Denver Marijuana Arrest Up Despite Law
This entry was posted on 3/8/2008 8:51 PM and is filed under Drugs and Alcohol,Latest News,Cops.
03-07-2008
The Denver Channel
DENVER, Colo. -- Denver voters made it
clear last November that they don’t want police spending time and
resources busting people who smoke marijuana.
But marijuana activists have said possession arrests are actually going up, and they want to know why.
In Wednesday night’s
Marijuana Policy Review Panel, members questioned police and city
prosecutors about whether their policies have changed since the
successful 2007 ballot initiative to make adult marijuana possession
the “lowest law enforcement priority.”
"It's very simple. There's
no excuse for it. The people voted for change. Nothing has changed, and
that's a problem," said Mason Tvert, with Safer Alternative for
Enjoyable Recreation.
Police and prosecutors said they have not changed any policies, and that marijuana possession has always been a low priority.
They said they are required to enforce state statutes, however.
Marijuana activists said the
will of the people is being ignored, and they proposed a resolution to
recommend city attorneys stop prosecuting these cases.
