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Written by Gene Davis
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Monday, 22 March 2010 |
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Local municipalities would have a more difficult time banning retail medical marijuana dispensaries from operating within city limits under an amended medical marijuana reform bill passed by a House committee yesterday.
The amended bill’s passage was a victory for medical marijuana activists who argued that allowing cities to ban dispensaries, as described in the original bill, would force sick patients to travel great distances for their medicine. But the amendment’s passage also sparked the ire of several conservative lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, who originally planned on voting in the favor of the bill, changed his vote to no after the amendment passed,” he said.
Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana lobbying group, said that as he understands it, a city could still ban dispensaries through a citizen-initiated ballot item. A city could also heavily restrict where dispensaries are located through zoning.
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Written by SAFER
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Tuesday, 16 February 2010 |
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"Dear CDIA Members and Citizens of Colorado,
Those who want to
legalize drugs weaken our collective struggle against this scourge of
our society. Like a cancer, proponents for legalization eat away at
society's resolve and moral fiber. The marijuana-drug legalization
movement has nothing to offer users and addicts but more drugs."
So begins the letter from Lt.
Ernie Martinez, President of the Colorado Drug Investigators
Association (CDIA), which he circulated in late August 2006, just after
Amendment 44 -- the statewide initiative to remove all penalties for
adult marijuana possession -- qualified for the ballot in Colorado. (CLICK HERE to download Lt. Martinez's entire letter and the attached information.)
Lt. Martinez continues to fight
progress in Denver from his seat on the Denver Marijuana Policy Review
Panel appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper. As you might recall, this
mayoral panel is tasked with implementing the ordinance approved by
voters in 2007, which designated marijuana possession the city's lowest
law enforcement priority, to the "greatest extent possible." Yet
Lt. Martinez was the most publicly vocal opponent against that
initiative, so it's not surprising he has no intention of fulfilling
the panel's mission. Moreover, his views on marijuana are
reprehensible and entirely out of line with Denver voters -- who he
actually compares to "a cancer"!
Why would Mayor Hickenlooper
appoint such a anti-marijuana crusader to fill a role on a panel
working to reduce marijuana arrests and prosecutions in the city? It's time we ask him, hold him accountable, and call on him to rectify his poor decision of appointing Lt. Martinez.
CLICK HERE to Take Action and send
Mayor Hickenlooper a message calling on him to replace Lt. Martinez on
the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel, and to let him know those who
support marijuana policy reform are not a cancer... we are Colorado! It takes less than a minute to take action and encourage others to do so, as well.
Even
if you don't live in Colorado, we hope you will still take action and
let Mayor Hickenlooper know that people around the nation are watching
Denver and Colorado, and pulling for them to set a good example of how marijuana ought to be treated in our society. (More after the jump)
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Written by John Ingold
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Monday, 01 March 2010 |
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More than two years after Denver voters
approved a measure making minor marijuana crimes the city's lowest
law-enforcement priority, city officials continue to prosecute
marijuana cases at a steady clip.
Denver city attorneys last year prosecuted 1,696 cases in which
possession of less than an ounce of marijuana was at least one of the
charges.
In 2008, 1,658 cases were prosecuted. In 2006 — the year before the
initiative was approved — prosecutors handled 1,841 marijuana cases.
Police citations for possession of small amounts of marijuana
continue unabated as well. Figures for citations and prosecutions were
released last week at a meeting of the city's Marijuana Policy Review
Panel.
The continued enforcement has frustrated some members of the panel,
which was created by the voter initiative to implement the new law. |
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Written by SAFER
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Friday, 19 February 2010 |
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 Earlier this week, SAFER asked you to call on Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper to replace Lt. Ernie Martinez on the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel after a letter
was discovered in which he compared supporters of marijuana
legalization to "a cancer eating away at society's resolve and moral
fiber."
Hundreds
of you sent messages to Mayor Hickenlooper, letting him know such a
viewpoint completely contradicts the Panel's mission and that Lt.
Martinez should be removed. To our knowledge he has not responded to
you or to the media.
A response is needed, and if the Mayor isn't going to provide one, we will!
We need as
many people as possible to attend the next meeting of the Denver
Marijuana Policy Review Panel, which will be this coming Tuesday (2/23)
at the Denver City and County Building (1437 Bannock St.). SAFER will be holding a news conference beforehand, which will begin at 3 p.m., so PLEASE arrive by 2:45 p.m. As Hickenlooper begins his campaign to become Colorado's next governor, we must make sure he knows...
We are NOT a cancer... We ARE Colorado!
WHAT: News conference and meeting of the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel
WHEN: This TUESDAY, Feb. 23, 2:45 p.m.
WHERE: In front of the Denver City and County Bldg, 1437 Bannock St. (map/directions)
WHY: To call on Mayor Hickenlooper to remove Lt. Ernie Martinez from the Panel and follow the will of Denver voters
After
voters approved a new ordinance designating marijuana possession
Denver's lowest law enforcement priority, Mayor Hickenlooper appointed
a Panel to implement the new law "to the greatest extent possible."
Why would he appoint Lt. Martinez -- an anti-marijuana crusader and the
head of an organization fighting to keep marijuana illegal and wipe out
medical marijuana -- to a panel that is working to reduce marijuana
arrests and prosecutions?
Please FORWARD THIS ALERT and SPREAD THE WORD!
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