North Denver Tribune
09/01/05

Denver voters will have a chance to improve the city's marijuana policy this November.
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The Denver City Council voted last week to place the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative on the ballot for November's election. The proposed initiative--sponsored by Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation --would amend the city’s Revised
Municipal Code to remove criminal penalties for private use and possession of one ounce or less of marijuana for any person aged 21 or older.

A number of experts, including Dr. Robert Melamede, former chairman of the biology department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, testified in favor of the initiative at last Monday's council meeting. After hearing citizens' positions on the initiative, the council voted 12-0 to send it to the voters. Since the council had only two options--adopt the measure without sending it to the city's voters, or place it on the ballot ˜ the council members' votes do not represent an endorsement of or opposition to the measure.

Even though all public testimony supported the initiative, Monday's hearing showed that prohibitionist sentiment is alive and well in Denver. Councilman Michael Hancock (District 11)--demonstrating his opposition to the initiative-- was the only member who abstained from voting, stating that marijuana use is a gateway to harder drugs. The so-called "Gateway Theory" has been thoroughly debunked by a number of scientific and credible studies, most recently by the RAND Corporation in 2004.

Although many Denver citizens welcome the change in city policy--more than 12,900 people in Denver signed the petition--outrageous statements by elected officials such as Councilman Hancock clearly illustrate the dire need to inform the public about commonsense marijuana policies.

Evan Ackerfeld is assistant director of SAFER. Contact SAFER via E-mail at mail.saferchoice.org or telephone at 720-275-8230, if you wish to learn more about the initiative or get involved in the upcoming campaign.
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