The Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper has officially recommended that the Denver City Attorney's Office STOP prosecuting adults for marijuana possession in Denver!
Now we need your help!
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It is critical that we demonstrate the strong sentiment of the public in favor of implementing this recommendation. You can help bring about change in how Colorado's capitol city handles marijuana by taking just one or two minutes tosend a message to Denver city officials urging them to support and/or follow this recommendation.
You do NOT need to live in Denver OR Colorado to lend your voice to this effort!
Here's how to help:
Step 1:Open a blank e-mail
Step 2:Copy and paste the following address list, subject, and message into your e-mail
Message: (Be sure to include your name and address if you reside in Denver)
I am writing to encourage you to support the implementation of the first recommendation of the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel.
The majority of the panel approved the recommendation, which calls for the Denver City Attorney's Office to adopt an official policy to no longer prosecute cases of private adult marijuana possession.
The Marijuana Policy Review Panel was appointed by the mayor to implement the "lowest law enforcement priority" ordinance approved by Denver voters to the greatest extent possible, and this recommendation would bring about the changes the majority of voters wish to see. Denver voters have made it clear they do not think adults 21 and older should be punished simply for possessing a drug less harmful than alcohol, and it is my understanding that the Denver City Attorney's Office is able to refrain from prosecuting in such cases. Thus, I hope you will urge that office to follow the recommendation.
In Missoula, Mont., where a similar "lowest law enforcement priority" initiative was adopted in 2006, the Missoula County Attorney's Office adopted an official policy to uphold the new ordinance and stop prosecuting in cases of simple adult marijuana possession. Seattle and a number of California cities have also adopted "lowest priority" ordinances and experienced a decline in prosecutions for marijuana possession. Like the people in those cities, Denver citizens are ahead of the curve when it comes to reforming marijuana laws and policies, and we too can take a more common-sense approach to marijuana use by adults.
Although marijuana possession is only punishable by a $100-$200 fine in Denver, it is important that you understand the detrimental effect a marijuana arrest can have on an individual. Everyone who pays their citation (and thus pleads guilty) receives a permanent drug conviction on their criminal record; people can lose their jobs, college financial aid, professional licenses, public housing benefits, and more; and those on parole or probation could find themselves in one of our already overcrowded jails or prisons.
For those reasons and more, the voter-approved ordinance was endorsed by the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the ACLU of Colorado, the National Lawyers Guild Colorado Chapter, the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, the Libertarian Party of Colorado, the Green Party of Colorado, ProgressNow Action, and Sensible Colorado, among others.
I hope you will join these organizations, the majority of Denver voters, and me in standing up for a more rational approach to adult marijuana possession in Denver.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing where you stand on the panel's recommendation.
Sensible Colorado | PO Box 18768 | Denver CO 80218
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