Conversation is the key to making history this November

In just six months, Coloradans will vote on Amendment 64 and decide whether the state will become the first place in the world to regulate marijuana like alcohol. And here's the truth: We will win this election if older folks – like your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles – come to appreciate that marijuana is an acceptable and less harmful alternative to alcohol. That is why the first and most important step in the campaign’s path to victory is spreading the truth about marijuana and changing the way many people think about it. There is no better way to do that than through interpersonal communication, which is why the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol launched Talk It Up, Colorado! and TalkItUpColorado.org. This special project and online action center are specifically designed to mobilize supporters and provide them with the tools they need to educate their friends, family, and neighbors, both online and offline.

Colorado’s state-licensed medical marijuana businesses have recently come under attack by U.S. Attorney John Walsh for locating in areas he deems problematic - specifically being within 1000 feet of universities and other schools. In the past three months, Walsh has issued 50 letters to targeted medical marijuana shops asking them to close or face federal criminal and civil sanctions. Not surprisingly, all of these state-licensed stores have chosen to move their locations or close their doors entirely.

Instead of lamenting this negative turn of events, Colorado’s various medical marijuana advocacy and industry groups - including the United Food and Commercial Worker’s Union - recently decided to publish a letter highlighting the positive things these businesses bring to communities in Colorado. This attempt to shift focus to the positive contributions of Colorado’s emerging medical marijuana community, is re-printed in its entirety below.