SAFER - Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation

"Dear CDIA Members and Citizens of Colorado,

Those who want to legalize drugs weaken our collective struggle against this scourge of our society. Like a cancer, proponents for legalization eat away at society's resolve and moral fiber. The marijuana-drug legalization movement has nothing to offer users and addicts but more drugs."

So begins the letter from Lt. Ernie Martinez, President of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association (CDIA), which he circulated in late August 2006, just after Amendment 44 -- the statewide initiative to remove all penalties for adult marijuana possession -- qualified for the ballot in Colorado. (CLICK HERE to download Lt. Martinez's entire letter and the attached information.)

Lt. Martinez continues to fight progress in Denver from his seat on the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper. As you might recall, this mayoral panel is tasked with implementing the ordinance approved by voters in 2007, which designated marijuana possession the city's lowest law enforcement priority, to the "greatest extent possible." Yet Lt. Martinez was the most publicly vocal opponent against that initiative, so it's not surprising he has no intention of fulfilling the panel's mission. Moreover, his views on marijuana are reprehensible and entirely out of line with Denver voters -- who he actually compares to "a cancer"!

Why would Mayor Hickenlooper appoint such a anti-marijuana crusader to fill a role on a panel working to reduce marijuana arrests and prosecutions in the city? It's time we ask him, hold him accountable, and call on him to rectify his poor decision of appointing Lt. Martinez.

Use the form below to send Mayor Hickenlooper a message calling on him to replace Lt. Martinez on the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel, and to let him know those who support marijuana policy reform are not a cancer... we are Colorado! It takes less than a minute to take action and encourage others to do so, as well.

Even if you don't live in Colorado, we hope you will still take action and let Mayor Hickenlooper know that people around the nation are watching Denver and Colorado, and pulling for them to set a good example of how marijuana ought to be treated in our society.

Subject:

Your Letter:

I am writing to urge you to remove Lt. Ernie Martinez from the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel and replace him with someone who actually intends to fulfill its mission of implementing the voter-approved lowest law enforcement priority ordinance "to the greatest extent possible."

Not only has Lt. Martinez fought hard at every turn to hinder implementation of this mission, he vocally opposed the very ballot initiative that resulted in your establishment of the panel on which he now sits. He and his organization, the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, have also lobbied to keep marijuana entirely illegal and wipe out the state's medical marijuana system.

Perhaps most importantly, his views on marijuana are clearly not in line with the people of Denver, who you represent, and the people of Colorado, who you intend to represent as governor.  The following is an excerpt from a letter he distributed in 2006, in hopes of inspiring opposition to a statewide ballot initiative that would have removed penalties for adult marijuana possession:

"Those who want to legalize drugs weaken our collective struggle against this scourge of our society.  Like a cancer, proponents for legalization eat away at society's resolve and moral fiber.  The marijuana-drug legalization movement has nothing to offer users and addicts but more drugs."

You can find the entire letter and the information Lt. Martinez distributed at:  www.saferchoice.org/images/advocacy/cdia_marijuana_position_paper.pdf

A recent poll of likely voters found that half of Coloradans now agree marijuana should be made legal and treated like alcohol. In your hometown of Denver, upwards of two-thirds of likely voters agree. I trust you do not believe all of these people -- including me -- are "like a cancer..."

Based on Lt. Martinez's reprehensible letter, the absurd and disingenuous information attached to it, and his continued efforts to hinder sensible marijuana policy reform in Denver and throughout Colorado, it is clear he is not fit to serve on the Panel. In fact, in light of his vocal opposition to the lowest priority initiative, he never should have been appointed in the first place.

John Hickenlooper

Office of the Mayor
Denver City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202-5337

Mayor Hickenlooper is now running for governor in Colorado, where internal polling has found that about half of likely Colorado voters support making marijuana legal and regulating it like

alcohol. And in his hometown of Denver, where voters have repeatedly made their position on this issue clear, about two-thirds of likely voters support an end to Marijuana Prohibition.

The people of Colorado want to see progress on marijuana policy reform. Should he be elected, will he represent them? Or will he make equally counterproductive appointments at the state level? After all, the information distributed by Lt. Martinez and the CDIA is not just inaccurate and intentionally disingenuous, but also potentially dangerous. They clearly accept the widespread use of alcohol, and they want to ensure adults are not able to use marijuana, which according to all objective research, is a far less harmful substance. Apparently they are more interested maintaining Marijuana Prohibition than maintaining public safety.

Along with Lt. Martinez's malicious letter was a document titled, "The Truth About Marijuana: Fact vs. Fiction," which includes such gems as:

Fiction: This nation's drug policy has failed. It is time to try something new like legalizing small amounts of marijuana.

FACT: Marijuana use has been the cause of deaths from accidents, disease and recently possible toxicity.

Fiction: Being under the influence of marijuana is safer than being under the influence of alcohol.

FACT: Sobriety is the only safe alternative to being under the influence of alcohol.

(CLICK HERE to download Lt. Martinez's entire letter and the attached information.)

If you find these "facts" and "fictions" as ridiculous as we do, please use the form above to tell Mayor (and potential future governor) Hickenlooper that appointees like Lt. Ernie Martinez are unnacceptable, and so are his absurd anti-marijuana rhetoric and lobbying activities. It's time for him to end the obstruction of progress when it comes to marijuana policy reform or explain why he will not.

P.O. Box 40332 · Denver, CO 80204 · Phone: 303-861-0033 · Fax: 303-861-0915