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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
Ominous skies and a light rain weren't enough to stop 60 or more people from gathering on the steps of the Denver City and County building Aug. 27 to show support for a new pro-marijuana initiative.
The proposed bill is the brainchild of Mason Tvert and his Safer (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) Colorado organization. The bill, which the city council unanimously voted to put on the Nov. 6 ballot, would "designate adult marijuana possession as the city's lowest law enforcement priority," Tvert said in an Aug. 2 interview prior to the meeting.
"This is their final hearing on the measure, and they called for a public hearing," Tvert added. "So we're bringing the public out to be heard." Tvert's "public" consisted of an eccentric crowd of alternative and professional-looking supporters who were peaceful and quiet throughout the initial meeting on the building's steps. Some were adorned with Safer Colorado stickers or pro-marijuana T-shirts. Scattered about were a few major television and daily news media, as well as reporters from the University of Colorado and Metro.
In an earlier interview on the steps of the county building, Tvert continued to blame the city council and mayor John Hickenlooper for opposing marijuana legislations.
"We're simply sending the message, not only to city council and so on, but to the rest of the city, that (a relaxed marijuana law) is something that a lot of people want to see happen, and city council is standing in the way," Tvert said. "We're simply asking them to recognize the will of the voters and stand up for the people that put them in office."
Animosity between the city council and the public was thick when more than 50 stoners, longhairs and Safer Colorado supporters stormed the city council meeting just after 5:30 p.m.
In what was perhaps an effort to irritate supporters, the council meeting dragged on for more than two hours, and the delays left supporters sweating, fidgety and chomping at the bit to speak.
An assortment of supporters and organizers (Tvert and attorney Miguel Lopez), random marijuana radicals (David Lagoi, who is HIV-positive and endorses medical marijuana), doctors and city psychologists (including city substance-abuse professional Don Rothschild and CU medical school professor Tom Brewster) spent three minutes each arguing their case for the drug.
Brewster argued further legalization of marijuana could be dangerous, due to the fact that drugs have no consistent effect on the people who take them.
"There are a number of people who can use marijuana and not be affected," Brewster said. "But that's simply not always the case. Maybe for some it's recreational in use, but for others it has the propensity for addiction."
Since Safer Colorado had gone through the legal motions of having the bill put on the ballot, the council's attorney advised the council they were helpless to prevent the bill from going onto the November ballot. Thus when the vote came, the city council voted 13-0 in favor but were critical of the bill and of the group's objectives. Among other criticisms, the city council and council president Michael Hancock suggested marijuana legislation was "no longer a city council issue but a state issue. If you're serious you'd go to the state. If you're here, you're not serious."
Hancock also said Tvert was "playing god with your signature" and using such initiatives to garner media attention.
"I want people to understand that there were a lot of shenanigans going on here," Hancock said. He then pointed at Tvert and said, "You've really shown your true colors."
"I regretfully have to vote 'yes' on this," councilwoman Judy Montero said. "I am very opposed to this, and I will encourage my voters to vote against it."
The council also criticized the initiative for being flimsy, citing the city's already lax legal punishment of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana by an adult within Denver city limits.
Denver police captain Kristen Kronke said pot possession was merely a citation with fines not exceeding $100.
"We don't specifically have a priority issue when it comes to possession," Kronke added. Kronke also said smoking at home was "not our focus" and most home arrests are the result of another reported crime.
Tvert, however, pointed out that the 1,400-plus possession arrests in 2006 in Denver County were the highest in the city's history.
Metro junior and English major Sara Tafoya testified at the hearing about overzealous marijuana prosecution. Tafoya claimed that police "wanted to make an example of me" and jeopardized her college career.
"I think (the initiative) is worth it if only to send the message that we have to put law enforcement in check whenever we can," Tafoya said. "They've run rampant."
Regardless of the ambiguity of the initiative, the bill will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot for voters to decide. The general aim is to make marijuana possession as much of a concern as other minor crimes such as jaywalking.
Tvert said he plans to campaign further in an effort to pass the bill, including handing out fliers at Auraria.
"We plan to have a very large presence (on Auraria) this semester, and we're hoping to get a lot of students involved," Tvert said, "not only by registering to vote and voting but also by volunteering and helping us get the word out to other voters around the city."
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