Pubdate: Tue, 2 Aug 2005
Source: Telluride Daily Planet (CO)
Contact:  2005 Telluride Daily Planet, A Division of Womack Publishing Company
Website: http://www.telluridegateway.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3881
Author: Reilly Capps

COUNCIL TO DISCUSS MARIJUANA ORDINANCE

Supporters of an ordinance that could effectively de-criminalize
marijuana in town are expected to jam today's Telluride Town Council
meeting.

Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, a nonprofit
group that lobbies for relaxed marijuana regulation and its eventual
legalization, sent out a mass e-mail asking Telluriders to "pack this
meeting with supporters of the campaign."

The proposed ordinance would make prosecuting adults for possessing a
small amount of the drug the town's "lowest law enforcement priority."

The town council will discuss the proposed ordinance at around 11:35
a.m. today in Rebekah Hall, and will likely vote to place the
ordinance on the Nov. 1 ballot.

Vicente will speak, as will the campaign's local organizer, Ernest
Eich. Vicente drove in from Denver to attend the meeting. He sat with
Rachael Matier, an intern from Sensible Colorado, yesterday at Restore
Our World, and prepared for the meeting. Vicente said Telluride was an
ideal place to introduce the measure.

"The idea was that we would start somewhere small and progressive, or
forward-thinking," Vicente said. "We've gotten an incredible amount of
support [in Telluride]. Ninety-nine percent of the people are really
supportive. They think the War on Drugs has been a failure."

Vicente said at least one patient who uses marijuana as a medicine
will speak.

Organizers of the "Ordinance to Establish a Sensible Marijuana Law
Enforcement Policy in Telluride," as it's called, gathered 82 valid
signatures, more than enough to place the ordinance on the ballot.

The ordinance has two sections: The first asks that the
"investigation, arrest, and prosecution of marijuana offenses" be the
lowest priority for police; the second section states that the town
"shall support the creation of a system to license, tax and regulate"
marijuana. This second section would kick in only if marijuana is ever
declared legal in Colorado.

Eich said he'll be there to answer general questions from town council
members about the initiative.

"We'd also like to invite anyone that wants to, to speak," Eich said.
"If there's anybody out there that is a medical marijuana patient, we
definitely want them to come."

The council will also take on a variety of other issues. At 12:05
p.m., following the marijuana discussion, the schedule calls for a
discussion of statewide ballot Referenda C and D, which deal with
taxation. At 12:55 p.m., the council will discuss the new affordable
housing project to be built on the impound lot; at 2 p.m. the council
will look at designs for a new municipal facility to be built near the
post office. The public is welcome; all times are approximate.