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Colorado's Largest Union Endorses Amendment 64

by KREX News Room
by Cori Coffin

Story Created: Oct 15, 2012 at 11:58 PM MDT

Story Updated: Oct 16, 2012 at 10:14 AM MDT

DENVER- Colorado's largest union came out Monday in support of Amendment 64, which would regulate marijuana like alcohol.

The regional chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers represents 25,000 members in Colorado and Wyoming.

These people work in health care facilities, super markets, packing houses and food processing plants; some are barbers or cosmetologists.

Officials from the nation's oldest building and construction trades union say the amendment will create jobs and boost state and local economies.

"Colorado needs good jobs. Workers need good jobs. Amendment 64 would be a job generator. Right now many of the producers of marijuana are doing it underground. Doesn't it make sense to bring it above ground, where we get tax dollars that are rare and scarce?" said Mark Belkin, the organizing and communications director for UFCW, Local 7.

The union also says the war on drugs has been a costly failure and that regulating marijuana would take power away from drug cartels and criminals who profit from selling it illegally.

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Julia said on Friday, Oct 19 at 8:08 PM

I started using medical marijuana after getting addicted to narc pain meds after an accident that left my right shoulder really messed up. I use medical marijuana lotion, yes I don't smoke it, and it works wonders. I will never go back to Vicodin, the withdrawal systems were horrible and the cravings were unreal. After getting clean; I still had to deal my chronic pain, so I went to medical marijuana and I never have cravings or have withdrawal symtoms like I did with narcs. You want to know what the biggest addiction in our country is? Prescription narcotics and this high is completely legal. It has also been proven that marijuana is less addictive than narcs which are made of opium. Marijuana also helps people with MS and people going through cancer treatments. This is a medicine and it should be re-scheduled to a class 2 or 3 narcotic and be legalized. I'm voting yes on 64 because prohibition does not work and it just give criminal our money.

Western Slope said on Wednesday, Oct 17 at 12:16 PM

Tell me Floyd are the big distillery's that make booze controlled by the Mob, Cartels? I don't think so, you tried it in Nam and you didn't like it, ok that's fine but why do you want to take it upon your self to go on this crusade to stop other people from maybe enjoying this plant? Is it really any of your business what other people put into their body's! I don't think it is, and as far as the children goes as a farther of two kids I welcome regulation, I know it helps make it less likely that kids will get it even though it's harmless. Remember Floyd marijuana has never killed anyone, ever! You can't say the same for cigs and booze and there legal. Like I said before, all the knowledge in the world and 6000 years of documented history of marijuana will never change your mind, what you believe is what you believe and that's ok. We agree to disagree that's the American way. Thanks for your service in Nam, even if I don't agree with you on pot I still respect your service!

Floyd said on Wednesday, Oct 17 at 10:37 AM

So, you are finally admitting it (MJ) is abused. Then you have to admit that same abuse will grow when MJ is more plentiful, the very same thing happened with alcohol. What you see going on with alcohol will be the same thing that will happen with MJ. I tried it in Viet Nam, I didn't like it and didn't go back to it. I didn't like the idea of a substance being in control of my mind instead of me. MJ and every other kind of drug was available for free. Maybe thats the kind of world you like but it's also a third world kind of mentality. This country rose out of the third world by honesty and hard work, your kind seeks to put us back into the third world for your own profit. Crimelords rule the third world, legalization and regulation will not stop them, it never has and it never will. Have I mentioned that amendment 64 is a for profit amendment? Money is always the bottom line when it comes to MJ or any other drug.

Western Slope said on Wednesday, Oct 17 at 8:12 AM

Floyd you have told this story before! Sure some folks have substance abuse problems, that's true. You seem to have this pot of gold thing going on that it's all about the money! Floyd do you even know what the cost to purchase an ounce of marijuana is? Please tell us Floyd, please tell us how it will be even easier to get (For Children) if it's regulated. Your backwards logic doesn't cut it Floyd, just admit you are a prohibitionist and stop making excuses for your stand on marijuana! It's OK to just say I don't like it because I'm a busybody, you don't know why you don't like it you just don't! No amount of science or education will turn you, you don't know why it just won't!

Floyd said on Wednesday, Oct 17 at 6:44 AM

WS, I know that for a fact, before I retired I ran a business for myself and fired several for being drunk coming to work and being high on other than alcohol. I have run jobs for other people and had the same problems, people who are drunk or high have no place on a job or around other people who are trying to perform a job. Dope pushers don't worry about those things, they like the easy life of not having to work. It's easy money selling dope, it will be even easier if it is regulated. But whether you like it or not, those cartels are not going away. It will also be easier for the cartels to know who to "lean on" to get their "fair" share of the easy money. The mobsters of the past are the cartels of today. Easy money is a magnet for the criminal crowd, regulation didn't change the alcohol problems, it will only make the MJ problems worse. A pot of gold for the pushers will leave an empty plate for the familys of users. Right up your alley, Right?

Malcolm Kyle said on Tuesday, Oct 16 at 4:26 PM

Under our present regime, certain plants/concoctions/drugs are sold only by criminals and terrorists; the huge black-market profits are used to threaten innocent civilians, bribe law enforcement officials, and buy support from unconscionable politicians; the availability and usage rates tend to go up, not down, and our prisons have become filled to capacity with easily replaced vendors and smugglers —this list of dangerous and negative consequences is actually endless. To continue prohibition is ludicrous, and those of us who can't see that by now, must be either severely and mentally challenged

Western Slope said on Tuesday, Oct 16 at 8:12 AM

Hey Floyd, do you think people go to work drunk? It would seem that just because you make something legal you think know one will have any self control, you really are a moron from the reefer madness days! I get a good laugh from everyone of your prohibition posts! Please keep them coming......

Floyd said on Tuesday, Oct 16 at 6:39 AM

The unions are hoping that people being high while on the job will be an uncentive to join the unions. Again, money is involved, the unions can use fresh intake of dues no matter how small it will be. MJ takes money away from the family especially in hard times. Leave it up to the pushers to make sure they have an income whether the customers familys have it or not. Regulation means that more familys will do without, just like those who have problems with alcohol.

Rufus said on Tuesday, Oct 16 at 6:25 AM

Sounds to me like UFCW is hoping to get more members and disguising it as "Amendment 64 would be a job generator".

Brockland said on Tuesday, Oct 16 at 1:04 AM

Consider INVESTING in the full legalization movement with stock symbol MJNA (Medical Marijuana Inc) -- With the most recent polls surging in Washington (37 and 24 point leads -- ALL with majority leads) and Colorado (11 and 5 points leads), there's no telling where this will go in November.

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