Marijuana Policy Project

Denver's favorite marijuana activist, Mason Tvert, is mad. Again.

Tvert, who has led successful campaigns to decriminalize marijuana and make marijuana prosecution the city's lowest law enforcement priority, is upset that Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey plans to crack down on parents growing the plant.

At a press conference Thursday, Morrissey said, "I want it clear that the Denver DAs office is committed to prosecuting people that are involved in using, selling, buying, making, narcotics around their children or children that they're responsible for."

Morrissey's office says any individual caught cultivating drugs, including marijuana, will now face felony child abuse charges.

But Tvert, with his usual flair, disagreed.

"Of course people should not be cooking meth with kids around, but there is really no justification [to cracking down] when it comes to [marijuana] growing," he said in an e-mail to supporters. "If he really cared about the kids of marijuana growers he wouldn't imprison their parents for growing plants less harmful than the scotch he drinks."

Previously, Tvert has taken on other politicos for their distribution of alcohol. Targets included beer baron Pete Coors during his failed 2006 U.S. Senate bid and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a former owner of several Denver bars.