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Denver to vote on legal pot
Associated Press
Published October 29, 2005
DENVER - The nickname Mile High City could soon have a new meaning.
Denver voters will decide Tuesday whether to make it legal for adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. Seattle, Oakland, Calif., and a few college towns already have laws making possession the lowest law enforcement priority.
Supporters in Denver have launched a "Make Denver Safer" campaign, suggesting the change will help curb domestic violence.
"There's no doubt that if people choose to use marijuana instead of alcohol we would not have the same number of problems," said Mason Tvert, the 23-year-old campaign organizer.
The argument has angered officials.
"It's a deceptive and deceitful campaign," said City Council member Charlie Brown, who spent a recent Saturday night ripping the signs down in parks and medians, where they are banned. "Domestic violence is not on the ballot. Alcohol is not on the ballot. Marijuana is on the ballot."
A "yes" vote probably won't make much difference. The city attorney's office said Denver police will simply file marijuana possession charges under state law, which carries a fine of as much as $100 and a mandatory $100 drug-offender surcharge.
Critics of the ballot measure say they fear what a "yes" vote might do to Denver's reputation.
"People will flock to Denver to use marijuana," said Jeffrey Sweetin, head of the Rocky Mountain Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
[Last modified October 29, 2005, 01:46:07]
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