Poll: Growing support for legalization; med pot industry braces for likely regs

A leading marijuana-legalization activist believes a poll showing that almost half of Coloradans’ support legalizing and taxing marijuana is a “sign of things to come.”

Meanwhile, some medical marijuana activists are figuring out how to move forward following the Legislature’s passage of bills aimed at limiting the industry.

Mason Tvert of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), a group dedicated to pointing out the ways they believe marijuana is safer than alcohol, believes the Rasmussen poll released last week showing that 49 percent of the state’s voters support legalizing marijuana is proof that marijuana legalization will happen in the foreseeable future. 

“Right now, the percentage of Coloradans who support legalizing and regulating marijuana is above the support voters have right now for one governor candidate,” he said. “Whose fringe now?”

Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, said he was surprised that almost half of Coloradans would like marijuana to be legalized and taxed. Renfroe said earlier this month that he believed Coloradans would not only reject legalizing marijuana, but would likely approve a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.

“That’s shocking to me, if that’s as high as it is,” he said of the Rasmussen poll.

The statewide telephone survey of 500 likely voters also showed that 39 percent of likely Colorado voters do not think marijuana should be taxed and legalized. The pro-legalization poll numbers are significantly higher than when Colorado voters rejected a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana on a 61-38 percent vote in 2006.

Tvert remains undecided on whether SAFER will try to get an initiative on this year’s ballot that would legalize and regulate marijuana in Colorado. Getting an initiative onto a ballot requires significant funding, and Tvert is considering waiting until 2012.

Courting women

The latest Rasmussen report found that men in Colorado are much more supportive than women of legalizing marijuana. Tvert is trying to encourage more women to support the legalization of marijuana with the Women’s Marijuana Movement. The activist group that launched earlier this month is aimed at getting more women involved and comfortable with talking about legalizing marijuana. 

“(We need to) do away with the hippies and the Cheech and Chong stoner image and start putting these new faces to it,” said recreational marijuana user Crystal Guess earlier this month. “The only way we can do it is to just come out of the closet and stop being so afraid to talk about it.” 

The latest Rasmussen poll was released the same week that lawmakers passed a bill that would increase regulations on medical marijuana dispensaries. 

House Bill 1284 would create a medical marijuana licensing authority within the Department of Revenue. The most contentious part of the measure would allow local municipalities to ban dispensaries Ń referred to as centers in the bill  Ń from operating within city limits. Additionally, the bill would require people opening a medical marijuana center to be a Colorado resident for two years and only allow caregivers to provide marijuana to five patients or less. 

HB 1284 has been sent to Gov. Bill Ritter’s desk for a signature. And though activists are still doing what they can to fight the measure Ń the Cannabis Therapy Institute (CTI) protested the bill over the weekend and a group of attorneys has vowed to challenge the bill in court if it becomes statute Ń the same activists are also preparing for what will happen if the bill successfully becomes law.

CTI and medical marijuana attorney Rob Corry tonight are holding a seminar at the Holiday Inn, 4849 Bannock St., entitled “How to Run a Medical Marijuana Business in Colorado Under the New Laws.” The class will let attendees know the ramifications that legislation like HB 1284 could have on the industry and what measures dispensary owners should take to stay in compliance.

People can enroll in the class at CannabisTherapyInstitute.com/Classes. The seminar costs $175 per person.