Written by: www.cannabisculture.ca
DENVER LEGALIZES MARIJUANA 53% - 46%!
by CC Magazine update (01 Nov, 2005)
Denver voters make adult possession of one ounce or less of marijuana legal.
Denver became the first city in the nation to make the private use of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older as an alternative to alcohol, a far more harmful drug. By 10.45 p.m. Tuesday night, with 100% of the votes tallied, the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative had passed 53.49% YES to 46.51% NO.
The Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative is the first local measure in the nation to draw a comparison between the harms of alcohol and marijuana.
The successful I-100 campaign focused on the vast number of health, safety and social problems associated with alcohol use, promoting marijuana use to avoid the prevalence of such problems. The campaign pointed to government reports and scholarly studies that show alcohol is a contributing factor in domestic violence, sexual assaults, and other violent crimes, as well as overdose deaths, whereas the use of marijuana has never been linked to such violent behavior and there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history.
Colorado Medical Marijuana certificate
Colorado Medical Marijuana certificate
"It is time our laws reflect the facts, and it is an indisputable fact that marijuana is safer than alcohol, both to the user and to society," said Mason Tvert, executive director of SAFER and coordinator of the I-100 campaign. "Current laws accept and even encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana, thus pushing people toward using a more harmful substance. Why on earth would we prohibit an adult from making the rational, safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol in their own home?"
By approving the I-100, the use of marijuana in public, the use of marijuana by people under 21, driving under the influence of marijuana, and the cultivation and distribution of marijuana would all remain illegal, much like with alcohol.
Cannabis Culture will update this story as more details become available.
Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) is a Colorado-based non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the harmful consequences associated with alcohol, as compared to the safer — yet illegal — substance: marijuana.
Here is the language of the Initiative-100
Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative
WHEREAS, according to the National Institutes of Health, an average of 317 Americans die annually as the result of alcohol overdoses; and
WHEREAS, there has never been even a single fatal marijuana overdose recorded in the medical literature, as noted by the British Medical Journal in September 2003; and
WHEREAS, according to U.S. Department of Justice, “About 3 million crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense. Among those victims who provided information about the offender’s use of alcohol, about 35% of the victimizations involved an offender who had been drinking”; and
WHEREAS, extensive research, documented in official reports by the British government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, among others, shows that -- unlike alcohol -- marijuana use is not generally a cause of violence or aggressive behavior and in fact tends to reduce violence and aggression;
WHEREAS, it is the intent of this ordinance to have the private adult use and possession of marijuana treated in the same manner as the private adult use and possession of alcohol;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER
________________________________________________________________________
TEXT OF PROPOSED INITIATIVE
(proposed addition in all caps, underlined)
Amend Art. 5, Div. 3, Sec. 38-175 (Revised Municipal Code)
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person UNDER THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE (21) to possess one (1) ounce or less of marihuana. If such person is under the age of eighteen (18) years of age at the time of the offense, no jail sentence shall be imposed and any fine imposed may be supplanted by treatment as required by the court.
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
Written by: dave
the amazing truth that no-one seems to realise- no-one needs any drugs to enjoy their life to the fullest.
Written by: dave
But, the fact remains that none of us need to use them at all- it's a lie, perpetuated by our culture, and drummed into us from a young age.
Written by: dave
unicycling from A to B is no more likely to result in injury than cycling form A to B, or walking from A to B etc- by unicycling, i am not increasing my risk of injury. Whereas smoking is proven to considerably increase risk of cancer etc.
Written by: dave
it is feasible to draw a line
Written by: dave
the option of 'not drawing a line at all' is generally not the best option.
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
Written by: coleman
i think there are a very many people who do need drugs to enjoy life to the fullest - multiple sclerosis sufferers for example?
Written by: coleman
in fact, i was positively discouraged from taking drugs from an early age...
After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
Written by: beefy
Now I will take issue with Dave's opinion that * I * am deluded or others that I know that use responsibly (go ahead, I know you want to attack that, and I will clarify) are, that we don't like smoking or drinking or whatever. CAN we lead full, happy lives without them? Yes, probably... though I won't give that overarching support. But we choose the things in our life that make us happy, and if those happen to be bad for us, that's STILL our choice. I see no delusion in KNOWING its bad for you and still doing it because you LIKE it. It may seem like a case of cognitive disonance, granted, but Im still not deluded.
Could you quallify a BIT more for when someone is deluded Dave?
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
Let's relight this forum
After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh
After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Written by: Sethis
It's always been about the illegal use, and the consequences of it.
Written by: daily mail, 1 december 2005
CANNABIS FREE-FOR-ALL
CANNABIS users could be allowed to carry enough of the drug to make six joints a day for a year without being touched by the law.
Under proposed new guidelines, if they were found with up to 17oz - sufficient for 2,410 'spliffs' - they could claim it was for personal use.
They would not face arrest or a criminal record, even though that amount has a street value of up to £1,870. Last night, there were warnings that the rules - put forward by Home Secretary Charles Clarke - will signal a free-for-all on the use of cannabis and give a watertight excuse to any drug dealer who is confronted by the police.
When questioned, pushers will simply be able to pass off huge amounts of cannabis as being for their own use and escape with a ticking-off, said MPs.
Extraordinary levels of other drugs could also be allowed to be carried in the same way. Mr Clarke wants to set the threshold at seven grams of heroin, seven grams of crack cocaine, ten Ecstasy tablets, 14 grams of amphetamines and seven grams of cocaine - all lethal doses if taken at once.
The cocaine would be enough for a user to cut 100 'lines' of the drug, while the heroin would give an addict up to 70 'hits'.
The threshold for cannabis would be 4oz of resin or 0.5 kilograms - 17oz - of the drug's leaf.
According to Independent Drug Monitoring Unit estimates, this is the equivalent of 2,410 herbal 'spliffs', made with the leaf, or 810 made with the resin - produced by pressing the plant's juices into slabs.
Since Labour downgraded cannabis last year, those caught with it for personal use no longer face automatic arrest. Instead, they get a formal warning or telling-off - which does not carry a criminal record.
The announcement of the proposed thresholds was slipped out yesterday - a hectic news day, with plans for state pension reforms dominating the headlines - in the last two lines of a press release promising to be hard on crime suspects who use drugs.
The Home Office will definitely introduce a threshold and is consulting police, courts and drugs agencies only on what the levels should be.
It insisted it is a sensible move to clarify a confusing area of the law. Currently, it is down to individual police officers to decide the point at which possession turns into dealing.
A letter from the Home Office's Drugs Legislation and Enforcement Unit said the thresholds it is proposing are based on a deal already in force between an unnamed English police force and the Crown Prosecution Service.
It added: 'Being in possession of a lower-thanprescribed amount of a controlled drug will not prevent prosecution for the offence of intent to supply if other evidence demonstrates that the defendant had the necessary intent, for example, the possession of dealing paraphernalia or test purchase evidence.'
But opponents said setting any sort of threshold would only lead to drug dealers staying free.
In guidelines issued to officers, the Association of Chief Police Officers warns that a defined limit would mean dealers 'only carrying around amounts smaller than that prescribed'.
The Tories' shadow home affairs minister, Cheryl Gillan, said: 'The laying down of official guidelines on what constitutes possession and dealing will help dealers know what they can and can't get away with. We can expect to see them carry around just less than the prescribed amount so that if they get caught, they will have a powerful case that it is only for their personal use.
'When a threshold is set and it is set so high, this will not help in the fight against illegal drug use, it will make it harder.'
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: 'If police and prosecutors take these proposals as a rule of thumb, a lot of dealers will be let off the hook.'
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, said the Home Office was offering drug dealers the equivalent of a supermarket-style special offer. 'The Government has an obsession with not sending people to jail.
'The only way to deal with drugs is arrest those responsible, get them in front of the courts and, where appropriate, send them to prison.'
The row comes as the Government's policy on cannabis is mired in confusion.
Yesterday, in Brixton, South London - where police piloted a softy, softly approach to the drug - there was a U-turn.
Officers, worried that the area is plagued by 'drug tourists, will now arrest anyone caught with even a small amount.
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh
Written by: Stone
Even Dave’s definition of addiction is flawed, because many would consider beer a food, and a glass of wine a day has been shown to be beneficial. So, I think its more about quantity and moderation, rather than medical or recreational..
Written by: OWD
Where substances are concerned (eg nicotine and alcohol), an addict is someone who is compelled to use the substance, by the cravings initiated by the withdrawal symptoms caused by that substance leaving his/her body.
Generally, the substance is also one which causes harm to the user, and one which is not necessary for normal functioning- thus for example, food is not considered to be an addiction, even though, in the absence of food, people will crave it.
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
Written by: A Dictionary
Addiction - Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control.
Let's relight this forum
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh
If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh
Written by: i8beefy2
But we're classifying cases too Stone, which means that it is necessary to say exactly what we mean by our terms. I have a fairly clear idea of what Dave means bt his terms now, which means that I can raise specific points to attack or defend it without having to think of as many arguments. In answering past objections we have come to a very clear idea of what exactly his arguments are, and to how it would aply in specific cases.
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
Written by: OneWheelDave
Similarly, socially speaking, I'm still a dismal failure, and pretty much gave up long ago on the possibility of feeling 'liked' or useful.
If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh
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