2006 Colorado Amendment 44

Referendum that would have legalized marijuana August 2020 the successful 2012 Colorado state constitution amendment related to marijuana 2012 Colorado Amendment 64 Amendment 44 Marijuana Possession Colorado November 7, 2006 636,938 913,408 1,550,346 250px County results For #47729E 70–80% 1px #AAAAAA solid #7D9CBB 60–70% 1px #AAAAAA solid #B6C8D9 50–60% 1px #AAAAAA solid Against #5D5D2D 80–90% 1px #AAAAAA solid #8B8B54 70–80% 1px #AAAAAA solid #BCBC83 60–70% 1px #AAAAAA solid #DEDEBD 50–60% 1px #AAAAAA solid Amendment failedColorado 2006 > Ballot Measures > Amendment 44: Legalize Marijuana from followthemoney.orgOfficial Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2005 Coordinated 2006 Primary 2006 General https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/pdf/2000-2099/2006AbsractBook.pdf Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman October 11, 2024 April 1, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210401005901/https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/pdf/2000-2099/2006AbsractBook.pdf dead Amendment 44 was a proposed amendment to the state statutes submitted for referendum in the 2006 general elections in the U.S. state of Colorado. The amendment proposed the legalization of the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana for any person twenty-one years of age and over, as long as marijuana use does not occur in public. The measure was eventually defeated at the polls by 59-41 percent.http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/CO/I/04/ Ballot Measures: Colorado Amendment 44 CNN March 20, 2007 Background Amendment 44 was placed on the ballot in August, after the group Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) obtained over 129,000 petition signatures through a largely grassroots organization. Only 68,000 were required by the Secretary of State. Existing Colorado law classifies possession of one ounce or less of marijuana as a Class 2 petty offense punishable by a fine of $100. If passed, Amendment 44 would decriminalize possession of one ounce or less by adults 21 years of age and over by removing any fine or penalty; although, it would have no effect on the cultivation, transfer, or sale of marijuana. Controversy over Colorado Blue Book One issue under contention is how the amendment might be interpreted with regard to transferral of marijuana to minors over 15 years of age. The "Blue Book" voter information pamphlet, a comprehensive guide to ballot measures distributed to voters, states "transferring up to one ounce of marijuana to another individual 15 years of age or older as long as there is no compensation" would be decriminalized under Amendment 44.http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/Bluebook/BlueBook2006.pdf Analysis of the 2006 Ballot proposals Colorado Legislative Council March 23, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070206074459/http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/Bluebook/BlueBook2006.pdf February 6, 2007 dead Others, including the amendment's supporters, claim this interpretation is false, and such transferral to minors would continue to be illegal, as it falls under the category of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a felony offense under existing law. Ambushing the pot initiative Rocky Mountain News http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0,2777,DRMN_23964_4993588,00.html October 5, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20061017100325/http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0,2777,DRMN_23964_4993588,00.html October 17, 2006 dead Up in Smoke? Fort Collins Weekly http://www.fortcollinsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=35 Opinions Support Groups in favor of Amendment 44 include Sensible Colorado, a group favoring the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana much in the same manner as alcohol., Colorado Marijuana Initiative Sensible Colorado http://www.sensiblecolorado.org/cmi/ September 7, 2006 https://archive.today/20050205084254/http://www.sensiblecolorado.org/cmi/ February 5, 2005 dead the state Libertarian Party,Ending the game of Marijuana prohibition in Colorado Sensible Colorado Libertarian Party of Colorado http://www.lpcolorado.org/coloradoliberty/colib033-01.pdf September 7, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060906075506/http://www.lpcolorado.org/coloradoliberty/colib033-01.pdf September 6, 2006 dead and the US Marijuana Party, among others. Supporters argue that the war on drugs has failed, resulting in the empowerment of organized crime, and that a new more effective policy is needed. It is argued that legalizing small amounts of marijuana would free law enforcement resources to deal with more serious offenses. Some supporters also consider marijuana to be less harmful then other types of illegal narcotics, alcoholic beverages or tobacco use. Amendment 44 Marijuana Possession Colorado Ballot Analysis, Final Draft Colorado General Assembly http://www.leg.state.co.us/lcs/0506initrefr.nsf/89fb842d0401c52087256cbc00650696/f33fbea254a137b58725717f0053356f/$FILE/2005-2006%2072fsr.pdf September 7, 2006 Opposition Groups opposing Amendment 44 include Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana (GOCAM), Drug Watch Colorado, and Students Against Marijuana, among others. Opponents argue that marijuana serves as a gateway drug to other types of illegal narcotics, and that legalization of marijuana would increase other types of drug use and make the state a magnet for addicts; however, there is no evidence marijuana is a gateway drug.http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/178/2/123.pdf Evaluating alternative cannabis regimes March 31, 2007 British Journal of Psychiatry 2001Jennifer McNulty Dutch drug policies do not increase marijuana use, first rigorous comparative study finds http://www.ucsc.edu/currents/03-04/05-03/drug_study.html UC Santa Cruz Currants May 3, 2004 March 20, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070311002157/http://www.ucsc.edu/currents/03-04/05-03/drug_study.html March 11, 2007 dead The Limited Relevance of Drug Policy: Cannabis in Amsterdam and in San Francisco American Journal of Public Health 2004 10.2105/ajph.94.5.836 1448346 15117709 94 836–42 Reinarman C, Cohen PD, Kaal HL 5 http://books.nap.edu/readingroom/books/marimed/notice.html Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base National Academies Press 1999 March 30, 2007 It is argued that as with alcohol, sobriety is the only safe alternative, and existing drug laws should be enforced. Opponents also state that the costs of enforcement are minimal compared to the costs of drug addiction and treatment, as well as the fact that legalization at the state level would not affect federal laws and international treaties concerning marijuana. Some employees of the Drug Enforcement Administration were reported to have been financing opposition to Amendment 44, a move which generated significant controversy.DEA should keep out of state politics Rocky Mountain News August 3, 2006 http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0,2777,DRMN_23964_4954599,00.html September 7, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060901191034/http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0%2C2777%2CDRMN_23964_4954599%2C00.html September 1, 2006 dead See also Cannabis Colorado Decriminalization of marijuana in the United States Legal history of marijuana in the United States Legal issues of cannabis List of Colorado ballot measures References 30em Category:2006 Colorado ballot measures Category:Cannabis ballot measures in the United States Amendment 44 category:2006 in cannabis