Sensi: Marijuana news – public consumption of marijuana in Denver

The marijuana advocacy group The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law (NORML) launched an effort last week to get a Denver ballot initiative in front of voters that would allow certain types of public consumption of marijuana.

In a statement for the release, Denver NORML executive director Jordan Person alluded to previous efforts to get a similar measure on the ballot.

“We greatly appreciate the previous attempt to bring this issue to Denver voters, but we want to get this done,” Person is quoted as saying. “The need is obvious as residents and visitors continue to have no legal place other than private homes to enjoy a legal product with like-minded adults.

“We are coming from the perspective of the consumer and not as industry business owners or representatives,” he adds, “but of course we will work with a broad-based coalition of consumers, industry groups and business to gather the needed signatures and to ensure passage.”

Sensi.com editor Leland Rucker also takes a look at Texas, where the Texas House criminal jurisprudence committee last week approved a bill that would make it legal to buy and sell marijuana in Texas. 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, four days after the same committee voted 4-2 in favor of a bill to decriminalize marijuana in Texas. Rucker says these are the first two bills to ever make it onto the floor of the Texas state legislature.