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New Poll: Majority Of Likely Denver Voters Support Limited Social Marijuana Use

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Jonah Bennett Contributor
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Marijuana legalization in Colorado has caused some advocates to retire and galvanized others. The latest attempt to push at the boundaries is a Denver city initiative that would permit limited use of marijuana in some commercial establishments.

A new poll released Thursday by Public Policy Polling found that 56 percent of likely voters in Denver support limited social use of marijuana. A recent measure would allow patrons to use the drug in certain areas only accessible by individuals over 21-years-old. A total of 40 percent registered opposition to social use. When asked about the relationship between marijuana and alcohol, 55 percent of respondents said that alcohol causes more problems in Denver than marijuana use. Only 13 percent believe that marijuana causes more problems than alcohol.

“Denver voters have repeatedly voted in favor of treating marijuana similarly to alcohol,” said initiative proponent Mason Tvert, who co-directed the 2012 Amendment 64 campaign in Colorado, in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “For the same reasons many adults enjoy having a drink in a social setting, many adults would enjoy using cannabis.

The petition drive, started by the Campaign for Limited Social Use, began last week and needs 4,726 signatures before August, in order to obtain a spot on the November 2015 ballot.

“Adults visiting Denver who can legally purchase cannabis need somewhere to go to consume it,” Tvert added. “The goal here is to reduce the likelihood of marijuana being used on the street and in other public areas.”

Some see the initiative as going a little too far. An editorial from The Denver Post in late June argued that not only are those running the initiative overconfident, but that the measure itself is poorly designed and doesn’t include sufficient regulation, leaving neighbors to businesses which allow marijuana no recourse.

“[W]e bet Denver residents will see this measure as going too far, and draw the line against such an expansive law,” the editorial wrote.

If passed, the measure would allow businesses with alcohol licenses to make the choice whether to allow cannabis consumption in their establishments. These establishments would have to abide by the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. Additionally, businesses can allow marijuana consumption without having an alcohol license, but this means they’d be subject to direct regulation from the city on where the business can be located and what hours it can be open.

The survey was conducted from June 12-15 and relied on a sample size of 629 likely Denver voters. It also has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

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