"NO" FOR DENVER POT INITIATIVE

Colorado and the nation need to have realistic debate about
decriminalizing marijuana, but ballot initiative I-100 in Denver
doesn't contribute much to that discussion.

If passed by voters, I-100 would legalize possession of an ounce or
less of pot by people over 21 in Denver.

The Post recommends a "no" vote.

As The Post has said previously, the war on drugs has been an abysmal
waste of time and resources.

We think it probably would be preferable for the state and federal
governments to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana use. Law
enforcement resources - and jail cells - can be put to better use than
rounding up pot smokers.

But as long as federal and state laws make marijuana illegal, local
legalization efforts do nothing more than send a message to higher
levels of government.

Under state law, possession of an ounce or less of pot is a Class 2
petty offense, punishable by a fine of up to $100. Denver cops would
continue to enforce that law even if I-100 passes, according to the
City Attorney's Office. (Last year, there were 2,072 such busts in
Denver, down from 3,500 in 1998.)

We don't think there's any point in passing a law that will have no
effect.

Moreover, we've been put off by the specious arguments and misleading
campaign tack of the initiative's backers, Safer Alternatives for
Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER).

Mason Tvert, executive director of SAFER, has made the preposterous
assertion that alcoholics drink because they lack a safer alternative
- - pot.

"Current law promotes and encourages adults to consume alcohol," Tvert
said. The group's campaign has claimed passage would make the city
safer by, among other things, reducing domestic violence fueled by
drinking and cutting down on the number of drunken drivers.

Such claims vastly oversimplify the tragedy of domestic violence and
offer us little comfort about safety on the streets.

Both drinking and drug use diminish perception and reflexes. We'd like
to keep both drunks and pot smokers from driving on the streets of
Denver.

It's too bad that SAFER didn't use the I-100 campaign to educate the
public about the issues raised by war on drugs, such as the drain on
government budgets and the balance between treatment (which tends to
be underfunded) versus imprisonment (which tends to be overused).

Those are issues our society needs to face, and changes in the drug
laws need to come at the national and state levels.