SAFERchoice Denver - Press Articles

Rocky Mountain News
1/1/06

Marijuana Wars Set to Continue
This Time, Above the Radar

Editorial

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Legalize possession of marijuana? Denverites said yes to that proposition last fall, but after surprisingly little debate. It was almost as if opponents didn't take the group Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation and its misleading campaign seriously - and so ignored the measure.

Needless to say they won't make that mistake again.

Last week SAFER officials said they'll gather signatures to put a measure on next fall's ballot to legalize marijuana statewide because Denver is still issuing tickets for possession under state law. And while we don't exactly welcome the prospect, the initiative at least will provide a chance for voters to consider serious arguments for and against legalization in a context that actually makes some sense.

Legalizing marijuana in Denver amounted to little more than a gimmick. Police and prosecutors shouldn't be expected to pick and choose which state laws they enforce based upon local preferences. But legalizing marijuana statewide is another matter.

Sure, marijuana would remain a controlled substance under federal law and federal agents would still swoop in for major drug busts involving marijuana. But state laws remain the primary tools of criminal enforcement in this nation, meaning the overall number of marijuana arrests presumably would collapse.

Meanwhile, legalization would send a powerful message to Washington about public frustration with the national war on drugs.

If those observations sound like an endorsement of legalization, they're not. They are merely an acknowledgement that good arguments exist on both sides. We just hope voters get to hear them through what is likely to be a din of simplistic messages.

Such claims began last week, in fact, when one proponent of legalization declared "there has never been a recorded case of a death from ingesting marijuana." From an overdose? Perhaps not. But the idea that stoned motorists have never lost control of their vehicles partly as result of their condition - to cite just one example of marijuana-related deaths - insults voters' intelligence.

Nor do we follow the logic of those who cite the allegedly greater dangers of alcohol and tobacco as reason to legalize marijuana. Does anyone seriously believe that if tobacco had been outlawed many decades ago, before its risks were fully understood, that society would consider legalizing it today? Or that alcohol consumption would perceptibly decline if marijuana were legally available?

No doubt some opponents will also indulge in overkill - stating confidently, for example, that marijuana provides a "gateway" to more lethal substances. The Drug Policy Research Center of the Rand Corp. is not so sure. It makes a persuasive case that while marijuana users are indeed much more likely to progress to harder drugs, the explanation may be nothing more sinister than the natural tendency of people predisposed to like drugs of all kinds starting with the most easily obtained substance.

SAFER still must gather nearly 68,000 signatures, but it would be foolish to underestimate the group after its success in Denver. If it's determined, it will get the measure on the ballot - at which point a real debate can finally begin.
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	Rocky Mountain News 1/1/06 Marijuana Wars Set to Continue This Time, Above the Radar Editorial (Return to Press Section) Legalize possession of marijuana? Denverites said yes to that proposition last fall, but after surprisingly little debate. It was almost as if opponents didn't take the group Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation and its misleading campaign seriously - and so ignored the measure. Needless to say they won't make that mistake again. Last week SAFER officials said they'll gather signatures to put a measure on next fall's ballot to legalize marijuana statewide because Denver is still issuing tickets for possession under state law. And while we don't exactly welcome the prospect, the initiative at least will provide a chance for voters to consider serious arguments for and against legalization in a context that actually makes some sense. Legalizing marijuana in Denver amounted to little more than a gimmick. Police and prosecutors shouldn't be expected to pick and choose which state laws they enforce based upon local preferences. But legalizing marijuana statewide is another matter. Sure, marijuana would remain a controlled substance under federal law and federal agents would still swoop in for major drug busts involving marijuana. But state laws remain the primary tools of criminal enforcement in this nation, meaning the overall number of marijuana arrests presumably would collapse. Meanwhile, legalization would send a powerful message to Washington about public frustration with the national war on drugs. If those observations sound like an endorsement of legalization, they're not. They are merely an acknowledgement that good arguments exist on both sides. We just hope voters get to hear them through what is likely to be a din of simplistic messages. Such claims began last week, in fact, when one proponent of legalization declared "there has never been a recorded case of a death from ingesting marijuana." From an overdose? Perhaps not. But the idea that stoned motorists have never lost control of their vehicles partly as result of their condition - to cite just one example of marijuana-related deaths - insults voters' intelligence. Nor do we follow the logic of those who cite the allegedly greater dangers of alcohol and tobacco as reason to legalize marijuana. Does anyone seriously believe that if tobacco had been outlawed many decades ago, before its risks were fully understood, that society would consider legalizing it today? Or that alcohol consumption would perceptibly decline if marijuana were legally available? No doubt some opponents will also indulge in overkill - stating confidently, for example, that marijuana provides a "gateway" to more lethal substances. The Drug Policy Research Center of the Rand Corp. is not so sure. It makes a persuasive case that while marijuana users are indeed much more likely to progress to harder drugs, the explanation may be nothing more sinister than the natural tendency of people predisposed to like drugs of all kinds starting with the most easily obtained substance. SAFER still must gather nearly 68,000 signatures, but it would be foolish to underestimate the group after its success in Denver. If it's determined, it will get the measure on the ballot - at which point a real debate can finally begin. (Return to Press Section)