[420 Girl]

Marijuana proponents are renewing discussion on the legality of the drug in Colorado.

Political activists and marijuana enthusiasts met on the campus of Regis University in Denver on Saturday morning for the first statewide Marijuana Reform Seminar.

The free event, hosted by Safer Alternative For Recreation and Sensible Colorado, drew a crowd of roughly 200.

"We're here to learn how to change the laws, not break the laws," Brian Vicente, the director of Sensible Colorado, said. "We want to come out of this a stronger, more sound, movement."

Vicente, who is an active criminal defense attorney in Colorado, explained the current legal climate behind the substance.

The most recent success for recreational usage, he said, was in 2005 when Denver voters legalized possession of under an ounce of marijuana for any person over the age of 21. In 2006, an initiative to apply the Denver initiative on a statewide level fell short with 41 percent support rating.

"We need to move forward incrementally," Vicente said.

SAFER Campaign Director Mason Tvert said he believes the vision of a successful reformation would be for marijuana to be legally compared to alcohol.

"Marijuana is, without a doubt, safer than alcohol," Tvert said. "We need to find ways to relate to people, and we have this message."

Tvert introduced a number of panelists, including journalist Jason Salzman of the Rocky Mountain News, CU biology Professor Dr. Robert Melamede and District 12 Rep. Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville.

Weissmann discussed the necessity of lobbying elected officials to make changes.

"We frankly just listen to each other... unless there's an effort for people to get a hold of us," Weissmann said.

Weissmann told attendees that the most effective way of lobbying was by creating long-standing personal relationships with elected officials and continue to push their message.

"The people who I remember more aren't folks who wrote a check, but the people who went door-knocking," he said.

Weissmann added that students in particular can expect to face challenges when approaching elected officials for representation.

"You have an extra hurdle, quite frankly," he said, addressing a CU student in the crowd. "There's this first impression that… (students) have no idea what they're talking about. You have to take that, and move on… and try to prove us wrong by knowing your stuff."

Alex Douglas, a junior communication major at CU and coordinator of the CU chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he thought the seminar was an important education opportunity for his organization.

"It was extremely beneficial for our board members and student members," Douglas said. "It was just a lot of fun."

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