June 16, 2011 07:30 PM UTC

2012 Marijuana Legalization Initiative Moving Forward

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• by: Colorado Pols

AP, via the Durango Herald:

Advocates brought eight possible ballot measures to the Colorado title board Wednesday. It’s a final step before advocates can start seeking signatures to petition something onto ballots.

Marijuana legalization supporters say they’ll wait a week for legal challenges and then pick a measure to start promoting for ballots next year. The groups appear likely to ask voters whether marijuana should be permitted for adults older than 21, even if they don’t have a medical condition that qualifies them for pot currently.

As we noted last time we discussed this initiative in May, the pro-marijuana community is feeling better about its prospects for full legalization at the polls in 2012. Many people have noticed that the pro-marijuana lobbying effort has become more professional recently, and public attitudes on marijuana legalization are shifting demographically. Executed properly, there is a practical political motivation for Democrats in getting marijuana legalization on the Colorado ballot, with at least a theoretical likelihood of getting younger and progressive-minded voters to the polls.

In 2006, Amendment 44 went down in flames (pardon the pun). Will 2012 be different?

If you’re interested, proponents are holding a “debate”–mind you, between differing legalization advocates–on June 22nd, moderated by Patricia Calhoun of Westword. They’ll reportedly be debating not when or whether marijuana should be legalized, but what kind of ballot measure would have the best chance of passage.