Pubdate: Wed, 24 Dec 2014
Source: Tulsa World (OK)
Copyright: 2014 World Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.tulsaworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/463
Author: Randy Krehbiel
Page: A9

COLORADO POT CHALLENGE 'RIDICULOUS,' TULSAN SAYS

A leader of efforts to revise Oklahoma's marijuana laws says Attorney 
General Scott Pruitt's attempt to stop legal retail sales in Colorado 
is "ridiculous" and mischaracterizes that state's cannabis industry.

Chip Paul, a Tulsa business owner and leader of Oklahomans for 
Health, said it would be impossible to accumulate more than a small 
quantity of marijuana through legal purchases in Colorado, and that 
licensed growers have too much at stake to sell on the black market.

"It's just not possible," Paul said in a telephone interview.

On Thursday, Paul released an "open letter" to Gov. Mary Fallin, 
calling on her to "rescind the lawsuit that the Oklahoma Attorney 
General has brought against the people of Colorado."

Paul said he addressed the letter to Fallin because he believes the 
decision is ultimately hers. Fallin referred questions about the 
letter to Pruitt's office, which declined to comment.

"On the surface, I understand the need to stop, or at least slow, the 
flow of marijuana from Colorado to Oklahoma," Paul writes. "To the 
naive or uninformed Oklahoman this seems reasonable and righteous. .. 
The assumptions are flawed.

"The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, along with every other law 
enforcement agency in the state, know(s) where the majority of 
illegal marijuana comes from, and it is not Colorado. ... The 
problem, at least for Oklahoma law enforcement, is the very large 
amounts of marijuana coming from California."

Paul maintains that licensed Colorado marijuana producers and 
retailers are making too much money and are too closely scrutinized 
to risk selling on the black market.

"It just doesn't happen," he said in an interview.

Earlier this week, Pruitt and Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning 
asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate portions of Colorado law 
permitting commercial production and sales of marijuana. Pruitt and 
Bruning argued that Colorado is in violation of federal law and 
creating law enforcement problems for surrounding states.

Colorado limits retail sales to 0.25 ounce for nonresidents and 1 
ounce for residents. It also monitors every cannabis plant in the 
state's licensed growing facilities, although some reports of 
problems have surfaced with the tracking system.

Paul and Oklahomans for Health circulated an initiative petition this 
year to put a constitutional amendment to a vote of the people that 
would have legalized medical marijuana. They collected only about 
75,000 of the 155,000 valid signatures needed, but Paul said the 
group will try again in the second half of 2015.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom