January 15, 2010 06:46 PM UTC

Peace Out, Potheads!

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• by: Colorado Pols

Put down your bongs and take a deep breath, as the Denver Post reports:

Three separate callers threatened to bomb Rep. Tom Massey’s home, set it aflame and picket out front after the Poncha Springs lawmaker revealed that he would carry a medical marijuana bill that could close down dispensaries.

Massey wasn’t at home when the calls came in starting Monday. He said his wife called the sheriff’s department, and surveillance has been set up at both his home and at the Capitol.

“My wife being there, she took it seriously,” Massey said. “I would have taken it with a grain of salt.”

He said he assumed the calls were from people tied to medical marijuana dispensaries. A bill that he has yet to introduce with Sen. Chris Romer would limit the number of patients on pot provider can serve to five…

Not only is it irrational and stupid to ever, ever threaten a lawmaker, but anything like this is doubly stupid for a supporter of medical marijuana: most people we’ve talked to seriously doubt that Massey’s restrictive bill, as written, will ever pass. We’ve heard that Sen. Chris Romer has promised to step in should amendments favorable to the nascent marijuana dispensary industry not be made (meaning the five-patient limit that would essentially kill the dispensaries)–this has been suggested to us as the reason he is co-sponsoring Massey’s hard-nosed bill, we’ll have to see. We will say that “The Guy Who Killed Medical Marijuana” would have a pretty hard time getting elected Mayor of Denver, so we think he’s on the level.

Regardless, probably the #1 sure-fire way to alienate everybody, including those who would otherwise be sympathetic, is to start threatening to “bomb houses.” We’ve been clear about our general support for Amendment 20, and favorability to the new dispensary industry as a sensible method of legal distribution–and a new tax base for the state. But we think we speak for a lot of influential people when we say that the slightest suggestion of violence is where our support ends: we would happily see every medical marijuana dispensary in Colorado shut down before any lawmaker made a decision under a cloud of intimidation. Whoever did this doesn’t know how lucky they are to be dealing with Rep. Massey, who has a reputation as one of the most even-keeled guys in the legislature–more than a few would have called in the Marines in a panic.

That’s our message for Rob Corry and Brian Vicente: we know you guys didn’t make these threats, but the onus is on you to put as much daylight as possible between the legitimate medical marijuana industry you’re trying to protect, and dumbasses who threaten lawmakers. This needs to be taken seriously and condemned internally, down to every last moronic-looking dopefiend (see Post photo here) on their email list: unequivocally, repeatedly. Politically, this is very dangerous stuff and plays directly into the hands of the law-and-order folks who want to shut the whole thing down–and Bill Ritter will sign such a bill if it reaches his desk.

We’ll close by noting those ridiculous gangsta dispensary ads in Westword aren’t helping either: if it upsets you to hear that, maybe you should consider yourself part of the problem. This isn’t about “free expression,” it’s about elementary public relations skills.