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Pot measure wafts to victory
By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News
November 1, 2005

A measure that would legalize adult possession of small amounts of marijuana in Denver was approved by voters Tuesday, following a heated campaign that saw pot backers accused of exploiting residents' fear of crime.

The measure was leading by more than 7,000 votes with just over 100,000 votes counted when the Rocky Mountain News called the contest.

The central theme of Initiative 100, the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative, is that adults should have the right to legally choose marijuana, because it's a safer alternative to booze, which supporters argue ? citing national and local studies ? fuels violence, deadly car wrecks, collegiate binge-drinking and alcoholism.

While other big cities, such at Seattle and Oakland, Calif., have passed laws making adult pot use a low police priority, supporters say passage I-100 would make Denver the first major city to legalize adult possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana.

The pot-beats-booze battle cry "is the new message in the war against the war on marijuana," said I-100 campaign coordinator, Mason Tvert, a 23-year-old Denver resident vowing to take the crusade nationwide.

But Denver officials said an I-100 amendment of local law would change nothing, because the vast majority of marijuana possession busts ? which were a mere 3.2 percent of all city arrests in 2004 ? will continue to be prosecuted under state law.

Gene Moffett, a TV cameraman, rejected the initiative voting at a church in his south Denver neighborhood.

"No. I just think that would just open up more cans of worms," he said.

Eighty-year old Republican Lila Fehrer was also wary of the proposal.

"I voted against that. Drugs are just too prominent everywhere," she said. "And to make it legal I think it would get out of hand."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...203575,00.html

Barry Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News