The Denver City Council has voted unanimously to allow a public referendum on whether police should make enforcement of marijuana-possession laws their lowest priority, the Denver Post reported Aug. 21.

Council members had considered passing an ordinance to that effect -- hoping that a judge would then thrown it out -- but instead decided to put the question before voters, as supporters wanted.

"I don't think any of us wants to subvert the will of the voters," said council member Doug Linkhart. "I don't think it's the role of the city to tell police which laws to enforce."

Denver residents voted to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2005, but activist Mason Tvert said that local lawmakers have done nothing to prevent police from continuing to arrest individuals for marijuana use; such arrests have risen 15 percent since the vote, Tvert said. "I'm certainly glad voters will have their say, even though they already had their say," he said.

An attempt to repeal Colorado's state marijuana-possession law was rejected by voters last year.