Lawsuit Filed to Reinsert Key Arguments for Amendment 64 Improperly Deleted From Blue Book

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 – DENVER – The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court in response to the Legislative Council's improper modification of the Colorado state voter guide, otherwise known as the "blue book." The campaign will discuss the details of the lawsuit at a news conference today, Monday, September 10, at 11 a.m. in front of the Denver District Courthouse (1437 Bannock St.).

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol's blue book lawsuit is now available online at the bottom of http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/blue-book.

Specifically, the campaign is seeking a Preliminary Injunction asking the court to direct the Legislative Council Staff to reinsert the deleted arguments. It also filed to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order over the weekend to prevent the Legislative Council Staff from sending the blue book to print with the improper modification.

The lawsuit pertains specifically to the improper manner in which the Legislative Council deleted key arguments in support of Amendment 64. It is also worth noting that the "Arguments For" Amendment 64 section of the blue book is now just 208 words following the deletion. The "Arguments Against" section is 366 words – more than 75 percent more than the section explaining the major arguments for the initiative. The blue book is supposed to be fair and balanced, and it's safe to say this is quite lopsided and, thus, unfair.

At a hearing last Wednesday, in what the evidence clearly shows was a misunderstanding, the Legislative Council removed some of the strongest arguments in support of Amendment 64 without the knowing support of two-thirds of the committee required to modify the final draft of the blue book prepared before the hearing by the Legislative Council Staff. State law requires the guide  to include the major arguments in support of each state issue that will appear on the ballot. The deleted arguments were: Marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol; the consequences of a marijuana offense are too severe; and law enforcement resources would be better spent on more serious crimes.

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