As one of only two states in the country to have a medical marijuana question on the ballot, Colorado is unique this upcoming election. In the strangest of circumstances in what critics say was "mishandling," the pot question is on the ballot not by petitioning, but by court order this time. That is because in 1998, petitioners turned in 88,000 signatures to place the question on the ballot. But Secretary of State Vicki Buckley rejected 37,000 signatures, leaving the initiative 2,500 signatures short of qualifying. [continues 358 words]
'Dread' Fred Hopson Busted For Growing Pot, Claims It's A Medical Necessity A well-known Breckenridge man has been arrested and charged with growing medical marijuana for a head injury and faces felony charges and the loss of his house and cars. Fred Hopson, 30, a 10-year Breckenridge local known by some as "Dread Fred" because of the long dreadlocks he used to have, was arrested in his Alma home Aug. 4 at a predawn raid by Park County sheriffs, with assistance from the Summit County Drug Task Forse. Also arrested was Hopson's fiance Shannon Scott, 25. [continues 1470 words]
In a reversal of policy, Vail Resorts is reducing or eliminating drug testing requirements and relaxing some grooming standards at Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas. No pre-employment drug testing will be performed for the 2000/01 season at either ski area, according to Rick Smith, vice president of human resources at Breckenridge, and Keystone sources. "We thought that money could be better spent on guest services training, more recruiting, advertising and job fairs," Smith said. Breckenridge Ski Resort spent about $150,000 per year on drug testing and, contrary to popular belief, didn't get a break on insurance rates due to drug testing because the company is self-insured for worker compensation. [continues 276 words]
The national press is accusing White House Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey of attempting to influence the content of television programming by editing and censoring the storylines of TV shows. FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN and WB have all admitted they allowed the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to review over a hundred scripts for popular prime-time shows such as ER, Beverly Hills 90210, General Hospital and Chicago Hope in connection with a billion dollar program that began in 1997. [continues 869 words]
For the second time, a bill has been introduced in the Colorado Senate that would halt new prison construction and force the state to reevaluate drug sentencing laws. Introduced by Senator Dorothy Rupert (D-Boulder), the "Prison Moratorium Bill" (SB-104) would prohibit the state from spending any money on new prisons until July 2003, and would establish a 17-member task force to reevaluate current drug laws, including mandatory minimums. The task force would explore the cost and effectiveness of alternatives to incarceration such as prevention and treatment, and would study minority over-representation in prisons and the impact on children of the incarceration of parents. [continues 758 words]
