Pubdate: Mon, 09 Jan 2006
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2006 News World Communications, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Valerie Richardson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

POT ADVOCATES PUSH STATEWIDE LEGALIZATION

DENVER -- Stoked by their surprise victory in Denver, 
marijuana-legalization advocates are hoping to ride the momentum with 
statewide ballot initiatives this year in Colorado and Nevada. 
Colorado activists announced a drive two weeks ago aimed at bringing 
a clone of Denver's Initiative 100 before voters statewide in 
November. Initiative 100 allows adults in the city to possess small 
amounts of marijuana.

And activists in Nevada, who have secured a place for a legalization 
measure on the state ballot in November, are taking heart in the 
success of Initiative 100, which captured 54 percent of the vote in 
the Nov. 1 election.

"What Denver shows is that this is a mainstream issue," said Neal 
Levine, campaign manager of Citizens to Regulate and Control 
Marijuana in Las Vegas.

If the measures pass, Colorado and Nevada would become the first 
states to win voter approval for marijuana legalization.

Alaska allows adults to possess up to 4 ounces of marijuana in their 
homes, thanks to court decisions upholding privacy rights, but voters 
defeated a 2004 initiative that would have abolished all penalties 
for possession and regulated marijuana sales.

Denver political analyst Eric Sondermann warned that interpreting the 
Denver vote as a mandate for statewide legalization would be "a big 
mistake." He noted that the Denver measure never took effect because 
authorities have since prosecuted violators under the state law. "The 
Denver vote was seen mainly as a symbolic vote with no statewide 
impact," Mr. Sondermann said. "This will be seen as amending state law."

Voters of these Republican-leaning states are known for their 
independent, anti-big-government orneriness, advocates say.

"There's a libertarian streak in Colorado and a respect for people's 
individual rights throughout the West, so there's no reason people 
shouldn't vote for this," said Mason Tvert, campaign director of 
Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, the Denver-based group 
behind Initiative 100 and the statewide campaign.

Both state proposals would legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of 
marijuana for adults older than 21, but that's where the similarities 
end. The Colorado proposal, which goes before the Legislative Council 
on Wednesday for review, says nothing about sales, production or 
taxation. However, the Nevada initiative provides a detailed 
regulation system in which marijuana would be sold only by 
state-licensed vendors and located no closer than 500 feet from 
churches and schools.

Sales would be prohibited in gambling establishments, and penalties 
for selling marijuana to minors or driving under the influence would 
be doubled. The measure also earmarks half the revenues from taxing 
and licensing for alcohol- and drug-treatment education, with the 
other half going to the state general fund.

"The approach we've taken in Nevada is that what we need is a system 
of regulation, not the Wild West, which is what we have now under 
prohibition," said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy 
Project in Washington, which is directing the Nevada campaign. "The 
message is to treat it the same as we treat alcohol."

Eleven states, including Colorado and Nevada, permit the use of 
marijuana for medical reasons, and several cities, including Seattle 
and Oakland, Calif., make possession the lowest law-enforcement priority.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman