Who is the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition?

Our mission is to reverse the trend of mass incarceration in Colorado. We are a coalition of nearly 7,000 individual members and over 100 faith and community organizations who have united to stop perpetual prison expansion in Colorado through policy and sentence reform.

Our chief areas of interest include drug policy reform, women in prison, racial injustice, the impact of incarceration on children and families, the problems associated with re-entry and stopping the practice of using private prisons in our state.

If you would like to be involved please go to our website and become a member.


Friday, January 08, 2010

Lawmakers crafting medical-pot bill struggle for middle ground - The Denver Post

Lawmakers crafting medical-pot bill struggle for middle ground - The Denver Post

The state lawmakers drafting a major medical-marijuana regulation bill plan to meet with representatives from the state attorney general's office today to work on a compromise to include more law-and-order language in the bill.

At the same time, medical-marijuana advocates are blasting the current version of the bill, arguing it is already too restrictive. On Thursday, attorney Rob Corry sent a letter to state Sen. Chris Romer, the Denver Democrat who is crafting the legislation, saying the bill "cannot be supported by any serious patient or caregiver in Colorado's medical-marijuana community."

Earlier this week, Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, said medical-marijuana advocates would work to put a ballot issue before voters if the legislature passes a bill it feels clamps down too hard on the booming medical-marijuana industry.

"We're somewhat concerned that this bill is going to be reflective of the law-enforcement agenda as opposed to looking out for what's really best for patients," Vicente said Thursday.

State Rep. Tom Massey — a Republican from Poncha Springs who is working with Romer on the bill — said the pair continues to negotiate with both sides of the medical- marijuana debate, but recognizes there are "legitimate law-enforcement concerns" their current bill does not address.

Those concerns include better defining the role of a medical-marijuana caregiver and tightening the rules for doctors who recommend medical marijuana.



Read more:http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14145589#ixzz0c1yNK7XR

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