Denver Voters OK Marijuana Possession

[TooLFooL]

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-denver-marijuana,0,3099114.story?coll...tics-headlines

I can't believe it! 8)

[AlecWest]

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-denver-marijuana,0,3099114.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

I can't believe it! 8)

"Feel-good" legislation only. Normally, when cops arrest people in Colorado, they do it under state law (according to the article), not municipal law. The same municipal situation already exists in Seattle, WA and Oakland, CA ... but people in Seattle and Oakland still get arrested under their respective state laws. Still, legislation like this (if it spreads elsewhere) would attest to a growing tolerance of marijuana. And if this tolerance spreads to the level of state law, then it would be a different ball game. The Federal government may assert their laws ... but may not be able to convince state or municipal law enforcement officers to enforce them.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Indeed.
I live in Denver and voted on this issue this past Monday.
Despite the city and county of Denver's new law, any/all marijuana possession is the state of Colorado is illegal and Denver police can and will still arrest you under state law for possession/consumption.

The leader of the group who got this on the ballot was on the local news last nite -- the (short-term) goal here is not to necessarily 'legalize' marijuana, but to at least get it to the status that it has in parts of Canada, where it is not exactly legal, but the cops simply don't care -- they have better things to do like catch murderers than bother a dude with a serious case of the munchies and a Space Invaders high score.

[Shadowmistress]

Being in Canada and already used to the relaxed marijuana laws, I don't get what the big deal is. I don't smoke anything besides tobacco but it seems to me that by the time marijuana is fully legal, smoking itself (of tobacco or anything) will have become illegal. It's just one step forward and two steps back.

It's illegal to light up pretty much anywhere these days except the street and your home, and from what I gather, Europe and other countries are following this template. In time, I can see it being legal to enjoy marijuana.... just as long as you don't actually smoke it. (Chew it perhaps?)

[Xylob the Destroyer]

I don't really think that it will ever be illegal to smoke, but I understand your point of view.
It doesn't matter what you're burning -- deliberately inhaling a concentration of any type of smoke is clearly bad for you.
But telling me it's against the law? Good luck.
Tobacco is a BILLION dollar industry -- smoking in public places may be criminalized (it's illegal here), but tobacco will not be criminalized in my lifetime. Money = power, plain and simple.
Not to mention how many politicians smoke...
Phillip-Morris even has a patent on marijuana cigarettes (both filtered and un-filtered) as well as the production equipment (really not much different from what they use anyway).

[Shadowmistress]

Tobacco companies won't have the big bucks for too much longer. With alot of people quitting, not as many starting, and nowhere to smoke (if you can't find a place then you go through fewer cigarettes and buy less) it will take it's toll on revenues. Plus don't forget the billion dollar health lawsuits.

Ever consider that pot legalization may be a way of putting marijuana on par with tobacco so that when they do decide to criminalize smoking they can confuse the detrimental effects of the two and gain support? If you really look at it, it's not so farfetched.

[shelbyGT]

Do they have a patent on the old coke can pipe? Awww... high school memories.......

[Xylob the Destroyer]

...Plus don't forget the billion dollar health lawsuits...

those are pretty much a part of the distant past, at least in north america.
you can't say you didn't know it was bad for you when the entire side of the pack is a warning banner.
that's like suing McDonalds because their food is "unhealthy"..... oh, wait...

I smoked for 18 years, I remember bitching and moaning when prices went up to $1 a pack -- I can't imagine what it would cost me to smoke a pack a day now....
What is it now, $5 a pack? that's almost $2000.00 a year!

[adam]

I don't have a problem with legalizing marijuana but I wonder if this new change won't get people into trouble. I'm sure there are people who will hear through the grapevine, incorrectly, that smoking and possessing small amounts of marijuana is now legal in Denver. But its not because its still criminalized by state law...which is even worse.