Supporters of legal pot held a press conference at the State capitol yesterday, according to the Denver Post [December 29, 2005, "Pot proponents go for state ballot"]. From the article, "If a group of marijuana proponents has its way, Colorado adults will be able to legally possess small amounts of marijuana. The organization Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER, announced during a news conference in front of the state Capitol on Wednesday that it plans to build on its recent successful Denver campaign...[Mason] Tvert stressed that even if the statewide effort succeeds, cities and towns in Colorado still would have the ability to fine or penalize marijuana users by imposing local laws. It also would remain illegal for people to publicly display marijuana."
Here's the link to the Safer Colorado website.
Here's an editorial from the Denver Post about legal pot [December 29 2005, "Marijuana push is for all the wrong reasons"]. They write, "We've said repeatedly that the national war on drugs is a failure. But that doesn't mean we favor mindlessly legalizing general marijuana use and possession at the state level. A more enlightened federal approach would include taxes substantial enough to discourage overuse of the drug and earmarking the resulting funds to anti-drug education and treatment of victims of more serious drugs such as cocaine. A reformed federal program could also require close regulation of marijuana production to keep potencies within specified limits and serious study of the health effects of smoking pot."
Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News [December 29, 2005, "State initiative next step for marijuana backers"]. From the article, "He [Mason Tvert] said he's sticking with the controversial campaign that apparently helped win in Denver: It argues that adults should have the right to choose marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol, which pot advocates blame for deadly violence and car wrecks. Even critics of the I-100 campaign say Tvert tapped into rising opposition to the national war on drugs by arguing it was diverting scarce funding for police - and for fighting violent crime - to prosecute otherwise law-abiding, nonviolent pot-smoking residents. Now SAFER is drawing support for the state initiative from a 4,500-member organization of current and former narcotics agents, police chiefs, prosecutors, prison wardens, judges and federal agents. 'The war on drugs has been too long and too disgustingly failed and far too destructive,' said Jack Cole, executive director of the international group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). 'Since 1970, we've spent more than a trillion dollars on this war and all we have to show for it each year is we arrest another 1.6 million people in this country for nonviolent drug offenses,' said Cole. 'Fully half are marijuana arrests.' Cole retired as a detective lieutenant after 26 years with the New Jersey State Police. He spent 14 of those working undercover as a narcotics agent."
Elevated Voices: "It has always been assumed that if more young people voted they would give Democrats an advantage, in part because more traditional conservative Republican messages like tax cuts and smaller government aren't as appealing on a widespread basis to young people as Democratic messages like funding for education and health care. If that logic holds true, a marijuana initiative could help a lot of Democrats get elected in November, whether the measure passes or not."
Meanwhile the Rocky Mountain News looks at Mayor Hickenlooper's possible run for Governor in today's edition [December 29, 2005, "'Gov. Hick' may be tough sell"]. They write, "But if Hickenlooper joins the governor's race, he might face a problem. Historically, many voters outside of Denver are suspicious of the city and especially its mayor. For decades, no Denver mayor has gone on to be elected governor. There are several reasons for that, from longstanding anger on the Western Slope at the diversion of water to Denver, to a perception that Denver just isn't like the rest of Colorado. 'Denver is politically and culturally out of sync with the rest of the state,' said political analyst Eric Sondermann. 'It's very urbane. It's more heavily minority. It's a place that passed a liberal marijuana law and voted for John Kerry by 2 to 1.' What Hickenlooper has going for him, several observers agree, is a perception that he's above partisan politics. That has helped make him popular with unaffiliated voters and even many Republicans...Sondermann said Hickenlooper has defied many of the laws of politics, proving more popular than anyone ever imagined a Denver mayor could be.'History is made by those who do things for the first time,' he said."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
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