Pubdate: Thu, 14 Mar 2013
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: John Ingold
Page: 2A

POT RULES: KEEPING THE FEDS AT BAY

State Lawyer Says Marijuana Plan Will Discourage Crackdown

The top lawyer for Gov. John Hickenlooper said Wednesday that detailed
regulations will keep the federal government from cracking down on
marijuana legalization in Colorado.

Jack Finlaw, Hickenlooper's chief legal counsel, said the state must
show it can keep marijuana within its borders and away from children
and also prove that its regulations are comprehensive enough and well
funded enough to work.

"I believe, if we can convince them that we're able to do all that,
then they will take the same stance on adult recreational use of
marijuana as they've taken on medical marijuana," Finlaw said.

The federal government considers all marijuana illegal, but federal
law enforcement officials in Colorado have been mostly hands-off on
the system of medical-marijuana dispensaries. There is some indication
that state laws regulating the system have influenced their decision.
Federal officials have been largely silent about marijuana
legalization, and Finlaw said they are likely awaiting the outcome of
the state regulatory process.

That process entered its second phase Wednesday, when a task force
formally presented its recommendations to the state
legislature.

In a 165-page report, the Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force makes
58 separate suggestions on everything from how recreational marijuana
stores should be regulated to whether people should be able to smoke
pot in bars.

The next step is for a special legislative committee to work the
recommendations into bills. That committee holds its first meeting on
Friday.

Finlaw, who co-chaired the task force, said the recommendations will
provide a solid foundation for lawmakers.

"I see this as a gift we've given to the legislature," he said. "And,
fortunately, I think they see it that way, as well."

At least one lawmaker, House Minority Leader MarkWaller, R-Colorado
Springs, has criticized the recommendations for not being detailed
enough. The recommendations leave some issues up to lawmakers to debate.
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MAP posted-by: Matt