THORNTON, Colo. — Billing herself as the “mad chemist,” Lynn Reimer stood before a group of 20-some 10th graders at Thornton High School on a recent Friday.
The former Drug Enforcement Agency employee’s PowerPoint presentation was simply titled “Drug Awareness.”
“I am not here as part of the ‘Just say no’ program, because I know it doesn’t work,” she told the kids. “Learn to make good decisions.”
After losing battles in Colorado and Washington and facing a vote in Alaska and potentially other states, drug legalization opponents are adjusting their focus. They haven’t exactly given up the fight against legalized marijuana, but they’re demanding strict regulations — such as bans on marketing and penalties for the industry when minors end up with pot. They’re asking that tax money generated by cannabis be used to pay for substance-abuse rehabilitation and education programs for young people.
As more states mull legalization, marijuana opponents switch gears
