Stories about the Colorado activist's death

Raj Chohan reporting for CBS4 DENVER (2/19) -- A Denver man known as a pioneer in Colorado's medical marijuana community was shot and killed Saturday night after his house was broken into.

Ken Gorman, an outspoken advocate for legalizing marijuana, grew pot in his home on the 1,000 block of South Decatur Street.

Denver police said they are investigating the shooting, but were releasing few details Sunday afternoon. Family members told CBS4 Gorman was the victim in the crime.

Last weekend, CBS4's Rick Sallinger did an investigation on Colorado's medical marijuana law that centered on Gorman. Gorman had recently been giving seminars on how to use the law to obtain the drug even if you aren't sick.

Gorman was on Colorado's medical marijuana registry. He said he had been suffering chronic pain from bersitis.

A CBS4 employee recently approached Gorman with a hidden camera and told him he only wanted marijuana to get high. Gorman then filled a form designating CBS4's employee as one of his caregivers.

"When we passed the law we passed a great, great law," Gorman said to the CBS4 employee. "There are so many holes in it that for us, the patient, police can't do anything."

Gorman was also the host of an annual large marijuana smoke-out at the state capitol. He once ran for the state's highest office, and earned the nickname, "the governor."

Colorado is one of 11 states that has legalized the use of marijuana for medical reasons.

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_049181630.html

MEDICAL-POT ADVOCATE SLAIN IN DENVER HOME

A Denver man who was killed in a South Decatur Street shooting Saturday was a well-known advocate of medical marijuana, a neighbor confirmed.

Ken Gorman, a 59-year-old activist who promoted passage of Colorado's medical marijuana law in 2000, was shot sometime after 7 p.m. in the home in the 1000 block of South Decatur Street where he lived. He was transported to Denver Health Medical Center, where he later died, police said.

Police did not confirm his identity, but neighbor Alexandra MacKay said Gorman had lived in the community for four years.

"The first day he moved here, he came across the street and he was talking to me about how he sold marijuana, but he sold it legally," said MacKay, 79.

Colorado allows authorized patients to use marijuana for medical purposes, but federal law still prohibits its use. Colorado allows patients and primary caregivers to possess up to six plants and 2 ounces of marijuana.

Nearly a year ago, Gorman helped organize a pot gathering in Denver's Civic Center. It was part of an effort to make marijuana possession legal at the state and federal levels. It followed the city's passage of an ordinance that allows adults to legally possess a small amount of marijuana.

Colorado voters in November rejected Amendment 44, which would have allowed anyone 21 and older to possess and use up to an ounce of marijuana.

MacKay said she was not bothered by Gorman's activities, nor all the visitors he received.

"He was very calm," she said. "You never saw him drunk. ... He was a very nice person. ... He never had parties, no big drinking. He just sold the stuff."

She said she believes Gorman was trying to do the right thing. However, she said, she believed it would come to an end.

"I knew something was going to happen," she said.

Pubdate: Mon, 19 Feb 2007
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2007 The Denver Post Corp
Contact: openforum@denverpost.com
Website: http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Karen Rouse, Denver Post Staff Writer