Denver voters pass marijuana initiative; speak out for change in Nevada

Published: November 7, 2005

On Tuesday, Denver voters passed the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative—which removes criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 and older—by 54% to 46%. This margin of victory is larger than that received in Colorado by either President George Bush (R) or U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D) last November, clear evidence that public support for changing marijuana policy is growing stronger daily.

So what does this have to do with Nevada?

On November 7, 2006, Nevadans will also have a chance to enact sensible marijuana policy by voting for the marijuana initiative on the statewide ballot, which would tax and regulate marijuana in the state. We need you to build on Denver’s victory now to help us succeed in Nevada next November.

Please click here to send a letter-to-the-editor to your local papers, noting Denver’s clear call for marijuana policy reform and your hope that Nevadans will enact sensible change by voting for the marijuana initiative on Election Day. With just a few clicks, our automated system will allow you to send a letter to newspapers in Nevada. Feel free to draw from the talking points that we have provided, but remember that a personalized letter is more likely to be published than a form letter.

Nevada has a historic opportunity next fall to be the first state to replace marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation grounded in common sense and harm reduction. And while Nevada will certainly lead the charge in 2006, the state is not alone in the fight. Nevadans will simply be joining the swelling ranks of citizens—like those in Denver—who have had enough bad governance and failed policies.

Please take action now and let your neighbors hear from another Nevadan who is weary of a decades-long war that fills our jails with nonviolent offenders, ruins young lives, drains millions of dollars from our state, and has nothing to show for the effort.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please forward this message to your friends, so that they, too, can speak out for reform.