The Los Angeles Times reports:

Proponents of an initiative to make California the first state to legalize marijuana have collected about 693,800 signatures, virtually guaranteeing that the measure will appear on a crowded November ballot.

The initiative would make it legal for anyone 21 and older to possess an ounce of marijuana and grow plants in an area no larger than 25 square feet for personal use. It would also allow cities and counties to permit marijuana to be grown and sold, and to impose taxes on it...

Polls have shown growing support nationwide for legalization. In California, a Field Poll taken in April found that 56% of voters in the state and 60% in Los Angeles County want to make pot legal and tax it.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this very exciting initiative campaign and to find out how you can lend it your support.

SAFER and supporters of marijuana policy reform have won Round 1 in the fight against the Arrest and Prosecution Industry and the companies that sponsor their efforts to keep marijuana illegal.

After being subjected to an action that resulted in thousands of e-mail messages and several unflattering news accounts, the Colorado Drug Investigators Association (CDIA) shut down its Web site entirely and many of its "sponsors" distanced themselves from the extremist anti-marijuana organization. Apparently this law enforcement group has far less support in the community than it had led people to believe on its Web site. Needless to say, we're not surprised. We are, however, shocked that this group would list any company as a sponsor without receiving permission.

Starbucks, the largest "sponsor" listed and a primary target of SAFER's call to action, released a public statement to ensure everyone knows it does NOT support the anti-marijuana group at the national level. Rather, the company said, "It is up to the discretion of our local teams to support those groups that are relevant in their neighborhoods."

Although we feel Starbucks should develop a policy prohibiting its stores from lending support to these types of groups, and that it should be looking into groups like the CDIA who have used their logo without permission, SAFER is no longer calling for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks or these other companies.

As the Seattle Weekly's blog put it:

"[This Starbucks boycott is] nothing but a minor brew-ha-ha. But more evidence that we've now entered an (amazing) alternate dimension, where speaking out against pot actually gets you more bad PR than speaking out for it."

The spring semester is just beginning at colleges and universities around the nation, and the SAFER Campuses Initiative is off to an early start.

We're already helping several campuses get their efforts off the ground, and we'll continue to help them and others work to change campus policies and spark public debate about the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol.  

Please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it today to let us know if you are interested in working with SAFER on your campus or at one near you.

Whether you're interested in running a full-blown SAFER campaign, or simply taking part in a huge Nationwide Day of Action we are planning, we want to hear from you!  We will be able to provide you with a great deal of support, including instructions, materials, and direct assistance.

Read on for more information about the SAFER Campuses Initiative and how to be part of it!