MARIJUANA PETITION IN BRECKENRIDGE LEADS TO LIKELY SPOT ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

Petitioners Smoke Through Signature Quota

BRECKENRIDGE - Breckenridge voters may decide in November whether to
decriminalize marijuana after a successful petition for the
initiative was certified Friday.

Reform group Sensible Breckenridge needed 500 signatures for the
petition, and nearly 700 were accepted out of about 1,400.

"Obviously it's very satisfying to have large numbers of Breckenridge
residents asking the town to change this law," said Breckenridge
attorney Sean McAllister, chairman of Sensible Breckenridge.

Following the petition's certification, Breckenridge Town Council has
an opportunity to enact the law at its Aug. 11 meeting, or the
decision will go to the voters on a Nov. 3 ballot.

The initiative proposes decriminalization of less than one ounce of
marijuana for adults over 21.

If approved, the legislation would still contradict state and federal
laws - and enforcement would be at the discretion of Breckenridge
Police Department, according to a previous report.

Summit County Sheriff's Office would not be affected.

"The opportunity Breckenridge voters will have in the fall is to tell
their elected officials and state of Colorado they believe marijuana
is safer than alcohol and that it should be treated the same," McAllister said.

Town Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron said that regardless of how people
feel about the issue, "I'm encouraged that young people are so
committed to a political cause."

"The (Sensible Breckenridge) people really kind of displayed their
commitment and certainly their work ethic because they really hit the
streets and got the signatures," he said.

The reform group plans to campaign in the fall, possibly suggesting a
public forum on the issue and having volunteers go door-to-door.

In 2006, 72 percent of Breckenridge voters supported the unsuccessful
Amendment 44, which had language similar to the Breckenridge
initiative but applied to the entire state.