Meet the Parents

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol campaign is reaching out to women and mothers

Last month, Rasmussen released what many consider to be a bellwether poll: 61 percent of likely voters in Colorado support regulating marijuana similar to alcohol and cigarettes. And while men are overwhelmingly in favor of the measure (65 percent), it’s the 57 percent of women that concern Betty Aldworth, spokesperson for the Women’s Marijuana Movement (WMM) and advocacy director for the campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), the force behind proposed legalization measure Amendment 64.

Changing the perception that the average soccer mom has about cannabis policy is easier said than done, however.

Before joining the campaign, Aldworth cut her teeth in the nonprofit sector, spending 10 years in educational and direct service organizations, including seven years as the professional volunteer leader at the Denver-based Project Angel Heart, which provides nutritious meals to people living with AIDS/HIV and other life-threatening illnesses. While being able to see the impact of her work daily was immensely satisfying, the shift to politics has its own rewards.

“It’s sort of addressing the cause as opposed to the symptoms,” says Aldworth.

When it comes to women, it’s a cause the campaign clearly believes is paramount to victory this November. A series of strategic advertising buys tells you this much. The campaign’s first billboard, featuring a woman in her 40s, posed a simple question to drivers on Federal Boulevard: “For many reasons, I prefer . . . marijuana over alcohol. Does that make me a bad person?” Aldworth feels this is a key question for Coloradans, one of both moral and fiscal importance.

“Do we want to punish them for that choice?” she asks. “Do we want to expend legal and tax resources because of that choice? Do we want to judge them as bad?”

The campaign has also sought to prompt college-age young people to bring up the topic of using marijuana instead of alcohol to their parent. But it’s not just children who’ve left the nest that stand to benefit from policy reform, though, argues the campaign. Many parents are concerned that this type of “legalization” invariably means easier access for kids, but Aldworth argues the opposite is true.

“What many moms understand is that a regulated market protects their kids better than an underground, unregulated market,” she says. “We’ve seen teen marijuana use decline in Colorado between 2009 and 2011, bucking the national trend . . . this implies that even partial regulation can curb teen access.”

In a good faith measure, Amendment 64 sets aside the first $40 million in tax revenue to the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund, which provides help for students, the buildings they learn in, as well as valuable jobs in the community.

At press time, the campaign was readying the June 28 kick-off for the Moms and Dads for Marijuana Regulation campaign to build momentum and keep the dialogue progressing.

Care to spark up a conversation?

www.regulatemarijuana.org

Getting Schooled

The campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is behind the a 30-second TV spot titled “Dear Mom,” which depicts a recent college grad writing an email to her mother describing her experience with alcohol . . . and cannabis. It soon went viral with over 60,000 views, generating headlines across the country. “We’re asking young adults to talk to their parents about why they might choose marijuana over alcohol, and why they can both be comfortable with that,” says Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol advocacy director Betty Aldworth. With a single arrest risking the ability for students to take out federal loans or hurting their chances with future employers, this is an issue that’s quickly gaining traction with young voters.