Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Marijuana initiative set for November ballot
Telluride Daily Planet (CO) ^ | August 5, 2005

Posted on 08/10/2005 12:59:24 PM PDT by Know your rights

While a marijuana ordinance has received more than enough support to place it on the November ballot, it was the initiative's opponents who were most vocal at the Telluride Town Council meeting Tuesday.

Speaking passionately about their opposition to marijuana use, about a half-dozen opponents spoke out about the negative implications of an ordinance that would relax the enforcement of marijuana laws and support a statewide system of legalization, distribution and taxation.

A number of supporters also spoke during a half-hour debate that ended without consensus.

The town council had two options: it could either endorse the ordinance and therefore put it on the books, or place the ordinance on the November ballot.

The council showed no inclination toward passing the measure themselves. Instead, they chose unanimously to let voters decide.

"Whatever council votes today, it's neither an endorsement or a denial of the initiative," said council member Andrea Benda.

"There's been a lot of back and forth on this, and that's what an election is all about" said council member Stu Fraser. "By Nov. 1, everybody will have heard every aspect of this ... And then the folks in the community will vote on it."

The debate was not broadcast on KOTO, since a power outage forced the meeting out of Rebekah Hall and into the firehouse next door. But the 30 or 40 people who attended the meeting heard several sides of the arguments for and against the proposed ordinance, America's Drug War, medical marijuana and marijuana use in general.

Opponents cited a variety of concerns.

Richard Kearney, a former member of the Positive Alternatives Team, which works to provide area youth with alternatives to drug and alcohol use, wondered whether the ordinance might lead to increased violence, because, he said, a large portion of "violent crime is substance related."

Marrene Reagan, a family therapist, said that while she supports medical marijuana to ease pain, de-criminalizing marijuana would be bad for families.

"Children are confused because many of the people that they look up to and respect are very comfortable using marijuana," Reagan said. "They question this use of a substance to fill these emotional holes we have in us. There are ways to fill these emotional holes that allow us to grow and are positive, and I don't think using substances is an answer. I just think this is a highly unusual step that I don't think addresses many of the issues and I don't think it's necessary."

The ordinance would not, in fact, legalize marijuana. It would merely make it the Town Marshals' "lowest law enforcement priority."

Some saw that as a problem in itself.

"I think it's inappropriate to create a priority" for the marshals, said Mike Dorsey, a former lawyer for the federal government. "Law enforcement is a flexible matter. The marshals work with the town attorneys to make their own priorities.

"You guys are trying to send a message to the state, if not the nation, that marijuana should be legalized," Dorsey said. "I think that's inappropriate for the families of Telluride. If we pass this ordinance we're saying that Telluride supports the decriminalization of marijuana."

But Peggy Rose, a registered medical marijuana patient from Grand Junction, said she would like to have a "sanctuary" where she can use her medicine without worrying about prosecution. She said she suffers from chronic nausea and cannot eat if she does not smoke the herb.

Ron Gilmer, a member of the Colorado Advisory Counsel on AIDS, said he supported the medical marijuana initiative as a way of relieving the pain of terminally ill patients. He said he especially supported the second part of the ordinance, which supports a method of marijuana distribution that would give patients easier access to the drug.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: bongbrigade; dontbogart; ganja; godsgift; marijuana; thatsmrleroytoyou; wodlist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-102 next last
To: Lekker 1

Successful pot-heads have to hide their hobbies if they want to stay successful (unless they are already rich and famous.)

-kaotic133

dean's list
national political science honor society
student government committee chair
pot-head AND bass player!

(Sometimes, a wake 'n bake was the only way to stay sane in a liberal professor's propoganda production class! And stoned outta my skull, I could still run logical circles around them! I love disagreeing with a professor so effectively they have no choice but to give you a good grade, lest you use your mental faculties to expose their bias.)

So, they tell you we're lazy then they put us in jail so we can't prove them wrong. Ignoring this law, I call civil disobedience. I call it anti-federalism! I call it being a conservative.

And until the federal laws change (or dissapear altogether.. I wouldn't miss DC much), I'll continue to support states and communities that thumb their noses at federal intrusions like the war on drugs.


41 posted on 08/10/2005 2:52:54 PM PDT by kaotic133
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: kaotic133

Dr. William Halsted, father of American surgery, founder of Johns Hopkins Medical Center, was a morphine addict.

So was Senator Joseph McCarthy, morphine supplied by the father of the WoD, Harry Anslinger.


42 posted on 08/10/2005 3:00:20 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Dead Corpse; antiRepublicrat
After just two puffs off a Marijuana joint you'll turn into a bat and fly around the room.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/936155/posts

43 posted on 08/10/2005 3:01:44 PM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Lekker 1
The best tile man I've ever known like to get high. He also was very creative in other ways and had patents pending of applications he created. He didn't drink. He would not lay a crooked piece of tile and was sought out for his creative ability's and outstanding work. I've a relative who likes to get high and work in his garden. He has one of the nicest gardens you'll ever see. You might be surprised at the number of people who secretly get high and are hard workers and very creative. I don't necessarily mean getting high on the job, most don't. I would rather work with someone who was high as opposed to someone who was drinking or drunk.
44 posted on 08/10/2005 3:09:42 PM PDT by BBell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: BBell

Shh! You're not supposed to know that! Why hasn't the big-brother-perfect-government come and taken those creative hard-workers away yet? Ohhh the humanity!


45 posted on 08/10/2005 3:18:21 PM PDT by kaotic133
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: kaotic133
Why hasn't the big-brother-perfect-government come and taken those creative hard-workers away yet?

They're exercising their remaining rights in such a manner as to remain undetected ... we'll get them just as soon as we've eradicated all those pesky rights. Doubleplusgood!

46 posted on 08/10/2005 3:25:42 PM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Know your rights

47 posted on 08/10/2005 3:27:40 PM PDT by G32
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: G32
What is that supposed to mean? Are you confessing to being a p***y?
48 posted on 08/10/2005 3:34:06 PM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Know your rights

I wish i could reply to all of you, but my plant lights went out and my hydroponics pump is on the blink. If i had any brain cells left i'd go the store and buy a six pack but i can't remember where i put the keys to my bicycle.


49 posted on 08/10/2005 4:17:46 PM PDT by hondo1951 (i live in happy valley, but i'm not happy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

yeah, legalize it...unless you eat it in brownies you won't be any better off...hell, smoking bans everywhere...even for medical marijuana, you can't smoke it in the hospital..go to jail if you smoke it outside anywhere.........sure, why not legalize it...what the heck are they gonna do with it??


50 posted on 08/10/2005 4:21:15 PM PDT by cajun-jack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: hondo1951
I wish i could reply to all of you, but my plant lights went out and my hydroponics pump is on the blink.

I'm a capitalist. I'll sell you new equipment.

What's your budget?

51 posted on 08/10/2005 4:28:59 PM PDT by Freebird Forever (AMERICA FIRST !!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Know your rights

I think you're being naive. If any town or state tries to legalize marijuana, or any drug for that matter, the imperial federal authorites would come on in and state arresting everyone and saying that federal law trumps all.


52 posted on 08/10/2005 4:52:37 PM PDT by RoyalsFan (Freepmail me if you want on my Kansas City Royals ping list)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: cajun-jack
unless you eat it in brownies you won't be any better off

Depends on the seriousness of your condition.

go to jail if you smoke it outside anywhere

Not if marijuana's legal ... who goes to jail for smoking tobacco outside?

53 posted on 08/11/2005 3:55:53 PM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: RoyalsFan
If any town or state tries to legalize marijuana, or any drug for that matter, the imperial federal authorites would come on in and state arresting everyone and saying that federal law trumps all.

Perhaps ... but this article isn't about legalizing it.

54 posted on 08/11/2005 3:57:24 PM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Know your rights

those comments were made "semi" tongue in cheek


55 posted on 08/11/2005 4:04:52 PM PDT by cajun-jack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Paloma_55
"When is the election again?"

You're very close to the truth with that statement:

"Las Vegas -- An initiative to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana in Nevada might go up in smoke, after organizers forgot to file 6,000 petition signatures in southern Nevada."
-- AP, June 24, 2004

56 posted on 08/11/2005 8:59:18 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Know your rights
"So federalism and subsidiarity mean nothing to you? Some "conservative."

So the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and a state legislator's Oath of Office mean nothing to you?

57 posted on 08/11/2005 9:01:40 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: muir_redwoods
"They may get the idea that they are old enough to decide for themselves what is good for them."

Yeah, real tough decision. What's the downside? The government forces me to take care of them when they get all screwed up and need help.

Change that part first, then we'll talk about legalization.

58 posted on 08/11/2005 9:10:57 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: robertpaulsen
"Yeah, real tough decision. What's the downside? The government forces me to take care of them when they get all screwed up and need help."

And this differs from alcohol, cigarettes, fast cars, motorcycles, mountain climbing, venereal disease, etc, etc precisely how?

59 posted on 08/12/2005 2:44:01 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: robertpaulsen
The government forces me to take care of them when they get all screwed up and need help. Change that part first, then we'll talk about legalization.

The problem is that you are one of the very few drug warriors who has libertarian views on the welfare state. "Compassionate" conservatives crave the nanny state.

60 posted on 08/12/2005 10:20:56 AM PDT by jmc813 ("Small-government conservative" is a redundancy, and "compassionate conservative" is an oxymoron.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-102 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson