POT PROPONENTS GO FOR STATE BALLOT

After Denver Legalization Win, Group Wants Colo. Voters to Weigh in

If a group of marijuana proponents has its way, Colorado adults will
be able to legally possess small amounts of marijuana. The
organization Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER,
announced during a news conference in front of the state Capitol on
Wednesday that it plans to build on its recent successful Denver campaign.

In October, the group persuaded Denver voters to change a city
ordinance to make it legal for people 21 or older to possess 1 ounce
or less of marijuana. But Denver and state police continue to cite
individuals under state law.

The group now wants to put the same question on November's statewide
ballot. "If the officials in this city don't have the guts to stand
up for the individuals they represent, we have no choice but to take
up the fight on behalf of those individuals," said Mason Tvert,
SAFER's director.

The group will need nearly 68,000 signatures from registered voters
to get the issue on the statewide ballot, but Tvert said the group
garnered more than double that many signatures when it pushed the
Denver initiative.

Tvert stressed that even if the statewide effort succeeds, cities and
towns in Colorado still would have the ability to fine or penalize
marijuana users by imposing local laws. It also would remain illegal
for people to publicly display marijuana.

"The notion of prohibiting the use of marijuana while allowing and
even encouraging the use of alcohol is not rational on any level of
government," Tvert said.