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.

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.

Read the entire story at: http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=10614

Although California’s Proposition 19 failed to pass this election, supporters of legalizing recreational marijuana use in Colorado have already started campaigning for the 2012 election cycle. A Legalize2012 kickoff event spearheaded by the Cannabis Therapy Institute took place the day after Election Day in Boulder, where speakers and supporters gathered at the Best Western and launched an internet “money bomb” drive to start raising cash.

There’s reason to believe the Legalize2012 effort will succeed here.

California’s Prop 19 failed 54 percent to 46 percent at the polls, which in the eyes of pro-legalization leaders in Colorado was actually a very good sign.

In a release sent out Tuesday night, Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation or SAFER, was all blustery confidence.

“California started the race toward legalization but Colorado is going to finish it,” he said.

Read the entire story at http://coloradoindependent.com/66469/in-wake-of-california-defeat-pro-pot-colorado-groups-set-sights-on-2012

Colorado marijuana activists, undaunted by California's failure to legalize the drug, said Wednesday they are launching two separate campaigns to legalize pot for adults in 2012.

The pot groups announced their intentions even as voters in more than two dozen Colorado municipalities decided Tuesday to ban medical marijuana centers. But advocates who want to legalize the drug see hope in Colorado, one of 14 states where medical marijuana is legal, and where Denver voters approved an ordinance making pot possession the "lowest law enforcement priority."

"Colorado is ready," said Mason Tvert, the head of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, which was behind the Denver ordinance a few years ago. Tvert's SAFER and Sensible Colorado said Wednesday they would work together to let voters decide whether to make marijuana legal for adults 21 years and older and regulate the drug like alcohol.

Read the entire story at http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20101103/NEWS/101109946/1077&ParentProfile=1058

Yesterday, we told you about the planned launch of Legalize2012.com, a drive to legalize marijuana for adult use in Colorado -- and noted that organizers planned to move forward even if Proposition 19, a similar measure in California, failed at the ballot box -- which it did. But advocates Mason Tvert and Brian Vicente, while downcast about the Prop. 19 results, see the opportunity to now cast Colorado in the history-making role.

Shortly after the die was cast last night, Tvert, of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, aka SAFER, and Vicente, who heads Sensible Colorado, jointly released statements expressing confidence that the Prop. 19 vote won't doom legalization efforts in Colorado. To the contrary, they suggest that the "no" vote in Cali will energize their push over the next two years.

Read the entire story at: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/11/proposition_19_loss_gives_co_chance_to_be_first_state_to_legalize_marijuana_says_mason_tvert.php

Safer Texas is a group that doesn't like alcohol, at least compared to marijuana.

They say they work "to address increasing concerns that our laws prohibiting the marijuana market are sending a dangerous message to the public that alcohol is more acceptable than marijuana. "

You can win $10,000 from them if you prove these three statements are not true:

1. Alcohol is significantly more toxic than marijuana, making death by overdose far more likely with alcohol.

2. The health effects from long-term alcohol consumption cause tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. annually than the health effects from the long-term consumption of marijuana.

3. Violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by alcohol is far more prevalent in the U.S. than violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by marijuana only.

The three statements are:

1. Alcohol is significantly more toxic than marijuana, making death by overdose far more likely with alcohol

2. The health effects from long-term alcohol consumption cause tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. annually than the health effects from the long-term consumption of marijuana

3. Violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by alcohol is far more prevalent in the U.S. than violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by marijuana only.

Read the entire story at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/group-offers-10000-disprove-marijuana-safer-alcohol-claim/