August 17, 2006 - Denver, CO: The Colorado Secretary of State's office announced Wednesday that a statewide initiative that seeks to eliminate all criminal and civil penalties for the possession of cannabis by adults has been certified to appear on the November 2006 ballot.

Sponsored by Safer Alternatives For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), the measure would amend state statutes to make the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis legal in Colorado for those age 21 or older. Last year, voters in Denver passed a similar municipal initiative by 54 percent.

Sponsors turned in more than 130,000 signatures from Colorado voters to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

"The campaign will highlight the hypocrisy of laws that prohibit the use of marijuana while allowing and even encouraging the use of alcohol, an infinitely more harmful drug," said SAFER Campaign Director Mason Tvert.

For more information, please visit: http://www.saferchoice.org. To listen to an interview with SAFER's Mason Tvert, please download the August 14, 2006 edition of the NORML Audiostash at: http://www.normlaudiostash.com/id156.htm.