Denver Post, 23 Apr 2013 – Re: "Denver marijuana rally ends with shooting, chaos," April 21 news story. I am so embarrassed for the state of Colorado regarding the 4/20 marijuana rally on Saturday. What a sad state we have become that our so-called citizens are gathering to smoke pot when they could be doing a good turn for our city, state and fellow man instead of wasting away.

Summit Daily News, 23 Apr 2013 – Regarding John Young’s April 18 column, the people of Colorado are way ahead of the politicians in Washington, DC. The days when our federal government can get away with deliberately confusing the drug war’s tremendous collateral damage with a comparatively harmless plant are coming to an end. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a grand success. The drug war distorts supply and demand dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal of prohibition is to deter use, marijuana prohibition is a catastrophic failure. The United States has double the rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands, where marijuana is legal. The criminalization of Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis has no basis in science. The war on marijuana consumers is a failed cultural inquisition, not an evidence-based public health campaign. This country can no longer afford to subsidize the prejudices of culture warriors. Not just in Colorado but throughout the nation, it’s time to stop the pointless arrests and instead tax legal marijuana. Robert Sharpe, Arlington, Virginia – — MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom

DrugSense

The Citizens’ Voice, 20 Apr 2013 – DENVER – As tens of thousands of people gather to celebrate and smoke marijuana in Denver, police will be out in full force. But it’s not the pot smoking they’re concerned about at the yearly event, billed as the nation’s largest April 20 celebration. Instead, police say they’re focused on crowd security in light of attacks that killed three at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 20 Apr 2013 – DENVER – As tens of thousands of people gather to celebrate and smoke marijuana in Denver, police will be out in full force. But it’s not the pot smoking they’re concerned about at the yearly event, billed as the nation’s largest April 20 celebration. Instead, police say they are focused on crowd security in light of attacks that killed three at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Wall Street Journal, 20 Apr 2013 – DENVER – Like any farmer, Elliott Klug understands the highs and lows of living off the land. But his crop requires a rigorous effort. To keep output going, it is harvested every week. It is also grown only indoors. And though you won’t find this tip in the Farmer’s Almanac, his workers believe that blaring Grateful Dead songs boosts productivity.

Summit Daily News, 18 Apr 2013 – How about some good news today? This year, reports Time magazine, drug cartels in Mexico stand to lose $1.4 billion. Why? Because Colorado and Washington decriminalized recreational marijuana in November.

Denver Post, 21 Apr 2013 – Re: "We’re making a mess of this pot thing, Colorado," April 14 Meredith C. Carroll column. When will marijuana opponents stop using cliched references to the munchies, Cheech and Chong, and Seth Rogen films? I’m all for a debate on how to regulate recreational marijuana, as there have admittedly been major problems with the medical model, but identifying an actual argument in Meredith C. Carroll’s column is an elusive task. Making a list of tired stereotypes and then calling it an opinion displays as much intellectual laziness as Carroll ascribes to stoners.

Tulsa World, 21 Apr 2013 – DENVER (AP) – Gunfire erupted at a Denver park Saturday, injuring two people and sending tens of thousands gathered for an annual pot celebration fleeing the area, police said. A crowd of marijuana smokers expected to swell to 80,000 had gathered at the park to mark the counterculture holiday known as 4/20 on the first celebration since Colorado and Washington made pot legal for recreational use. The shooting happened at about 5 p.m., shortly after pot smokers shared hugs and joints in a mass 4:20 p.m. smoke-out.

Albuquerque Journal, 21 Apr 2013 – Panic Ensued Among The 80,000 Gathered To Celebrate 4/20 DENVER – Gunfire erupted at a Denver park Saturday, injuring two people and sending tens of thousands gathered for an annual pot celebration fleeing the area, police said.