...alleged sponsor of group backing restrictive medical marijuana laws

Hardly a day goes by without Mason Tvert, head of SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation), going after some individual or institution standing in the way of legalizing marijuana use for adults in Colorado and beyond. Still, his latest target is a surprise: Starbucks, the ubiquitous peddler of a highly addictive substance -- coffee.

Why? According to a manifesto on SAFER's website, "The Colorado Drug Investigators Association (CDIA), the group spearheading anti-marijuana lobbying efforts, is sponsored by several local and national businesses including Starbucks Coffee, Glock handguns, and -- you guessed it -- members of the alcohol industry!"

With this in mind, Tvert is staging a news conference at a Denver Starbucks at noon today, calling for a boycott of the chain until it disassociates itself from the CDIA. But don't rest easy, gun-packers and booze manufacturers. He may be coming after you next. Get details about the press conference below:

Marijuana reform backers to boycott Starbucks Coffee nationwide until it withdraws sponsorship of law enforcement group lobbying to keep marijuana illegal and protect the "Arrest and Prosecution Industry"

WHAT: News conference to announce the marijuana reform movement's nationwide boycott of Starbucks and other businesses until they withdraw their sponsorships of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, a group of law enforcement officials lobbying against the establishment of a regulated system of medical marijuana dispensaries so they can continue arresting and prosecuting people for marijuana

WHEN: TODAY, Thursday, January 21, 12 p.m.

WHERE: In front of the Starbucks located at 300 E. 6th Avenue, Denver (NE corner of Grant St. and 6th Ave.)

WHO: Mason Tvert, SAFER executive director and coauthor of Marijuana Is Safer: So Why are We Driving People to Drink?

Statement from Mason Tvert

"According to a recent report in The Denver Post, state and federal law enforcement officials have been meddling in Colorado's legislative process, lobbying for measures that would shut down every medical marijuana dispensary in order to protect their industry of arresting and prosecuting marijuana users and producers.

"About 65 percent of Coloradans want to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries and create new legitimate, state-licensed businesses with hundreds of new taxpaying employees. The Colorado Drug Investigators Association wants to ban these new businesses so its members can continue spending taxpayer money to arrest and prosecute people involved with medical marijuana.

"It's no surprise that law enforcement organizations and their leaders -- whose jobs are dependent on maintaining the war on marijuana -- are lobbying to kill state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. But Starbucks and other companies' funding of this war should strike any marijuana consumer or reform supporter as truly appalling. It's time to stand up and send them all a message.

"Our call for a boycott went out late last night and our supporters have already sent hundreds of e-mails to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, letting him know we will keep pushing for this boycott -- and will ask other marijuana policy reform organizations to join us -- until Starbucks disassociates itself from the Colorado Drug Investigators Association.

"We won't be giving our bucks to Starbucks until it stops giving its bucks to the Arrest and Prosecution Industry's war on marijuana."