Collegians seek pot vote

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

BOULDER, Colo. — A Colorado student group is urging the University of Colorado and Colorado State University to reduce or eliminate penalties for using marijuana.

The students, claiming marijuana is safer than alcohol, have circulated petitions to have measures that would equalize penalties for both substances voted on during student elections in April, the Denver Post reported. The movement’s leaders have also asked administrators to study the effect of making marijuana use nonpunishable for students older than 18.

The student votes will be nonbinding at both schools, but they will gauge the opinions of the student body.

Mason Tvert, executive director for Safer Alternatives For Enjoyable Recreation, said: “If a fraternity told a freshman to go into the woods and smoke a pound of pot, he is not going to die from that. He’ll fall asleep before that happens.”

SAFER, a nonprofit organization formed in January in Boulder, plans to create chapters at CU and CSU. The group has been heading the petition drive.

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