Rocky Mountain News
5/11/05

Group seeks to legalize pot by ballot measure
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Some Denver college students want to legalize marijuana, and they plan on taking their case to voters in November.

An activists group dubbed Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation filed paperwork with the Denver Election Commission on Tuesday to initiate the process of collecting signatures to place on the ballot an initiative that would make smoking marijuana legal in Denver.

"The facts make it painfully clear: Denver's favorite legal drug (alcoholic beverages) causes far more harm than its favorite illegal drug," said Mason Tvert, executive director of the group.

Election commissioners will hold a special meeting Friday to decide whether to allow the initiative to move forward, said Karon Hatchett, executive director of the election commission.

The group spearheading the effort must collect at least 5,400 signatures to get it on the Nov. 1 ballot.

City Council member Jeanne Faatz called the effort misguided, saying the city has no authority to legalize marijuana.
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