NEWS: Denver Voters OK Possession of Marijuana

The nickname Mile High City may now take on an entirely new meaning. Denver residents have voted to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. One Hundred percent of the precincts reported early Wednesday morning, with 54% for the ordinance, and 46% against it. The new measure will allow residents over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.



I personally feel that this may be a good move with the recent discovery that Cannabinoid injections sprout new neurons in mice, as well as growing some current brain cells. I also believe that if more major cities make the same measure, we would see a drop in overall drug related crimes. For instance look at Amsterdam where marijuana has been legalized. The Netherlands has one of the lowest crime rates among major countries. Granted legalizing possession of marijuana will not solve all of our crime problems, but I feel it will overall atleast slow our problems with drug crimes.

Related News Links:
www.newsday.com
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[edit on 2-11-2005 by noslenwerd]

[edit on 2-11-2005 by noslenwerd]

Mile High City..

Did they approve of selling it, or growing it? Possession is fine, but you have to get your stash somewhere...

...in Amsterdam. Marijuana is ILLEGAL there. Local police simply look the other way at minor marijuana related offenses. I think it would be more appropriate to call it decriminalized.

ernieinamsterdam.com...

This is great news, and a good start in the right direction as far as drug policy goes in this country...hopefully other places will start to see the futility of the war on drugs and adopt similar ideals.

This is very exciting news.

I look forward to keeping an eye on Denver's crime statistics, and hopefully using this information to lend credence to the argument that pot is not a detriment to society; rather, it is an inevitability.

Thumbs up to the citizens and government of Denver; this is a step in the right direction, and one that I hope to see other cities take in the near future

This won't change much. I personally wouldnt be surprised if the Federal Government moved in to overturn this like they did to California when they legalized medical marijuana. They'll definatly do the same here.

Regardless if Marijuana is legal or not, I very seriously doubt the corporations and business of the area will change their drug policies. So regardless, people that smoke will be left without a job and have a very hard time finding one.

The only thing this will change, is the amount of criminals being thrown in jail for drug related charges.

And an ounce? That's a damn lot of weed. A quarter ounce would last me a month..

There's also this little bit of the story that was overlooked.

Authorities, though, said state possession laws will be applied instead.

So basically, having marijuana on you is still illegal if you get pulled over by a state patrol. I think.. it's kinda vague.

City Council members pointed out that 99 percent of the marijuana cases in Denver are prosecuted under state law.

Basically, what I gather from all of this.. is that the police officers now have the option to "look the other way". But according to state laws, possession, in Denver and likewise, is still illegal.

[edit on 11/2/2005 by QuietSoul]

Kozmo-Marijuana is NOT legal...in Amsterdam. Marijuana is ILLEGAL

It was until recently...
the new election made promises of cleaning up the city, and instead, they just look the other way, and put up useless laws...

in any country where drugs are legal/decriminalized, they have less problem with them...
less addicts
less crime
less expense on fighting a useless winless war.
less corruption

do we need to spell it out...

drug war= warm fuzzy feeling for the leading baby boomer constituents at a very large cost per fuzzy feeling. and that is the only benefit. All other ramifications of the war are a negative influence.



[edit on 2-11-2005 by LazarusTheLong]

Toronto has similiar rules now. The only way you can get busted for Weed now is to be A. Obviously Underage and B. Dealing and Smoking in public and they won't even haul your ass down the station anymore, they just book you and charge you right on the spot then they tell you they will be contacted about their court date and to stay out of trouble and they take the cuffs off and let them go. As for the sentancing it rarely results in jail time anymore mostly just community service or probation etc. The major issue in my city is not Marijuana it's the Guns for Cocain trade and the spread of meth that is worrying everyone now. Such policies give the Police officers more resources to fight real criminals.

You can still be arrested and put in jail for possession of pot in denver, city and state laws do not trump Federal Laws. Indeed, there's probably going to be a Federal Crackdown in Denver, like in California, before long.


And as a reminder,
T&C 16
Discussion of illegal activities such as drug use, drug paraphernalia, hacking, etc. are strictly forbidden

So lets keep the conversation about the laws and issues.

Originally posted by QuietSoul
This won't change much. I personally wouldnt be surprised if the Federal Government moved in to overturn this like they did to California when they legalized medical marijuana. They'll definatly do the same here.

Great minds think A like. I was thinking the very same here.

Can you see the cop who arrests the guy now for DUI while using drugs and the guy argues well they say I can have it now you are telling me I cannot use it

Denver here I come!!! Actually I quit smoking years ago but if alcohol and tobacco are legal pot should be as well...the most violence pot smokers get into is fighting over the potato chips.

I'm happy to hear this, prohibition of drugs (especially marijuana) is pretty stupid IMHO.
'
As already stated, federal and state laws still apply; however, as more and more localities pass similar resolutions to stop arresting people under such laws, it will become practically impossible for the other authorities to do it.

lovely, just what we need... another addictive substance for the weak minded sheeple to consume so the corporations can get another hook into them.

smoke up kids, destroy a few more brain cells and spread a few more fallacies about your addiction of choice. The rest of us will just have to deal with having jobs, insurance, etc. since you can bet they're not changing their policies for you.

makes a ceratain amount of sense tho, the breast cancer, alcoholism, aids and depression craze has died down, time for them to invent a new problem and label a bunch of would be victims with teh disease label again.

aside from all this, its an interesting political message. I'd love to see the industrial hemp business come back like it was before the paper and textileindustry had them forced out. but, unfortunately for the pot heads and pseudo hippies out there, that kind of hemp isn't getting you high either.

It is only a matter of time before the feds move in and say it a fed issue not a state/local and start arresting people.

Originally posted by CoffinFeeder
lovely, just what we need... another addictive substance for the weak minded sheeple to consume so the corporations can get another hook into them.

smoke up kids, destroy a few more brain cells and spread a few more fallacies about your addiction of choice. The rest of us will just have to deal with having jobs, insurance, etc. since you can bet they're not changing their policies for you.

makes a ceratain amount of sense tho, the breast cancer, alcoholism, aids and depression craze has died down, time for them to invent a new problem and label a bunch of would be victims with teh disease label again.

aside from all this, its an interesting political message. I'd love to see the industrial hemp business come back like it was before the paper and textileindustry had them forced out. but, unfortunately for the pot heads and pseudo hippies out there, that kind of hemp isn't getting you high either.

People were already smoking way before it was even an issue in the senate floor. And I have a job, I go to school, I have insurance, and etc..We are people too you know?

[edit on 2-11-2005 by Frosty]

Cheers, Coffinfeeder, have you ever had a drink in your life? Have you ever enjoyed yourself in any way? I can only assume that the answer is yes...

Live and let live, l'il buddy. I don't tell you how to get your kicks; don't tell me how to get mine. And DAMN sure don't tell me I'm a bad or irresponsible person for doing so!

For the record, I think it should be completely legal and available to adults, just as alcohol is. The drug war is failed policy and continues to cost us far more than it has ever returned, in addition to ruining lives more than the drug itself. Example... What about the otherwise responsible professional who holds an excellent job, pays his taxes and his bills, owns a home, is a responsible consumer and contributes constructively to the economy while caring for a family... yet suddenly he is arrested while buying his ounce of pot that will likely last him 6 months and a stupid state mandatory law requires him to be a.) charged with a felony, b.) charged with intent to distribute because of the quantity and if found guilty to c.) be sentenced to a mandatory sentence of 5 years!? The jury would love to cut this guy a break but the letter of the law basically requires that they convict due to the evidence. Now this otherwise responsible professional has just become a convicted felon, loses his job, goes to jail and then... I think you get the idea. And for those of you who think that the system is set up to ensure that this doesn't happen, WRONG! Happens every single day.

See what I'm saying CoffinFeeder??? Hey coffin... you drink, smoke cigarettes, take medication??? If so, you need to take a good hard look in the mirror and really think about whether or not you are being fair to those who might use marijuana responsibly. I can assure you they do exist.

Finally, whereas this is exciting news that there is a piece of positive media on the attempted decriminalization of marijuana, state law always trumps local law and as the man said, state law will, as it has been, be applied to such posession cases. Also, you can completely assume that the Fed Gov't will apply the Interstate Commerce Clause to ensure that Federal law can trump this act. But, ya know, this is a good thing because, like California and the other states that attempted to exercise state's rights in legalizing medical marijuana, it demonstrates that the tide is turning. The general public is becoming more educated, accepting and understanding of marijuana. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon, very soon there will be a freedom of choice.

Originally posted by CoffinFeederjust what we need... another addictive substance for the weak minded sheeple to consume so the corporations can get another hook into them.

Another substance? Marajuana is not new, it has been around forever. And anyone who wants to smoke pot now already is and can get it anytime they want.

[edit on 2-11-2005 by craig732]

[edit on 2-11-2005 by craig732]

You know what the war on drugs and the war on terror have in common? Both are perpetuated by the U. S. government and have no end in sight.

An interesting article I read the other day:

Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic

Since marijuana is illegal then tobacco should be as well. The argument for keeping it illegal is that the government is protecting you from harming yourself, yet tobacco presents a much higher risk to your health than marijuana does.

Originally posted by CoffinFeeder
lovely, just what we need... another addictive substance for the weak minded sheeple to consume so the corporations can get another hook into them.

smoke up kids, destroy a few more brain cells and spread a few more fallacies about your addiction of choice. The rest of us will just have to deal with having jobs, insurance, etc. since you can bet they're not changing their policies for you.

Actually, if marijuana were legalized in America (and I mean ACTUALLY legalized) then most pot smokers would grow their own and there wouldn't be some "marijuana corporation" trying to get little kids hooked by marketing it through Joe Camel or whatever. And if all potsmokers couldn't hold down jobs, pay for insurance, etc, then there wouldn't much of a marijuana industry in America. I mean, you have to get the money to buy pot from somewhere right? And please don't try to say that stoners are stealing and giving blowjobs to support their habit, this is weed we're talking about here, not crack coc aine.

I really hope you're a Mormon and have never drank alcohol, or coffee, or coca-cola for that matter; because if you have, then you my friend are a hypocrit.

"...and spread a few more fallacies about your addiction of choice..."

You know personally, I think church should be considered an addiction. People are always spreading fallacies about Jesus, I think we need to get those people into a 12 step program.

makes a ceratain amount of sense tho, the breast cancer, alcoholism, aids and depression craze has died down, time for them to invent a new problem and label a bunch of would be victims with teh disease label again.

Let me get this straight, you think we invented breast cancer?

Well there you have it a natural alternative to antidepressant addiction, I see already the pharmaceuticals lobbying in Washington to stop the rulings.

They have to make money no matter what.

[edit on 2-11-2005 by marg6043]

They wont have to hide out in their basements anymore?

This, (pardon the pun) will never fly.