He’s been called the “Don Draper of Pot,” a “Jewish Pot Activist,” and “Marijuana’s Top Evangelist.” In 2012, he paid a protestor to dress up in a chicken suit and follow then-Gov. John Hickenlooper around the streets of Denver with a sign that said, “Hey Mayor Chickenlooper, What’s So Scary About Marijuana?’” Hickenlooper, who voted against Amendment 64, has since said he “was wrong” to oppose legalizing cannabis at the time.
He co-authored the book, “Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?” and founded Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER, as well as the SAFER Voter Education Fund. His skillful debate tactics, in-depth policy knowledge and incredibly dry sense of humor ultimately led to the successful legalization of cannabis in the state of Colorado. The rest of the country began to follow suit.
These days, he just goes by Mason. He enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles in his free time. He also plays in a band. He doesn’t spend much time coordinating chicken suit stunts anymore. As the state marks a decade since legalizing marijuana, Mason Tvert shares his reflections on the movement’s trajectory, its triumphs and setbacks and the road ahead on the Bucket List Community Cafe Podcast.
Despite the dramatic transformation in public opinion and policy, there are still barriers to progress. Tvert emphasized the economic boom that the legalization brought to Colorado, especially through tax revenues from marijuana sales that go to schools and other community projects. But the industry has had growing pains. One of the most problematic parts of the marijuana industry has to do with who gets to profit from it. This comes down to social equity in cannabis licensing.
“It’s a very tricky situation,” Tvert explained. “The conversation on equity surrounds business opportunities and licensing and things of that nature. It’s the right conversation to be having.”
Denver’s recent law decriminalizing psilocybin draws parallels with some earlier cannabis reform efforts. Tvert pointed out that today, there is a different societal attitude regarding psychedelics. People don’t hold the same stigma around it, which suggests that there is a path forward that prioritizes mental health and scientific research. In the past, when cannabis was legalized, scientific research wasn’t so readily available to us, which led to much more misinformation and the age of “reefer madness.”
Reflecting on a decade of legalization, Tvert’s conversation with Bucket List is not just a look back but a roadmap for future endeavors in drug policy reform. “I would just encourage anyone who consumes any of these substances… to be informed about what they’re consuming, and to do it responsibly,” he concludes, “if you’ve had an experience with psychedelics or with cannabis that has benefited you in some way, it is still very helpful to talk to people about that.”
