The eyes of Colorado’s growing medical marijuana community are set on California’s upcoming ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana for adults.

At least two different Colorado pro-marijuana groups Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) and the Cannabis Therapy Institute (CTI) have announced plans to place a marijuana-legalization initiative similar to California’s Proposition 19 on the 2012 ballot. The two groups yesterday staged events to bring attention to Proposition 19 and their own initiatives...

...“Even though California has been around for so long with medical marijuana, Colorado is the first state in the country that has established a state regulated system,” said Tvert. “Whereas California started the race earlier, Colorado appears to be on the way towards finishing the race quicker.”

Read the entire story at: http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=10222

Has the war between intoxicants formally begun? The California Beer and Beverage Distributors (CBBD), a trade association, recently made headlines for donating $10,000 to oppose Proposition 19, the California marijuana-legalization measure to be voted on in November.

The message seems clear, says Mason Tvert, executive director of the Denver-based SAFER, an organization that argues marijuana is less harmful than alcohol: "These are the world's two most popular recreational intoxicants, and they are economic substitutes. I think it's safe to say if marijuana becomes legal altogether, there will be many occasions where people will choose to use marijuana and not choose to drink."

Read the entire story at: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/09/pot_versus_beer_are_cos_two_iconic_industries_destined_to_clash_over_weed_legalization.php

The California Beer & Beverage Distributors is spending money in the state to oppose a marijuana legalization proposition on the ballot in November, according to records filed with the California Secretary of State. The beer sellers are the first competitors of marijuana to officially enter the debate; backers of the initiative are closely watching liquor and wine dealers and the pharmaceutical industry to see if they enter the debate in the remaining weeks...

...Mason Tvert, head of the organization SAFER, which makes the case that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, told Salazar that driving or operating a fork lift while high would still be illegal if the proposition becomes law -- just as alcohol is legal but it's against the law to drive while drunk.

"With all due respect to this gentleman, he is a political consultant being paid by the booze industry to protect their turf," said Tvert. "We also need to consider the fact that this gentleman mentions all the jobs that are created by the alcohol industry. These are all jobs that can be created by the marijuana industry as well. And at the same time, we're giving Californians the ability to use a substance like marijuana that doesn't contribute to domestic violence and sexual assault and overdose... and all the other problems that alcohol contributes to."...

Read the entire story at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/this-buds-not-for-you-bee_n_732901.html?ref=fb&src=sp

In California, the 'Pot not alcohol' group SAFER is a little miffed at Big Beer's backing of the No on 19 campaign. They "call on the No on Prop. 19 campaign to explain why it is working with Big Alcohol to drive people to drink.”

"We understand why Big Alcohol wants to protect its turf and keep Californians drinking," said Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) and coauthor of Marijuana is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink? (Chelsea Green 2009). "But why does the No on Prop. 19 campaign share this goal?