www.SaferDenver.com

There was a great piece in the Denver Post this week about the NFL's policy on player marijuana use. As per usual, the columnist uses just about ever cliché marijuana reference out there. But he does make some very good points about the absurdity of disciplining players for using a non-performance-enhancing drug that is safer than alcohol. 

In a game smeared with too many ugly headlines involving lawyers, guns and bail money, doesn't the league have worse things to worry about than if a player is using marijuana? 

 

But in an era when baseball cannot pin steroid use on Barry Bonds and there's tainted blood staining the Tour de France, it seems maybe football should view Ricky Williams and his ganja habit as a dopey joke rather than a serious threat.

This column comes on the heels of news that Broncos receive David Kircus is facing charges for breaking some guys face at a party in which alcohol was being consumed. In fact, a judge has already ruled that Kircus must steer clear of alcohol for now, as well as the guy he hit, who filed for a restraining order. 

We certainly agree with the columnist's closing thoughts:

Might be safer for a football player to stay at home, lock the doors and burn a blunt.

Students at the University of Washington overwhelmingly approved a SAFER referendum on their spring student election ballot, voicing their opinion that univesity penalties for marijuana use should be no greater than those for student alcohol use. The measure, which passed by a 65-35 margin, was supported by the campus chapters of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).

Click here to see a quick write-up about the UW referendum on the "slog" of The Stranger, Seattle's primary independent news weekly. The campus newspaper, The Daily, also ran this story on the referendum. The Daily had previously run this story on the UW NORML/SSDP group, which was Student Organization of the Week back in March when the effort first got underway.

In passing a SAFER referendum, the students at UW join those at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado State University, Florida State University, the University of Texas-Austin, the University of Maryland, the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, the George Washington University, and the College of William and Mary. SAFER resolutions have also been introduced in the student governments at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, the George Washington University, and Virginia Tech.  

Mayor Hickenlooper, you just won re-election in a virtually uncontested race and your police force can continue arresting adults in Denver for simply possessing small amounts of marijuana, a less harmful drug than alcohol. What are you going to do now?

 "I'm going to my brewpub to get wasted!"