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Democratic Convention Should Be Safe Haven for Pot Smokers, Group Says
Local Marijuana Group Bargaining for Arrest-free DNC
9/22/07|Associated Content| by Dave Maddox

A sector of the marijuana lobby has been targeting Denver politics for some time now, claiming that facts suggest that marijuana should be of lesser concern than alcohol in public policy. With an item under consideration directing the police to make pot their last priority before the City Council, the group Citizens for a Safer Denver has volunteered to remove that item from consideration - if the city is declared a safe zone for possessing and smoking one ounce or less during the Democratic National Convention.

With a Denver referendum in 2005 resulting in legalization in the city called meaningless because of continuing statewide prohibitions, recent misfires in the pot lobby's legislative strategy have been characterized as procedural errors by the local mainstream media as well. The City of Denver does not appear to have a way to remove items submitted for consideration, although the group points out that courts are unlikely to force consideration of an item which neither side wants, and while the State of Colorado does have a mechanism to remove petitions, the City of Denver's laws are simply silent on the matter.

With the loss of their bargaining chip, the group, in a press release at their site, characterized the legal opinion of the city as a means of avoiding dealing with the facts and adjusting public policy accordingly. A recent strategy by marijuana lobbyists targeted Denver's relationship with local alcohol giant Coors, claiming hypocrisy in the alcohol/marijuana distinction, since city sports and entertainment facilities have Coors Beer advertising and sponsorship. Now, with the Democratic National Convention coming to town, the group has turned their sights once more to limiting enforcement of drug laws if they can't be repealed, in this case during the DNC.

It's possible that suspending drug law enforcement during the national convention of the Democratic Party might send the wrong message about the city's view of attendees' needs. The city is also known for its "420" tolerance, and a likely solution which has been put forth is to put the issue to the voters once again, according to Westword's website, now scheduled for November.

Recent polls by local media indicate that a significant portion of the city's leaders are not unfamiliar with marijuana's effects. As the marijuana lobby continues to find ways to gain legislative acknowledgment of their facts about the drug, the Democratic National Convention is the latest city function targeted as a publicity vehicle in the apparent effort to force change, and once again, the voters of Denver are scheduled to make a democratic decision.