DENVER -- A second initiative in as many years seeking to decriminalize the use and possession of marijuana was leading Wednesday.

Preliminary results of Question 100 directing law enforcement to make marijuana the lowest law enforcement priority was leading by a margin of 56 percent to 44 percent Wednesday afternoon.

Molly Rauzi, a city spokeswoman, said the results of the mail-in vote were not final and ballots were still being counted Wednesday because of the larger-than-expected turnout.

"The people of Denver have made it unmistakably clear they they do not want their city wasting its limited law enforcement resources arresting and prosecuting adults for possessing a drug less harmful than alcohol," said Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) and the director of the YES on 100 campaign. "Whereas marijuana users were once the law-breakers in the Mile High City, city officials will now be the ones violating the law if they do not respect the will of the voters."

Elected officials and police said the initiative would have little effect since state and federal law supersede local law decriminalizing the drug.

In 2005, Denver passed an initiative making possession of small amounts of marijuana legal. It's had little effect as police and prosecutors said they were enforcing state law, which marijuana proponents tried but failed to change through a vote last year.

Voters in Seattle and the town officials in San Francisco passed similar measures in recent years, said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project, which helped fund the campaign. Mirken said several cities in California, including Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, as well as Missoula County Montana also have similar measures.

"The experiences of these other cities proves that Denver can make changes in how they handle adult marijuana possession," said Tvert. "We hope city officials will respect the will of the voters who elected them and direct police to stop arresting adults for simply possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the department did not immediately have a comment.

Tvert and other supporters of the initiative tout marijuana as an alternative to alcohol.