Denver Legalizes Marijuana 53% - 46%

[Crash1647545504]

DENVER LEGALIZES MARIJUANA 53% - 46%!

by CC Magazine update (01 Nov, 2005) Denver voters make adult possession of one ounce or less of marijuana legal.

http://www.cannabisculture.com/library/images/uploads/4570-pot_1.jpgDenver became the first city in the nation to make the private use of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older as an alternative to alcohol, a far more harmful drug. By 10.45 p.m. Tuesday night, with 100% of the votes tallied, the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative had passed 53.49% YES to 46.51% NO.

 

The Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative is the first local measure in the nation to draw a comparison between the harms of alcohol and marijuana.

 

The successful I-100 campaign focused on the vast number of health, safety and social problems associated with alcohol use, promoting marijuana use to avoid the prevalence of such problems. The campaign pointed to government reports and scholarly studies that show alcohol is a contributing factor in domestic violence, sexual assaults, and other violent crimes, as well as overdose deaths, whereas the use of marijuana has never been linked to such violent behavior and there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history.

 

http://www.cannabisculture.com/library/images/uploads/4570-Colorado.jpgColorado Medical Marijuana certificate"It is time our laws reflect the facts, and it is an indisputable fact that marijuana is safer than alcohol, both to the user and to society," said Mason Tvert, executive director of SAFER and coordinator of the I-100 campaign. "Current laws accept and even encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana, thus pushing people toward using a more harmful substance. Why on earth would we prohibit an adult from making the rational, safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol in their own home?"

 

By approving the I-100, the use of marijuana in public, the use of marijuana by people under 21, driving under the influence of marijuana, and the cultivation and distribution of marijuana would all remain illegal, much like with alcohol.

 

Cannabis Culture will update this story as more details become available.

 

Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) is a Colorado-based non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the harmful consequences associated with alcohol, as compared to the safer — yet illegal — substance: marijuana.

 

Here is the language of the Initiative-100

 

Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative

 

WHEREAS, according to the National Institutes of Health, an average of 317 Americans die annually as the result of alcohol overdoses; and

 

WHEREAS, there has never been even a single fatal marijuana overdose recorded in the medical literature, as noted by the British Medical Journal in September 2003; and

 

WHEREAS, according to U.S. Department of Justice, “About 3 million crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense. Among those victims who provided information about the offender’s use of alcohol, about 35% of the victimizations involved an offender who had been drinking”; and

 

WHEREAS, extensive research, documented in official reports by the British government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, among others, shows that -- unlike alcohol -- marijuana use is not generally a cause of violence or aggressive behavior and in fact tends to reduce violence and aggression;

 

WHEREAS, it is the intent of this ordinance to have the private adult use and possession of marijuana treated in the same manner as the private adult use and possession of alcohol;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER

 

__________________________________________________ ______________________

 

TEXT OF PROPOSED INITIATIVE

(proposed addition in all caps, underlined)

 

Amend Art. 5, Div. 3, Sec. 38-175 (Revised Municipal Code)

 

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person UNDER THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE (21) to possess one (1) ounce or less of marihuana. If such person is under the age of eighteen (1http://snowboardaddicts.com/images/smilies/cool.gif years of age at the time of the offense, no jail sentence shall be imposed and any fine imposed may be supplanted by treatment as required by the court

 

 

 

Even though I am not 21 yet, I still think it is cool somone is giving it a try, and it will be interesting how it works out. I also think it is funny, because I remeber people saying in past fame battle posts, that it would never happen in the united states.

 

 

[70rsz28]

I'm moving to Denver as soon as I turn 21!

[street pilot]

Fact is, it still means nothing to the majority. Hopefully it does work out though, and other cities follow suit. A bit ironic though, at the same time we are trying to banish smoking, marijuana is being legalized.

 

Think your employer will care that you failed your drug test just because you took a vacation to denver?

[wnaplay1647545503]

Mine has already said yes he minds. However the first day of columbus's legalization I will be calling off work. Probably the year 2015.

[Trouble Maker]

Think your employer will care that you failed your drug test just because you took a vacation to denver?

 

I'm sure they will right now, but we don't really want to get into work place drug testing in this thread. Even though it's probably headed that route, it's already been beat to death.

 

I think it's great, and it will probably eventually lead to other cities, the whole US, and work places where it doesn't matter not caring.

 

I'd love to get high every few months, every six months, once a year, just like I love to smoke a cigar once in a blue moon. But I don't because of the possibility of losing my job, which I don't agree with, but can't do very much about right now.

 

Yeah for substance abuse!

[grease monkey]

so it's legal to have it, (less than an ounce), well then how are you supposed to get it??? And is it legal to smoke in public, like say in the smoking section of a restraunt, or in your car, or in a bar?? lots of loose ends still need tied up as far as I can see....

[Guest Rane]

I believe it says private use.

 

How to get it, grow it?? I'm guessing thats what there assuming, see'ing as there not going to condone drug dealing. And if they do lay low on ppl selling weed, its only going to bet to get an advantage on people selling white, or cooking up crack to sell.

 

Legal or not I'd try best not to get caught with it. I wonder what this will do to prices on weed in Denver? Someone who lives there let me know what they oz's start running out there.

[Guest crx34]

Well, you can have it. You can't buy it, you can't sell it, and you can't grow it!? All that is illegal as far as I know. I think cops will still bust people and confinscate the goods, after a "routine" stop. They should just make it legal across the board.

[Akula]

The state and federal laws still rule....

[Putty]

Makes no difference to me.....I don't use it.

[Orion]

this ought to be an interesting winter in denver.

[NTHER91]

To each there own but that stuff still stinks like skunk nuts to me, I don't do it so no matter to me. I was just saying that if they ban cig's in resurants that shit better be banned cuz of the smell.

[Lustalbert]

I think resteruants will encourage smoking. Second hand muchies?

[Crash1647545504]

I'm still trying to figure out how weed is okay but cigs aren't..

 

They are trying to ban SMOKING in public places like resturaunts, and bars. I'm sure if you light up blunt in Bob Evans, the conversation will not go like this.

 

Waiter- "Excuse me sir, there is no smoking cigarets in this establishment."

Customer- "Oh no, it's ok, it's just pot."

Waiter- "Sorry to have bothered you sir."

 

No smoking, means no smoking. It doesn't limit it to just cigarets.

[Mojoe]

So, it's ok to have it. Where are you getting it from? Is Tommy the puff man now going to have to get a dealers liecance? How do you regulate growth and distrabution?

[Crash1647545504]

I personally think the law is designed to keep people who are getting cought with small amounts of MJ from getting felany drug charges brought up on them, and going to jail for a long period of time for somthing so minor. Maybe there will eventually be a law that says you have to have a licens?

[Drunkendubber]

^^ exactly, basically all this does is make MJ a lowest priority for denver police. As stated above it is still illegal in the state and federal law prohibits it.

 

and just to see what happens...

cigs are worse than pot on the body due to the additives and radioactive element and other various poisons present in cigarette tobacco

[supldys]

cigs are worse than pot on the body due to the additives and radioactive element and other various poisons present in cigarette tobacco

 

wow, you amaze me. Marijuana affects your body in ways it shouldnt be. You'll probably get a buzz if you inhale ammonia for a while too, theres no additives or radioactive elements in that, dosent mean its good for you.

 

But hell, let denver be the city that legalizes it, and move all the potheads there. A new reason to call it the "mile high" city. Be nice to walk on campus without two dumbasses blazing it up in the oval. Just wont ever travel to denver.