Denver, CO: Denver voters will decide next week on a municipal measure that instructs city officials to deemphasize marijuana law enforcement.
Sponsored by Citizens for a Safer Denver, Question 100 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.
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. Voters in Hailey, Idaho will also decide on a similar measure next week.
Supporters of the Denver initiative 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 pot possession offenses.
For more information, please visit: http://saferdenver.saferchoice.org. Additional election information will be featured on the NORML podcast, the Daily Audio Stash.