No on 64 is organized and ready to raise funds in opposition to Amendment 64 in Colorado. Amendment 64 is an amendment to the state constitution which makes growing, consuming and selling marijuana legal for anyone over 21, subject to 15% state tax. Amendment 64 has the advantage now, as a recent poll showed that 61 % percent of Coloradans support legalizing marijuana. The marijuana lobby succeeded in March, with 56 % of delegates to the Denver County Republican Party endorsing it and, in April, with the Colorado Democratic Party’s endorsement of Amendment 64
Smart Colorado is a local effort that was organized two months ago against legalizing marijuana. “In Colorado too many people don’t even know the issue is going to be on the ballot,” said Roger Sherman, campaign director for Smart Colorado. “And, too many people who are aware don’t think it has a chance of passing.”
The organization is looking for groups and individuals to contribute to their campaign to go up against the millions of dollars expected to be raised in support of Amendment 64. The opposition to marijuana legalization does not have donors comparable to national benefactors who have made huge donations over the past 20 years to influence marijuana laws: George Soros, Peter Lewis, John Sperling and George Zimmer. Locally, SAFER and Sensible Colorado sponsored the ballot initiative, raising $ 2,100,000 and collecting signatures for The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act. Advocates hope Colorado will become the first state to legalize marijuana, even as it runs afoul of federal law. 
Let’s hope Colorado’s Senators and Governor will unanimously stand against Amendment 64. In 2010, Governor Jerry Brown and Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein stood up against Proposition 19, California’s marijuana legalization effort. Thus far, Governor Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Mark Udall have not taken a stand. However, Governor Hickenlooper called a session of the Colorado General Assembly in May, asking to set a legal limit of 5 ng/ml. THC in the blood of drivers under the influence of marijuana. A key legislator was not present and the measure did not pass.
In April, Mason Tvert of SAFER acknowledged that the Marijuana Policy Project, supported by Soros and located in Washington, DC, had donated $500,000 of the nearly $700,000 seed money. Additional donations of over $1.2 million have been received and a television commercial campaign which began in May will continue.
Supporters of Amendment 64 believe it has a better chance of passing than California’s Proposition 19 in 2010, because 2012 is a presidential election year. Women are the voters targeted by the lobby this year.
Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson supports Amendment 64. He is a former governor of New Mexico, who gained little support while running as a presidential candidate in the Republican party.
The measure to be voted on in Colorado is a constitutional amendment, meaning it would be difficult to reverse if approved and Coloradans have buyer’s remorse, or if it is found not to be effective in generating a sufficient tax. The Rand Institute has sufficiently refuted any economic benefit to the marijuana tax. Colorado’s tax rate on marijuana would be particularly low, only 15%.