Boulder Event Draws 10,000 - Some to Party, Some to Be Advocates It was a warmer-than-average, sunny day in Boulder on Sunday. And around 4:20 p.m. on the University of Colorado campus, the sky grew unusually hazy. Cheers erupted along with a heavy cloud of smoke as an estimated 10,000 people - mostly CU students joined by friends from out of town and some local residents - lit up to celebrate at an annual pot-smoking rally. Some said they were there to advocate for the legalization of marijuana. Others - including some who came just to watch - said it was all for fun. [continues 448 words]
People in Denver are more likely to go to prison for drug offenses than residents in almost all other urban areas of the country, according to a study made public today. About 147 of every 100,000 Denver residents served time for drugs in 2002, according to the study by the nonprofit Justice Policy Institute, which studies alternatives to imprisonment. The 2002 data was the most recent and complete available, the group said. That placed Denver 12th out of the 198 most populous counties nationwide - higher than New York, Los Angeles and Detroit. The highest were the counties that include Bakersfield, Calif.; Atlantic City, N.J.; and New Orleans. [continues 275 words]
Help in Drug Busts Lauded, But Critics Decry Privacy Loss The number of phones secretly wiretapped by Colorado law enforcement hit a 10-year high last year, leading to large drug busts statewide while raising concerns about the privacy of innocent people. The increase in the court-authorized wiretaps was led by the U.S. Attorney's Office, which used 108 wiretaps in its first year under U.S. Attorney for Colorado Troy Eid. That's four times the number used in the 12 months prior to Eid's August 2006 arrival, according to data from his office. [continues 1121 words]
The group that persuaded voters to legalize small amounts of marijuana in Denver has set its sights on the University of Colorado at Boulder. SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) will ask CU students today to boycott Coors products until the Board of Regents agrees to reduce penalties for students caught on campus with pot, executive director Mason Tvert said. The Coors family and Molson Coors Brewing Co. have been longtime supporters of CU. This year, for example, Molson Coors is paying $392,000 to sponsor CU football and basketball. The agreement allows the company to advertise in CU stadiums and on TV and radio broadcasts. [continues 237 words]
One man told the audience of overdosing five times on heroin before being arrested - a moment he calls the answer to his prayers. His mother recalled how she prayed over her son's hospital bed the night of his first overdose, and how she pledged not to let the drugs win. Another mother - this one not so blessed - told of learning too late that her daughter was using illegal club drugs. A Kane County judge said it was the death of another young person that prompted him to start a court anti-drug program that combines law enforcement and treatment. [continues 766 words]
It should have been a Christmas present, tucked under the tree in her mother's new Rolling Meadows home. Instead, Kelley's family gave the navy blue Ann Taylor suit -- selected because it complemented the young woman's auburn hair --to the funeral director, who dressed Kelley in it for her memorial service. Kelley McEnery Baker was 23 when she and her boyfriend, Patrick, died from overdoses of the illegal club drug Ecstasy two years ago. [continues 3222 words]
Chances are the carpool mom who makes a turn against a red light isn't a member of a gang, coming from a drug buy or carrying a semi-automatic under her seat. But if an Elgin police officer sees her, she's going to get stopped. The approach may seem ridiculous to some, who argue that in the wake of a recent rash of violent gang crimes, Elgin police surely have something more important to do. But that's the essence of the zero tolerance policy city officials outlined this week: Anyone and everyone caught breaking the law in Elgin - no matter how minor the infraction - will be stopped and questioned. [continues 448 words]
