With our latest ballot initiative campaign now underway in Denver, we will be taking a break from posting on the SAFER blog. However, we encourage you to follow the campaign blog at www.SaferDenver.com for all the latest news and updates. 

Citizens for a Safer Denver  has successfully placed a new citywide measure on the 2007 ballot in Colorado's capitol city. Initiated Question 100 would create an ordinance designating private adult marijuana possession Denver's lowest law enforcement priority, and it would establish a Marijuana Policy Review Panel to oversee its implementation.

Denver voters approved an initiative in 2005 (also Initiative 100) making it the first U.S. city to vote to remove all penalties for adult marijuana possession, but city officials have refused to follow the will of the voters and have directed police and prosecutors to carry on enforcing the state marijuana law. In fact, arrests for adult marijuana possession are at an all-time high in Denver now!

You can find out more about the initiative and the campaign at:

www.SaferDenver.com

Citizens for a Safer Denver will be working  hard to pass this latest initiative, as it would not only send a huge message to Denver's elected officials, but it would also force them to begin making the changes necessary to ending adult marijuana possession arrests in the city. Seattle voters approved a virtually identical measure in 2003 -- a number of other cities have also passed similar measures -- and arrests for marijuana possession have significantly declined since then with no sign of problems. There is really no reason Denver cannot do the same thing. 

This initiative campaign is a project of the SAFER Voter Education Fund. We encourage you to consider helping out the campaign by visiting Citizens for a Safer Denver to sign up as a volunteer or make a financial contribution. With your help we can end arrests for adult marijuana possession in  Colorado's capital city and make Denver SAFER!

This Saturday was the traditional Rocky Mountain Showdown between the University of Colorado and Colorado State University. Like in the past, the alcohol-fueled football rivalry was held at Invesco Field in Denver, and -- also like in the past -- alcohol led to some serious mayhem before, during, and after the game. Once again, we tried to warn people about the problems that were bound to occur if alcohol was the only drug allowed (and marijuana was specifically banned), and once again our warning fell on deaf ears. 

As NBC 9 reported:

Denver Police say stadium medical crews were called to more than 125 alcohol-related incidents. Ambulance crews took 14 people to the hospital for alcohol-related issues; 46 people went to detox. Police say 12 people were arrested and 6 were given a summons to appear in court.

Police say one person at the game assaulted an officer in his chest. The officer did not have to be taken to the hospital.

One officer on horseback injured his knee after a horse bucked him off.