Organizers of Sunday’s annual pro-marijuana rally are hoping that Denver voters’ recent approval of a referendum making the drug a low priority for law enforcement will lead to a hassle-free event.
Marijuana devotees have celebrated April 20 by smoking openly at so-called 420 rallies throughout the country on that date for more than 15 years.
Last year’s rally at Civic Center in Denver drew about 800 people, and 78 of them were arrested, said Denver police spokesman John White. Although voters approved legal possession of small amounts of marijuana in Denver in 2006, smoking still violates state law.
Voters last year approved an initiative making marijuana the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.
“This year, because of the initiatives, I guess we are hoping the city and the police will go along with what the voters really want,” said Holly G. Conrad, a rally organizer.
While the referendum downgrades possession, it says nothing about smoking, White said.
“There is a difference between possession and consumption. We respect everybody’s right to gather and assemble and enjoy themselves, but we want them to do it within the laws on the books, federal, state and local,” he said.
Sunday’s rally at Civic Center will be the first for which organizers sought and received a permit from Denver Parks and Recreation. Jill Granahan, a parks spokeswoman, said the focus of the event changed and the organizers want to have speakers.
The Denver event is an effort to educate the adult public, Conrad said, and voice discontent over marijuana’s prohibition.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
