Pubdate: Sat, 07 Jan 2012 Source: Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO) Copyright: 2012 The Gazette Contact: http://www.gazette.com/sections/opinion/submitletter/ Website: http://www.gazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/165 Author: Barry Noreen Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) POT LEGALIZATION COMING TO A BALLOT NEAR YOU Pot or Not? Colorado voters will have a decision to make in November, when a constitutional amendment that would regulate marijuana much like alcohol will be on the ballot. At this early stage it would be fair to say it's too close to call, but pot legalization backers are organized, they've shown the ability to raise money and it appears being on the same ballot as a presidential election will benefit the measure. Backers of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted about 160,000 signatures to the secretary of state last week. They only need about half that many to be approved, so it's a near-certainty the measure will make the ballot. "I think Colorado is ready to take this step," said Mason Tvert, who has organized marijuana-related campaigns in Denver and backed the medicinal pot movement. A recent poll showed 49 percent of the voters support legalization and 40 percent are opposed. Such polls, taken a long time before an election when opposition has not yet organized, are not worth much. Yet Tvert is optimistic, saying "We have another 10 months to continue having this conversation." There's going to be a debate, all right. The same law enforcement groups that have always opposed any form of legalized marijuana will oppose it again. You're going to hear that marijuana still is an illegal substance as far as the federal government is concerned. You're going to hear that it is a gateway drug that leads to harder stuff. Pot backers might ask you: "When was the last time you heard of a marijuana-crazed man beating up his wife?" Or: "does it make sense to turn people into criminals for possessing pot when it's clear alcohol is a much more dangerous drug?" Under the proposal "adults would only be able to have small quantities, up to an ounce," explained Brian Vicente, a Denver attorney who has lobbied for medicinal pot and legalization for years. If the measure passes, the legislature would be able to ask voters for an excise tax on marijuana of up to 15 percent. Another election would have to be held for that. As with alcohol, there would be different kinds of licenses, but none would be issued until January 2014. Also similar to alcohol regulation, the new laws would be administered by the Colorado Department of Revenue. You'd have to be 21 to buy pot and it would be subject to sales taxes. How much money that would bring in is hard to predict, although backers are already claiming it would be tens of millions. It's less about tax revenue, though, than it is about doing the right thing. It's about time we turned the corner on this and ended pot prohibition, as we did with alcohol generations ago. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom