Denver, CO: Denver voters will decide on a municipal measure this November that instructs city officials to deemphasize marijuana law enforcement.
Sponsored by Citizens for a Safer Denver, the ballot initiative directs the Denver Police Department and the City Attorney’s Office to make activities related to the investigation, citation, and/or arrest of adult cannabis users their lowest law enforcement priority. It would also appoint an eleven-member “Marijuana Policy Review Panel” to monitor police activity as it pertains to cannabis law enforcement.
Seattle voters passed a similar law in 2003, which has led to a 75 percent reduction in citywide marijuana arrests. Several other cities – including Santa Cruz, California; Missoula, Montana; and Columbia, Missouri – have enacted similar initiatives in recent years.
Supporters of the Denver measure note that non-felony pot arrests in the city rose dramatically between 2005 and 2006 and are now at record levels.
In 2005, Denver voters approved an ordinance that sought to abolish civil and criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by citizens age 21 and older. However, local police disregarded the municipal ordinance – instead electing to enforce state cannabis laws which mandate a civil fine for minor marijuana possession offenses.
“Denver officials could have directed police and city attorneys to stop arresting and prosecuting adults, but instead they choose to fight the voters and needlessly enforce the state marijuana possession law,” said SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert, who is leading the campaign for this November’s initiative.
For more information, please visit: http://www.saferchoice.org. Additional audio commentary regarding the proposed initiative is available on the August 23, 2007 broadcast of the NORML Audio Stash at: http://www.normlaudiostash.com.