Colorado鈥檚 ballot initiative to legalize marijuana possession is billed by one leading local advocate as 鈥渁 grassroots effort here on the ground,鈥� but an examination of contributions to the campaign tell a far different story.
Editor's Note: This story is part of a on Amendment 64 covering , and the question.
Contribution records from the Secretary of State鈥檚 office show that the four registered committees supporting legalization through Sept. 12, with more than $1.2 million coming from states other than Colorado.
"They have an incredible amount of money," said Floyd Ciruli, analyst at . "It primarily came from out of state."
Ciruil said Colorado is among other Western states 鈥渢hat have a little more libertarian attitude,鈥� making them 鈥渇ertile ground for laws that would legalize various behaviors like drugs.鈥�
The top campaign contributor to Colorado鈥檚 Amendment 64 is , a Washington, D.C.鈥揵ased lobbying group that has donated more than $1.1 million. According to the group鈥檚 website, it has more than 124,000 members and supporters.
Other top donors in favor of the proposition include national lobbying group ($90,000), California-based soap company ($50,000) and Lawrence Hess of San Diego ($30,000).
Mason Tvert, co-director of the and a marijuana advocate in the state of long standing, said most of the pro-initiative work is being done by Coloradans.
鈥淭his is a grassroots effort here on the ground. We have individuals canvassing their neighborhoods all across the state. We鈥檙e confident we鈥檒l continue to see support grow.鈥�
Morgan Fox, a spokesperson of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in an email that the big spending should help.
鈥淭he financial backing that the campaign has gathered so far will ensure that it is able to get its message out to voters far more effectively than the opposition, which will certainly be a benefit,鈥� Fox wrote.
However, polling indicates that support for the measure may be wavering.
A Rasmussen Pollsters survey conducted in June indicated . A more recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling in late August and early September showed .
"This latest survey is more sobering," Ciruli said. "It suggests to me that while they have the advantage of money, and I do think they have an argument, there鈥檚 an uphill battle. There鈥檚 a tendency for the positive vote to have attrition due to attacks, second thoughts, a variety of things.鈥�
Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a statement last week that .
鈥淐olorado is known for many great things 鈥� marijuana should not be one of them,鈥� Hickenlooper said. 鈥淎mendment 64 has the potential to increase the number of children using drugs and would detract from efforts to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation. It sends the wrong message to kids that drugs are OK.鈥�
Only one group, , is registered to campaign against the measure. Smart Colorado had raised $194,000 through Sept. 12, and most of its money also came from out of state.
Florida-based contributed $151,497 of the total. The group also funded opposition to a 2006 Colorado legalization attempt. The organization did not respond to phone calls and emails for comment.
Tvert鈥檚 organization is the official campaign driving the initiative.
If approved by Colorado voters, . It also would create a regulatory system for marijuana similar to that of alcohol. And it would allow cultivation and sale of industrial hemp. Federal laws, however, still would outlaw marijuana possession and use.
Both Washington and Oregon have similar amendments on their Nov 2012 ballots. Another ballot measure failed in California in 2010, with 53.5 percent of Californians voting 鈥淣o鈥� on the legalization and taxation of marijuana.
Another pro-legalization advocacy group, Citizens for Responsible Legalization, collected $779,000 last fall, almost all of it from Peter Lewis, an Ohio man who founded Progressive Insurance. The group spent the money on television ads and research in the Colorado Springs area before disbanding at the start of this year. Tvert said the group isn鈥檛 affiliated with the current initiative.
--
The I-暗黑爆料 Network is a nonprofit newsroom collaborating with Colorado news organizations to cover important issues. You can learn more about the funding behind Amendment 64 and other Colorado ballot measures at .
