Newsgroups: alt.drugs
From: [l k riho] at [psych.colorado.edu] (Lora Kriho)
Subject: Colo. Hemp Initiative Project Update - May 1st
Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 22:35:43 GMT

COLORADO HEMP INITIATIVE PROJECT (CO-HIP)
UPDATE:  May 1, 1993

       The Colorado Hemp Inititative Project was formed to petition to
put an amendment on the state ballot that would re-legalize hemp for all
uses in Colorado.  This amendment is known as the Hemp Re-
legalization Act.
       
       Our first petitioning attempt ended in August of 1992.  We
collected 56,000 signatures throughout the state.  But it was not enough
to get the amendment on the ballot because many of the signatures
were invalidated for various reasons.

       We plan to start the petitioning process again, hopefully in June
of 1993, to get the amendment on the 1994 ballot.  We need to collect
between 100,000 and 120,000 signatures of registered Colorado voters
to be sure we will have at least the required 50,000 valid signatures.

       The Hemp Re-legalization Act was submitted to the Colorado
Legislative Council in February, 1993 and re-submitted with changes in
April, 1993.  The Council is in the process of reviewing the Act prior to
approving it for petititioning.  Public hearings will be held to allow
inquiries on the Act before it has been approved for petitioning.
We have encountered some opposition by right-wing law enforcement
groups known as Drugwatch and HOPE, and also, possibly, the
Colorado DEA.  Our investigation of these groups continues.

       Meanwhile, we have been focusing on raising hemp awareness
in the state, so when we begin to petition again, the public will be more
receptive to our cause. 

         We will need lots of volunteer petitioners to make this happen!


THE BOULDER HEMP INITIATIVE PROJECT (BHIP)

The Boulder Hemp Initiative Project is an environmental and political
action group promoting the re-legalization of the hemp plant as an
alternative, natural, renewable resource.  BHIP is also dedicated to
stopping the erosion of civil rights caused by the "War on Drugs".  BHIP
does not advocate the violation of any laws.  BHIP advocates the
changing of unjust laws.

Petitioning Workshops and Educational Presentations 
about hemp history and uses, the drug war,
civil rights, and other issues will be given at the regular meetings of:

The Boulder Hemp Initiative Project
every Tuesday
6:30 pm

every Tuesday, May 18th - Aug. 24th in:
Economics Room 13
CU Campus, Boulder
All presentations are free and open to the public!!!!

The first hour of the meeting is usually devoted to education.  The
second hour of the meeting is for organizational and action matters.

For more information:
The Boulder Hemp Initiative Project
P.O. Box 729
Nederland, CO 80466
(303) 784-5632