SAM Magazine-Breckenridge, Colo., Aug. 31, 2009-A petition seeking to effectively legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults in the town of Breckenridge received enough support to place the issue before voters on Nov. 3. The measure would repeal local penalties in the Breckenridge Town Code for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults age 21 and older. The drive has been led by Breckenridge town councilman, local writer and TV personality Jeff Bergeron (aka "Biff America") and a local attorney.

The Breck Town Council voted against approving the measure at an August session, as members said they were reluctant to place the town's laws at odds with state and federal regulations without getting the voters' support. If the past is any precedent, that support will be forthcoming. In 2006, 72 percent of Breckenridge voters favored a statewide proposal to decriminalize marijuana possession.

The petition in Breckenridge, if it becomes law, would follow a similar measure in Denver, where the relaxation on the penalty for possession of marijuana has led to a reduction in the number of prosecutions. It also follows the announcement that the Obama Administration will not pursue most federal regulations regarding marijuana.

However, marijuana would still remain illegal at both the state and federal levels, and enforcement of the law would be at the discretion of the Breckenridge Police Department. A department spokesman said that possession of small amounts of marijuana has not been a top priority in the recent past, and that will remain the case regardless of the vote in November.

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