DENVER GOES UP IN SMOKE

Denver residents gave new meaning to the nickname "Mile High City"
last week when they voted on Initiative 100: the decriminalization of
marijuana.

Passing with 54 percent of the vote, Initiative 100 states that if
over the age of 21, possession of up to one ounce of marijuana is
legal within city limits. However, state and federal laws override,
and according to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, "State law is state
law - this is more symbolic. It's not going to have an effect on how
we enforce our laws."

Hickenlooper continued to say to the Rocky Mountain News, "It does
show that there is a shifting of how people look at marijuana
compared to alcohol. We're becoming a younger culture."

Mason Tvert, the executive director of the group SAFER (Safer
Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) that put the initiative on the
ballot, insists Denver authorities should respect voters' wishes and
stop charging anyone under the state law.

"This is not just symbolic," he told the Denver Post in response to
Hickenlooper's statement. "This is a fact. This city voted to change
a city ordinance. We expect the city officials to respect the will of
the voters who elected them."

Many Colorado officials believe the result of this vote was due to
lack of counter-campaigning. Most believed the initiative had no
chance of being passed, and did not speak out against it. However, it
has been acknowledged that the youth vote greatly influenced the
outcome. SAFER is an organization based between two universities: the
University of Colorado-Boulder and Colorado State University.

On signs and billboards, flyers, online, and in voter forums, Tvert,
23, contended that marijuana was a safe alternative to alcohol. He
argued that crime and domestic violence would drop if residents were
legally allowed to smoke pot rather than drink a six-pack of beer. He
also argued that college campuses would be safer.

As a demonstration last month, Tvert placed a mock corpse in a body
bag outside Denver's City Hall and surrounded it with jugs from
Wynkoop Brewery, owned by Hickenlooper. Next to it, he piled bags of
Doritos and Oreos.

"It simply shows that the mayor does not mind that his drug of choice
that he sells to this city can lead to death and violence and the
drug that he opposes simply leads to - as they put it - the
worst-case scenario is the munchies," Tvert said.

President of UCF's chapter of NORML, National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws, Justin Martineau feels that Denver's new
laws are only the beginning of a wave of change.

"The American government has tagged the marijuana movement as a
fringe, an activity that mainstream America does not want to take
part in," Martineau said. "But all of a sudden, you have one of the
largest cities in Colorado, which is a Republican state, saying that
they don't want responsible marijuana smokers being put in jail."

Several states have lessened the penalty of possession of small
amounts but still issue fines. Other cities, such as Seattle and
Oakland, have passed laws making marijuana possession a low priority
for police officers.

In Seattle, since 2003, when the low priority initiative was passed,
the number of prosecutions for possession has dropped.

Seattle city attorney Tom Carr, told the Denver Post opposed the
initiative because he feared it would result in increased Marijuana
usage. However, he said, that hasn't happened.

"We've had some silliness," he said. "One man was arrested for trying
to sell brownies to a police officer, and someone wanted to host a
smoke-in in a park, but for the most part, I haven't seen a drastic increase."

In Oakland, police have ignored the initiatives, and continue to
arrest those caught with possession of marijuana. Denver officials
hope to use Oakland as an example. Denver officials say the majority
of drug prosecutions in Denver already are brought under state law,
so police will continue to make arrests as usual.

Deliberations are still being held in Colorado over the decision to
continue to enforce state laws within Denver city limits. However, it
is clear that the raging debate over legalization is taking a turn.