Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[censored] REJOICE!!!!

Ok. This has no practical purpose. Be that as it may, Denver is the first major city to legalize sweet, sweet Mary Jane.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

I thought we just decriminalized it.Big difference.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Um, isn't it still illegal under state/federal laws or something?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

A "yes" vote probably won't make much difference. The city attorney's office said Denver police will simply file marijuana possession charges under state law, which carries up to a $100 fine and a mandatory $100 drug-offender surcharge.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
MOTHERFUCKING REJOICE!!!!

Ok. This has no practical purpose. Be that as it may, Denver is the first major city to legalize sweet, sweet Mary Jane.

[/ QUOTE ]
I thought we just decriminalized it.Big difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

The city of Denver legalized it (god it felt good to push that button)- the wording of the initiated question was such that it is now *legal* in the city and county of Denver. However, everyone else is correct in that the passage of the law has no practical effect as the city attorney's have essentially said they will simply file posession charges under state law.

What does that mean? It means our next task is to boot any member of the executive branch that doesn't comply with a mandate from the residents of Denver.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Sounds good to me. Unfortunately Americans demand utter hypocrisy in their leaders, so that's what they get.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

What it really boils down to, as with all laws, is what the cop-on-the-street is instructed to enforce.

The City Attorney can blow his horn all he likes, but if a cop doesn't write a ticket, he'll be golfing more then lawyering.

That said, the determining factor in all of this will most likely me the Mayor of Denver. He will either instruct the Cheif of Police to follow the will of the voters, or not.

You will always run the risk of being pulled over by Highway Patrol / State Cops, in which case, no city ordinance in the world is going to stop them from enforcing CO state laws first and foremost.

Even in CA, until very recently, if you purchased Medical Pot from a club and then transported it on a highway, you ran the risk of being stopped by the Highway Patrol who were instructed to confiscate it. This was because the state was affraid of being criminally liable under federal law, but they have since nutted up and stopped.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

What happens when I'm smoking in Boulder or up in the mountains?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Seven replies and none of them made a joke about the "mile high city"?! Do I have to do everything around here myself?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

So you gonna spark one up next time you're at Starbucks?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
What it really boils down to, as with all laws, is what the cop-on-the-street is instructed to enforce.


[/ QUOTE ]

Actually what it boils down to (and where things get interesting on a larger scale) is the constitutionality questions that get raised. Does the state have authority to supercede the city and in the Cali cases, do the feds? Fun for the whole family there....

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

is anyone having a celebratory bowl?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
I thought we just decriminalized it.Big difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

what is the difference? I keep hearing there's a difference but haven't heard any elaboration on what it is.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
MOTHERFUCKING REJOICE!!!!

Ok. This has no practical purpose. Be that as it may, Denver is the first major city to legalize sweet, sweet Mary Jane.

[/ QUOTE ]
I thought we just decriminalized it.Big difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

Possession in Colorado has always been pretty damn decriminalized.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Ooooh, Doobies in Denver!

I want in!

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Any link to the fine print of this, also what the difference between de-criminalized and "legal" is, is it for medical purposes only or what?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Any link to the fine print of this, also what the difference between de-criminalized and "legal" is, is it for medical purposes only or what?

[/ QUOTE ]

What is the difference between illegal, legal and decriminalized?

The difference between legal and illegal is simple; if something is legal it is permitted under law, if it is illegal, it is not. The line between legal and decriminalized is not so clear-cut. To understand the difference we look to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of each of the three words.

Legal:
“conforming to or permitted by law or established rules”

Illegal:
“not according to or authorized by law”

Decriminalize:
“to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of; especially : to repeal a strict ban on while keeping under some form of regulation”

According to these definitions, if something is legal it is permitted with few or no restrictions, if it is illegal it is not permitted, and if it is decriminalized it is permitted with tight regulations and/or restrictions that must be obeyed or it will be viewed as illegal.

about.com

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

not to mention federal law -

the Feds prosecuted a guy who was growing weed for California's Medical Marijuana program - he was doing this legally under CA law, but the Fed's went after them under Fed. Law -

It's a nice victory - this is how it starts - but yah, it could really use teeth - it's symbolic is all -

RB

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

I've been trying to get my hands on some Marijuana Tax Stamps for years.... Seems they don't print them anymore...

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What it really boils down to, as with all laws, is what the cop-on-the-street is instructed to enforce.


[/ QUOTE ]

Actually what it boils down to (and where things get interesting on a larger scale) is the constitutionality questions that get raised. Does the state have authority to supercede the city and in the Cali cases, do the feds? Fun for the whole family there....

[/ QUOTE ]


Federal law trumps, assuming it is constitutional etc.... State laws can override city laws. Colorado has a bizarre system though regarding what they call "home rule" cities. Some cities can pass laws that trump state laws sometimes. Denver has used the argument to deny citizens their gun rights. Other times state law prevails. But in this case the state law still stands, so people could be charged I would think. The colorado vs. denver issue may not be typical or illustrative for other places because of some quirks in colorado law.

(usual disclaimer - this is not legal advice in colorado or elsewhere etc...)

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

I'm still eagerly anticipating the legalizing of crack. Now that will truly be a day to celebrate.

Swede

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
What it really boils down to, as with all laws, is what the cop-on-the-street is instructed to enforce.

The City Attorney can blow his horn all he likes, but if a cop doesn't write a ticket, he'll be golfing more then lawyering.


[/ QUOTE ]

The city cops will probably do nothing about arresting people for marijuana since the city pays them, but the major problem about them having state law to fall back on is that you will not see any Amsterdam-style coffee shops popping up.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

With the well funded federal propaganda initiatives, it is amazing that over 54 percent of the residents of any county would vote like this. How is the war on drugs going now?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What it really boils down to, as with all laws, is what the cop-on-the-street is instructed to enforce.

The City Attorney can blow his horn all he likes, but if a cop doesn't write a ticket, he'll be golfing more then lawyering.


[/ QUOTE ]

The city cops will probably do nothing about arresting people for marijuana since the city pays them, but the major problem about them having state law to fall back on is that you will not see any Amsterdam-style coffee shops popping up.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this plays out the way things have in California, the DEA is the bigger concern. The feds are also the reason why there will be no such shops.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Any link to the fine print of this, also what the difference between de-criminalized and "legal" is, is it for medical purposes only or what?

[/ QUOTE ]
"Legal" means you can do it in front of a cop and he won't do anything. In other words, there are no penalties for using.

"Decriminalized" means if you get caught with it, it's treated like a traffic offense. You get a ticket, the pot gets confiscated, but you don't get arrested and sentenced to jail time.

Interesting historical tidbit: When Jimmy Carter was president, he made some moves towards decriminalizing marijuana nationally. He made public statements saying it should be treated basically like a traffic offense. Then some government officials were caught by the press doing cocaine at a High Times party. The political embarrassment killed Carter's decriminalization initiative.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

About time you inlanders got your act together, Oakland did this in 2004 Of course, we haven't heard a word about it since, or whether cops are really abiding by it.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting historical tidbit: When Jimmy Carter was president, he made some moves towards decriminalizing marijuana nationally. He made public statements saying it should be treated basically like a traffic offense. Then some government officials were caught by the press doing cocaine at a High Times party. The political embarrassment killed Carter's decriminalization initiative.

[/ QUOTE ]


Interesting, but inaccurate.

The official in question was at a NORML Christmas party, and in addition to the obvious, was present when fellow revelers were partaking of cocaine. It was only alleged, and certainly not proven, that said official (Peter Bourne) actually partook of said substances. The scandal took about six months to "break," a curious delay that I would feel more comfortable analyzing in the Politics forum, except that its peopled by Terri-Schiavo impersonators. At the time, Peter Bourne was Special Assistant to the President for Health Issues, functionally his "Drug Czar." He was not head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the leadership of which is usually conferred the czardom today, because the Office did not yet exist. His curious official position reflected the ambivalence in the Carter adminstration towards the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention (SAODAP)created in 1971. That post dates to the Nixon presidency, a man who laid the groundwork that almost became federal decriminalization in 1978 (also the peak year for marijuana use in recorded American history).

Ahh, enough of that. That [censored] makes you stupid.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

all drugs shouls be legalized in my opinion, I dont even use any drugs anymore, but I do not understand why they are not all legal. I think it would help.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]

Ahh, enough of that. That [censored] makes you stupid.

[/ QUOTE ]

i ain't no stupider than i was yesterday.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Go Broncos! [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

Was this a Chamber of Commerce idea to promote tourism?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

I love to smoke pot, but am I gonna regret it one day when Im 70 and should be golfing but instead Im sitting in a wheel chair drooling all over myself unable to use my detiorated brain?

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
I love to smoke pot, but am I gonna regret it one day when Im 70 and should be golfing but instead Im sitting in a wheel chair drooling all over myself unable to use my detiorated brain?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been stoned non-stop for the last week and I'm already starting to feel this way.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
I love to smoke pot, but am I gonna regret it one day when Im 70 and should be golfing but instead Im sitting in a wheel chair drooling all over myself unable to use my detiorated brain?

[/ QUOTE ]

'tis better to be thought a fool, my friend, than to open your mouth and prove it.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

methinks the pot wont be the cause of that

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

In related news, Ricky Williams has requested a trade to the Broncos.

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
In related news, Ricky Williams has requested a trade to the Broncos.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol nice

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
In related news, Ricky Williams has requested a trade to the Broncos.

[/ QUOTE ]

Solid

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

federal law superceds (sp?) this

Re: Denver just legalized marijuana!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I love to smoke pot, but am I gonna regret it one day when Im 70 and should be golfing but instead Im sitting in a wheel chair drooling all over myself unable to use my detiorated brain?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been stoned non-stop for the last week and I'm already starting to feel this way.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know this feeling and it's easily the best part about being a marijuana smoker.