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Marijuana Goes to Ballot

Thu, Aug 17, 2006 8:37 pm

DENVER — Coloradans will decide this fall whether to make it legal under state law for anyone age 21 and over to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana.

Secretary of State Gigi Dennis announced Wednesday that backers of that ballot initiative had turned in enough signatures to qualify for the Nov. 7 general election.

The marijuana-legalization proposal will be Amendment 44 on the ballot, Dennis said.

Under Colorado law, anyone of any age caught possessing an ounce or less of marijuana can be charged with a Class 2 petty offense, punishable by a fine of up to $100.

The legalization proposal is being pushed by SAFER, an organization that asserts that, compared to alcohol, marijuana is a “Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation.”

But even if Amendment 44 passes, it still would be illegal under state law for individuals under age 21 to possess any amount of marijuana or for people 21 and older to possess amounts of more than 1 ounce.

And state laws would continue to ban growing or selling marijuana; open and public display, use or consumption of marijuana; and driving under the influence of marijuana.

SAFER spokesman Mason Tvert said alcohol abuse “contributes to social problems like fighting, sexual assault, property damage and domestic violence. Marijuana use has never been linked to these types of issues.”

Foes of SAFER’s proposal have argued that marijuana use can lead someone to other illegal drugs and thus increase overall drug abuse.

» add a comment

m is for marvelous

Oct 30 2006, 7:23 pm

Hey, One step before the next right? At least somebody's trying to fight for a safer way to get messed up, and a healthier one at that. If I lived in colorado, I'd be voting with y'all. Good luck.

Cueball420

Sep 6 2006, 1:29 pm

And thats if it still makes it to the polls...

Cueball420

Sep 6 2006, 5:26 am

Good Luck Denver,I wish ya all the luck in the world,but I dont think voting it in will work cause once ya do the federal government will take all that funding we need,medical,agricultural,educational,theres a whole lot more that I forget(Im a pothead)but they wont forget,and at the moment you vote it in they WILL remind you of all the aid they can take away,like I said Good Luck.....Blaze On my brothers and sisters...

SpLiF4:20

Aug 29 2006, 1:57 pm

How can u f#%@$* fat cats in washinton don't have an idea how great it is to have magic plant we should be able to grow it where every we want not like we have nucler missales in our basments it's jus weed

harlon

Aug 25 2006, 11:25 pm

you guys want to legalize this wonderful godsent plant? here's an idea: picture it in your wonderful, imaginative, thc induced brains( toke on fellers, toke on)
about 1 million of us true tokers show up, in mass, in front of the white house and all fire up the biggest spliff we can each get our prospective hands on!!!!!!!!(is this beauty of a scenario playing in high-def in your head yet?) what the fuck are they going to do about it? toss a million people in jail? i don't think so.

in the words of the immortal V- A government should fear it's people. Not the other way around

It's time we showed these fucking FEDS we mean buisiness brothers and sisters

You

Aug 21 2006, 12:02 pm

I CAN KILL

Aug 21 2006, 5:34 am

if you could kill 1 person & get away with it who would you kill?

Peter Pan

Aug 21 2006, 5:26 am

Perhaps poopy pants prevents proposing proper postulations properly posting

Mr Gede

Aug 21 2006, 1:11 am

Perhaps proposing proper postulations prevents poopy pants

JCap187

Aug 20 2006, 11:03 pm

i do have to say this is about the best things ive read since the kerry/bush election back when edwards was runnin with kerry and he was for the legalazation, and the green panthers i have to give credit to due to the may 5th 2005 public rallys for the same cause way to push it a steop closer to life of real High Times

umm

Aug 20 2006, 1:13 pm

Prithy hold thy tongue oh base knaves with intelligence resembling that of pickled parsnips. Thy rantings and ravings art not amusing (causing mine own eyes to sufficiently dampen with unfortold mirth) and offer neither education nor truth.
Twould be nobler to deposit our rants torward the vile beast in the House of Ghostly White forthwith.
Prithy thee dost not think mine impassioned plea for unity in removing the vile villains from power to be a mere "comedy of errors!?"
exit stage up (wayyy up)

Pahana

Aug 20 2006, 12:20 pm

Have ye prepare your arc?And masses of hydro-beds?Cause thats where the shit is at mon!For all these words ye have gathered have become meaningless for TiMe has ticked away and your pure goat hair won't save your waywardness anymore.Behold the true Moses and the true jesus are alive and well.And beside me.And with Scarlet whom begath the ways of waywardness souls just as all man has done sins before thine eye's turned blind.And now the time is at hand and your blindness will be healed .

FUK U SEKHMET

Aug 20 2006, 12:09 pm

Hosea 13:16
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

Austin

Aug 20 2006, 8:48 am

Well heres the thing, the people that I have observed smoking marijuana recreationaly never get violent, fight, I feel that marijuana use if made legal would reduce the amount of coke, crack, meth and pill use and putting an age limit on it is about the smatest thing I ve heard yet. Its not like were asking to legalize drugs its marijuana yes mind altering but so is war and the government is not making war illegal.

Sincerly
Austin

fukkinfreek

Aug 20 2006, 1:00 am

send the colorado politicians to new york when you're done with them...this state needs some serious legalization

nor-cal toker

Aug 20 2006, 12:01 am

damn we all need this colorado is the shit

Outlaw G

Aug 19 2006, 9:01 pm

Way to go Colorado!

zdub

Aug 19 2006, 6:26 pm

Blame Aslinger?
He's fucking dead MORON.
If you want to blame someone, blame youreself for not getting off your ass and joining NORML and writing to your congressman.

Whatever

Aug 19 2006, 3:12 pm

This is just a ploy to start going after the growers and dealers, they say the police would go after more violent criminals. The truth they are going to spend more resources on trying to purse anyone who sells and grows and that will probaly end up with less herb on the street. So in the long run a toker probaly wouldn't even be able to find O.Z. to smoke down on.

Cdn

Aug 19 2006, 2:59 pm

We never got much of that circulating in Canada and from a Canadian perspective you can See the damage it has done to the trust and ehtics through out.

SafePassage

Aug 19 2006, 1:29 am

Through the gateway of Marijuana Lay's frito Lay's and the valley's of peace,tranquility and prohpecy's.A pause that refresh's and renew's the greater inner spirit.Mcdonalds Quarter pounders then a nap.

thc

Aug 19 2006, 12:58 am

jyyeeuuhh,

huh?2

Aug 19 2006, 12:33 am

I do agree about not driving under the influance of marijuana, same laws should apply as drinking and driving.

Harry Anslinger lied.........

HUH?

Aug 19 2006, 12:28 am

(State laws would continue to ban growing or selling;open and public display,use or consumption of marijuana;and driving under the influence of marijuana.)

I liked the story till I got to this part.

Myself being 36 yrs old can posses 1 oz or less and thats fine.(GREAT)

Problem...it said still illegal to grow or sell whats left find and steal?

So how am I supposed to obtain this delightful plant?

good luck america i think it's gonna take a miracle to get our freedom completley back............ 90 years is long enough.

KushSella

Aug 18 2006, 11:13 pm

***LEGALIZED***

correction

Aug 18 2006, 7:26 pm

*LEGAL*

420 K.G.B.

Aug 18 2006, 7:24 pm

No such thing as a GATE-WAY DRUG.
If all drugs were leagal, they would never call any drug a GATE-WAY to harder drugs.
They make it sound like HERB causes you to do coke or speed.
It's a choice you make in life to do it.
I beleive the term they should use is, " A BAD CHOICE ".

Aug 18 2006, 7:21 pm

Feargate-into a new frontier

K.D.Langs

Aug 18 2006, 6:12 pm

KRAFT DINNER is the gateway drug for sure cause I had to use beer to wash it down and then needed a phat hoot from my chong bong to get the taste of beer outa my mouth so for sure its the true gateway drug.I know a guy who's gotta use two packs of that kd cheese powder everytime now it's NuTs someone needs to put a stop to kd.

BaKeD in WI

Aug 18 2006, 6:06 pm

�LEGALIZE/DECRIMINALIZE/STOPTHELIES�

Television is

Aug 18 2006, 5:08 pm

the gateway drug. lol

gobroncos!

Aug 18 2006, 3:15 pm

If anything the gateway drug is alcohol because it gets old quick. But most people are content with marijuana.

Headgawn

Aug 18 2006, 1:51 pm

I think the whole gateway drug thing is really up to the person Using the drug. I'm from the country of Trinidad & Tobago and i have been smoking ganja since i was 9 i am 19 now and i'm proud to say i have never tried or thought about trying other hard drugs, basically i'm saying you gotta have will power.

optomist

Aug 18 2006, 1:29 pm

one step taken forward, let's just hope we don't have to take ten paces back here soon with court battles and fighting with the drug enforcement officers - all things considered, only one side will walk away from the battle

as for the guy below, i'd say alcohol is a gateway drug if anything is - mary j never screwed with my inhibitions, just got that serotonin flowing making every day a good day

FUCK THE FOES OF SAFER

Aug 18 2006, 1:13 pm

THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES THAT DISPROVED THE "GATEWAY DRUG THEROY" TOTALLY AND COMPLETLY.

THAT IS A BULLSHIT EXCUSE!

Sercel Canada

Aug 18 2006, 11:30 am

Drug testing covers our ass.We can't fire you if you don't pass a piss test.You are givin time to detox and try again.Everybody can pass it's not that bad.Safety first!Getting high is great but not at the cost of a lost limbs or death.
THINK AHEAD SAFETY FIRST ALWAYS.

Roland Papers

Aug 18 2006, 6:45 am

I certainly hope the amendment passes. All the current marijuana laws do are create disrespect for teh alw,a nd make outlaws out of millions of ordinary Americans who would otherwise support the police. Even the cops know that the curent drug laws are bullshit, and most of them seem to feel that they have better things to do than shake down some guy with a joint in his pocket. i also think that drug testing should be outlawed. What people do on their own time is none of the boss' business. My company does not drug test, and the only uniform is a company t shirt. I'm more interersted in the quality of my employees work, not the content of their urine. A first I had a dress code; "No clothing with racist, sexist, homophobic or pro-drug mesages". but its just easier to have a couple of shirts printed up, and pss them out to the kids who work for me.
Work and party hard...- Roland

weedboy

Aug 18 2006, 5:49 am

i can already forsee a fed intervention.no denver man..., as much as i believe it is my human right to posses goods created by the same means as i. existence motha fucka...will be allowed to posses pot federally under a prohibition motha fucka. we b fucked. its so american to make that money. on both sides. they want there slave trade in the prisons. and not persuing drug money is so unamerican that cops do it. its currpt illogical bullshit that i hope some old czars granma chokes on. i kno that violent revolt after violetnt revolt will continue as long as people are wanting to war with other people. for money no less u should be ashamed. pickin on minorities is crazy.so american to discriminate and prejudge and overjudge and totallyjuddge while judgeing as long as its progandasized and rationalized to the people currently presiding within its boarders. so the people can decide
the people
the people
the people
the people
im so high
i can rightfully say fuck u to many who oppose freewill. "
u cant fool all the people all the time, and we c ur lies"

8 ball

Aug 17 2006, 11:46 pm

We're with ya Doug in CO.
I think everyone knows the Drug war is a failure.
Even the people that don't do it.

doug

Aug 17 2006, 11:41 pm

im proud to say that im am one of the registered voters who signed the petition to get this on the ballot. I will make sure I get everybody I know to vote "yes" on this initiative this november. Most people here in Colorado smoke weed and we are all aware that the drug war is a failure. Most police officers don't even care about smoking weed here in colorado anyways.As long as your not selling it and as long as your not driving They usually just let you off.

Keef

Aug 17 2006, 11:19 pm

smokers should generally move towards Colorado... Although I'm sure this ballot only proves that's happened... Once enough stoners have moved to one state (Rhode Island should be next!), then the toking shall begin

zdub

Aug 17 2006, 9:18 pm

GO DENVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

right on

420 K.G.B.

Aug 17 2006, 9:15 pm

~I believe it's a step tward legalization in all states~