Denver Republicans support marijuana rights, civil unions

Denver County Republicans voted during County Assembly on March 10 in favor of marijuana rights and same-sex civil unions.

Support for Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol measure, reached 56 percent, ten points below the two-thirds majority needed to be adopted as a platform plank, but still a majority.

Support for civil unions was also at 56 percent. Poll after poll has shown broad support for civil unions in Colorado. Polling has also shown broad support for marijuana rights in Colorado.

“Support for civil unions is emerging as a mainstream position in the Republican Party. More and more, conservative leaders are recognizing that relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples adheres to a core conservative principle: the less intrusion into personal liberty the better,” said Jess Woodrum, deputy executive director of GLBT advocacy group ONE Colorado.

A resolution supporting medical marijuana rights, and calling for the feds to back off in Colorado, however, passed with a wide enough margin to be adopted as an official position, with 73 percent support.

That resolution reads:

Be it resolved that Colorado’s Medical Marijuana laws are a state issue. The Obama Department of Justice should cease involvement in Colorado’s Medical Marijuana program and leave it to the voters of Colorado.

Mason Tvert, lead organizer of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, released this statement:

“On the heels of the Pat Robertson endorsement of Amendment 64, it is great to see increasing support for regulating marijuana like alcohol across the ideological spectrum. It is impressive and encouraging that a majority of some of the most active Republicans in Denver voted to endorse the initiative. As more and more Colorado citizens see their friends and neighbors voicing their opposition to marijuana prohibition, we expect support for the initiative will continue to grow.”

Denver Republicans gave the personhood initiative a lukewarm welcome, with 47 percent support.

Denver Republicans also took a number of hard right positions, voting overwhelmingly to oppose Obamacare, with 96 percent supporting that plank. Eighty-nine percent voted in favor of requiring photo ID to vote. Eighty-three percent voted in favor of adopting English as the official language.

[ Image: Denver Pridefest, 2008, Jeffrey Beall ]