude? [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by Treeanna on October 29, 2006 at 05:03:03 PT Something import that got missed a bit ago Hey FOM and others :)Here is a story that was kinda low-key (for some reason not printed in many mainstream OR papers), and it appears to have gotten missed here:http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061020/STATE/610200326/1042Note the link to published opinions on the right of the page in the grey box. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by JSM on October 29, 2006 at 04:57:47 PT Vocal protest Yep, the good governor does not like to be publicly opposed and called on his lies. And since he is lying, the truth is very uncomfortable. If he had any honor whatsoever, he would debate Mason. But, of course, he would rather hide behind the "dignity" of his office and pretend that those who oppose him are simply the rabble and unruly masses. Rather reminds one of the French and other revolutions where people ultimately stood up and, for better or worse, demanded change.Way to go SAFER. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by publicbulldog on October 28, 2006 at 23:53:20 PT: buy the fear, fill the trough,shut up People of Colorado. Don't Listen to the trough feeders,Don't just buy the fear,Don't Fill the trough, Don't feed the union,Don't Shut Up. The drug war is working for 30 percent of America. We have the numbers So Don't Shut up Colorado. Don't Buy the fear, Don't Fill the trough,Don't Feed the union. Don't let the illegal mexicans keep flipping all the burgers and washing all the dishes. Them darn pot smokers Don't belong in jail. The Illegal mexicans Don't belong here. The unions Don't belong feeding at the trough.. The initiatives are threatening the union trough once again. I love it. GO I-44 Go Don't stop [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by FoM on October 28, 2006 at 17:42:47 PT Protest Erupts Over Marijuana at State Capitol Video: http://tinyurl.com/ydew9r [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by goneposthole on October 28, 2006 at 17:22:04 PT Let those state officials speak Hear them out. Let them have their say. Afterall, they are the state. It is illegal to criticize their authority.Any redress of regrievances against the state is not acceptable.You must remain in the box. The officials won't get out of theirs. They're in the box and there they shall remain. Change is unacceptable to the state. That is final.It is acceptable to arrest 700,000 cannabis users each year.For the state, if it's good for the state, then just about anything, maybe everything, is acceptable. Somehow, it seems, the media is misreading the true intent of the supporters of amendment 44... intentionally on purpose. The real goal: Ruffle the feathers of the supporters of amendment 44. Make them look like the culprits, dirty scoundrels.For Governor Bill Owens, it didn't go his way, he was angered, and then he pointed a finger of blame.After all of these years of unneccesary drug warring across the continent, the state is not at fault, the cannabis user is.Amendment 44 supporters want the message heard, not misunderstood. Direct obfuscation by state officials is tacit taunting and deliberately aggravating the issue.They are trying to pull a fast one on cannabis users and supporters of amendment 44.Use baiting tactics to foment a reaction. Dupe the supporters of amendment 44, make them look bad.Amendment 44 supporters are at fault, everytime.They're damned by the state. It's ugly, the state prefers it that way. Gettin' fooled by the state too. Let them speak, listen to them, heed their words, but you don't have to vote the way the state wants you to vote. It's like them taking away your right to vote. You can make your own decisions. Don't let the Governor of Colorado speak for you. Vote for amendment 44, not because the Governor of Colorado doesn't want you to vote for it, vote for it because you want to have legal cannabis in Colorado.If you don't want legal cannabis in Colorado, vote the way you're told to vote. If you want legal cannabis, don't listen to the Governor and vote yes on amendment 44. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by FoM on October 28, 2006 at 16:14:46 PT Toker00 It's been 10 years since Prop 215 passed. It's been a long hard road. They say if you don't like the laws change them. People did and they still fought. I know in the end we will win because it's right. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Toker00 on October 28, 2006 at 15:54:30 PT FoM Yes. It is good. High quality, real people, real compassion. Incredible imbecilic ignorance blares from the DEA agents. Can't wait to share.Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 28, 2006 at 15:16:15 PT Toker00 It's really good. We bought it a while back. We have loaned it to a number of people and they all liked it. Enjoy! [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by mayan on October 28, 2006 at 15:13:54 PT A Sad Day Indeed “This is a sad day for Colorado,” Gov. Bill Owens said after the pro-44 demonstrators heckled and chanted during the anti-44 news conference.It IS a sad day when a state government can spend the taxpayer's money and tell those taxpayers how to vote! And then the fascists have the nerve to call it a debate? THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...9/11 only "make-believe," Iranian government official says: http://prisonplanet.com/articles/October2006/281006make-believe.htmMembers of Bush Gang Swore Under Oath Saddam Was Behind 9/11: http://www.smirkingchimp.com/node/22769/11 and American Empire Vol. II: Christians, Jews and Muslims Speak Out - a short review: http://911blogger.com/node/4123FALSE FLAG NEWS - Saving the world one drill at a time: http://falseflagnews.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Toker00 on October 28, 2006 at 14:36:12 PT I'm excited! Ask me why. I just received my copy of WAITING TO INHALE.Gonna watch it. Right now. Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by laduncon on October 28, 2006 at 13:17:32 PT Nail-Biting Time for South Dakota's Medical Mariju A look at the effort to pass a medical marijuana law in South Dakotahttp://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/459/nail_biting_time_for_south_dakota_medical_marijuana_initiative Nail-Biting Time for South Dakota's Medical Mariju [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by laduncon on October 28, 2006 at 13:17:32 PT Nail-Biting Time for South Dakota's Medical Mariju A look at the effort to pass a medical marijuana law in South Dakotahttp://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/459/nail_biting_time_for_south_dakota_medical_marijuana_initiative Nail-Biting Time for South Dakota's Medical Mariju [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by unkat27 on October 28, 2006 at 13:10:42 PT Americasn Values: Freedom vs Oppression You know what bugs me the most about these prohibitionist bs artists -- they know that they can just keep spewing lies and promoting fear of mj until hell freezes over and never give in, and in doing so, manage to prevent mj from being legalized. The reason why i point this out is because the only alternative to peaceful talk is violent action, and they know that any violent actions taken can be used against mj in favor of their lies. One day, when some violence occurs related to mj activism, they will plaster it all over the media as a perfect example of what mj does to people, completely ignoring the fact that the US constitution itself claims that American ideals of freedom and democracy are values worth "fighting for" and that the fore-fathers themselves conducted a violent war for freedom against oppression, the same kind of oppression that mj users are facing today. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by BGreen on October 28, 2006 at 11:12:29 PT If there was that much power in just 50 voices Can you imagine the power that the millions of our voices hold?Wow!The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by BGreen on October 28, 2006 at 11:05:01 PT Does the Governor know the difference? Owens, one of the featured speakers at the news conference, complained he’d never before seen a news conference where a legitimate debate by organizers was “shouted down.”Debate (n)1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints: a debate in the Senate on farm price supports.2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.If our elected leaders don't know the difference between a press conference and a debate, then I would argue that they are incapable of performing their elected duties.The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by greenmed on October 28, 2006 at 10:47:24 PT Had Enough Thanks for the info. I'll check it out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on October 28, 2006 at 10:29:04 PT greenmed re: #1 Click the help thing. Your answer is there. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Max Flowers on October 28, 2006 at 10:26:55 PT Let's be honest, sheriff, mmmkay? “The reality also exists that it is more difficult for law enforcement to detect impairment caused by marijuana"That's because it really isn't impairment, sheriff. If you can't see it and measure it, it ain't there and you don't need to worry about it. You're worrying about the wrong things. I think you're actually worrying about your law enforcement anti-cannabis easy-money federal grants, THAT'S what you're worried about! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by greenmed on October 28, 2006 at 10:17:36 PT debate? "Owens, one of the featured speakers at the news conference, complained he’d never before seen a news conference where a legitimate debate by organizers was “shouted down.”Owens ignored a challenge from Amendment 44 proponent Mason Tvert to debate the initiative, which asks voters to make it legal under state law for anyone age 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.In the news conference sponsored by Save Our Society from Drugs, one of the groups campaigning against Amendment 44, Owens and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers were joined by about a dozen law enforcement officers, including Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and Weld County Sheriff John Cooke."---It doesn't seem like much of a 'legitimate debate' as Mr. Owens claims, does it? A lecture is more like it. Perhaps he should take a cue from Mr. Bush and speak only to supporters whose credentials are checked at the door, rather than from the steps of the Peoples' Capitol.A sad day indeed, for reasoned debate that is. But we know how that would result, having witnessed the prohibitionists' prop decimated by Mr. Tvert. Good on ya, Mason and SAFER!Off Topic - would someone explain how to get comment text to display in colors? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment