Pubdate: Tue, 11 Dec 2012
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Page: 19A

IT'S OFFCIAL: POT IS LEGAL. HOWEVER ...

Amendment 64 Is Now Law, but That Doesn't Make It OK to Puff in 
Public or Secretly Serve Pot Brownies.

Gov. John Hickenlooper made Amendment 64 official on Monday, signing 
a proclamation that puts it into the state constitution.

In a nutshell, here's what that means: It is now legal, in the eyes 
of the state, for people 21 and older to possess and grow small 
amounts of marijuana. In coming months, lawmakers are charged with 
crafting a regulatory framework for manufacture and retail facilities.

Here's what it doesn't mean: that pot users are free to light up 
wherever they want and that they can foist their habits on the 
unsuspecting without fear of penalty.

We'll get to the initial point in a moment, but the latter issue is 
particularly noteworthy in the wake of news out of Boulder.

As The Denver Post's Ryan Parker reported, two University of Colorado 
students were arrested after admitting to serving pot-laced brownies 
to unwitting students and a professor.

Their prank resulted in the hospitalization of three people and the 
pair now face felony charges, as well as disciplinary action from the school.

This story isn't about legalization, per se. It's about two idiots 
who subjected others to unwitting consumption of a substance that can 
be harmful and that many-even some who support legalization-find distasteful.

While we understand the notion of serving the brownies as a youthful 
prank, the harm and stress it brought to others means the offending 
students should not walk away scot-free.

Marijuana might now be legal in Colorado, but deliberately harming 
others is not.

Now, as to the issue of using pot in public: It remains illegal. In 
fact, there will be many places in Colorado where pot use and 
possession are prohibited.

Which is why we were disappointed to see CU president Bruce Benson, 
who opposes legalization, demagogue on the issue in an e-mail to 
alumni on Friday.

"Marijuana threatens to cost the university nearly a billion dollars 
annually in federal revenue, money we can ill afford to lose," he 
wrote, adding that the school must abide by federal law.

In fact, no such threat exists, as Amendment 64 specifies that 
schools, businesses and other entities can enact marijuana 
prohibitions-meaning they can still abide by federal law.

Colorado is embarking on a brave, messy path toward a more 
enlightened view of marijuana. As such, the more people who behave 
responsibly and speak truthfully on the issue, the better off we will all be.

The past few days saw a shortage on both fronts.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom