Pubdate: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 Source: Denver Post (CO) Copyright: 2012 The Denver Post Corp Contact: http://www.denverpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122 Author: John Ingold JUDGE PREDICTS QUICK END TO FLAP OVER POT LANGUAGE IN BLUE BOOK Supporters of a measure to legalize limited possession of marijuana will get a second chance to convince a judge that the language in the state's voter guide should be changed to better reflect their arguments. As the voter guide went to the printer Monday, a court hearing in Denver on whether a legislative committee unfairly struck key arguments in favor of the measure ended without resolution. Richard Kaufman, an attorney representing the Colorado Legislative Council, which prints the voter guide, urged Denver District Senior Judge Leonard Plank to throw out the case. Kaufman said separation of powers precludes Plank from making any changes to the voter guide. Plank set a hearing for Wednesday afternoon for both sides to debate the jurisdiction question. Kaufman agreed, meanwhile, that the voter guide-known as the blue book-would not be printed until after that hearing. The proofing process would likely preclude printing before then anyway. Kaufman, though, said the state must start printing the blue book by Wednesday evening if it is to get the 1.9 million copies of the guide in the mail by Oct. 5, as required by law. "I believe this will be resolved Wednesday," Plank said. Amendment 64 would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for adults for any purpose and would allow people to grow up to six marijuana plants in their homes. The blue book is intended to be an impartial look at the initiatives on the ballot. For each measure, the guide contains arguments for and against. At a meeting last week of the Legislative Council Committee, at which lawmakers gave the guide a final OK, the committee took out language arguing in favor of the initiative that said marijuana is safer than alcohol and that penalties for marijuana crimes are too severe. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt