DENVER -- The group that got Denver voters to approve legalizing marijuana in city limits is now trying to get a statewide initiative.

The proposed measure would legalize less than an ounce of pot for adults 21 and older across Colorado.

The group Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) needs 68,000 signatures by August to get the initiative on the state ballot for next November's election.

Group leaders are filing the initial paper work on Wednesday.

"Clearly, people in the state of Colorado are fed with up laws that push people to using alcohol instead of marijuana, when it is a far more dangerous drug and causes more problems around the state," said Mason Tvert, SAFER's campaign director.

The state's attorney general, John Suthers, does not buy the argument that pot is safer and welcomes the debate. He and the governor feel the measure would be defeated. Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff -- a Denver Democrat -- opposes changing the state law. He thinks drug use in the state is already too high and said the matter would wind up in the courts.

State authorities had said Denver's Initiative-100, even though it was passed by voters, was virtually meaningless because of state and federal laws that make even small amounts of marijuana illegal.

Tvert said even though Denver voters had expressed their opinion that a small pinch of pot should be legal, people were still being arrested and prosecuted under state law and he wants that to stop.

The statewide proposal would get rid of the state's prohibition of marijuana and allow cities to make the rules about pot use.

"Once there is no state law, the city ordinance is what the cities and towns would go by and other places ... would have every right to keep punishing adult marijuana users if they chose to," said Tvert.

The language of the initiative will first be reviewed by the state Legislature and then the proposal will be up for a public discussion.

SAFER said they will start collecting signatures in February. They're optimistic that they will get all 68,000 signatures required. To get I-100 on the Denver ballot last November, the group needed 5,000 signatures and received 13,000.