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Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
is Video-Flogged

"I think in most cases that that's how the police are already acting."

Date: Sept. 7, 2007
Location: Mayor's Office
Title: Denver Mayor Hickenlooper is Video-Flogged on Init. 100
Description: Mayor Hickenlooper is questioned about Denver Initiative 100, a ballot question that would make marijuana arrests the lowest priority for law enforement in Denver. He says it already is the lowest priority in Denver, which is contradicted by video evidence of the police's "no tolerance" policy.

Background

We are proud to announce that our first official vflog post is that of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. Mayor Hickenlooper is the owner of the Wynkoop Brewing Company, making him one of the biggest legal drug pushers in the state.

In 2005, Denver voters passed the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative that made it legal for adults to possess one ounce of cannabis or less in the City and County of Denver. However, the Denver Police Department has continued to arrest adults for cannabis possession, choosing to ignore the city ordinance and instead enforce state law, in violation of the Colorado Constitution.

This was clear on April 20, 2007, an international holiday among cannabis smokers, who gather every year on 4/20 at 4:20pm to show solidarity. This year, people also gathered to mourn the death of long-time cannabis activist Ken Gorman, who had been murdered under suspicious circumstances in his home in Denver. No arrests have yet been made in Ken's murder.

Over 100 well-armed law enforcement officers patrolled the small 4/20 gathering in Civic Center Park. They made 64 marijuana-related arrests in a crowd of less than 2000 people at a cost of more than $12,000. That's over $187 for each marijuana-related arrest and more than 1 law enforcement officer for every 20 people.

In addition to this incident, since the legalization law passed in Denver in 2005, marijuana arrests in the city have actually increased!

Video-Flog

Since Denver government refuses to recognize the law passed by Denver voters in 2005, SAFER Denver has put another issue on the ballot in 2007.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2007 Denver voters passed Initiated Question 100 (57% to 43%), which requires Denver to make simple adult marijuana possession its lowest law-enforcement priority.

When Mayor Hickenlooper was asked about Init. 100, he claimed ignorance, and then said,

"I think in most cases that that's how the police are already acting."

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Keywords: vflog denver colorado politics video-flog marijuana cannabis hemp pot legalization