SOUTH PORTLAND – In a pre-emptive move Monday, the South Portland City Council passed a resolution stating its opposition to local efforts to legalize recreational marijuana use.

In taking the vote, several councilors pointed out that the resolution does not prevent the Marijuana Policy Project in Maine from putting a referendum question regarding legalization on the city ballot this fall.

Even so, David Boyer, Maine’s political director of the pro-marijuana group, strenuously objected to the resolution and argued that the majority of Mainers support a policy change of decriminalizing the possession and use of marijuana by adults.

He also said that marijuana is less harmful to the health and well-being of people than alcohol.

Grainne Dunne, the justice organizer at the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, also spoke out against the resolution, saying that enforcement of the prohibition against marijuana “comes at a great cost.”

She said Maine spends $9 million a year on enforcing marijuana laws and that’s money that could be better spent on other things, like education and roads.

In addition, Dunne said that being arrested for the possession or use of marijuana could prevent people from getting jobs or student loans. And, she said, marijuana laws are enforced unfairly, with more minorities arrested and prosecuted, even though marijuana use among whites and minorities nationally is about the same.

She also argued that it’s time people understand that the 40-year war on drugs has been a failure and “it’s time for a new approach on drug policy.”

“It’s unfortunate the council is shutting the door on a discussion of more humane and responsible drug (laws) and is not interested in dialogue,” Dunne said.

But with South Portland poised to become the next battleground in the legalization effort, Police Chief Ed Googins, the City Council and the group South Portland Citizens Against Substance Abuse want to make it clear that they think marijuana is dangerous and its possession and use should remain illegal.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, which was held in Mill Creek Park, Googins, Mayor Gerard Jalbert and others voiced their opposition to the legalization effort locally.

In a prepared statement, Jalbert said, “As city officials and concerned citizens we believe it to be very important to raise our concerns and stand firmly against the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in South Portland.”

Earlier this year the Marijuana Policy Project announced plans to get legalization referendums on local ballots in South Portland, Lewiston and York.

On its website, the project said it hopes to expand on its success in Portland this past fall, when voters in Maine’s largest city approved the possession and use of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for non-medical uses by adults.

Those who oppose the legalization of marijuana may be fighting a losing battle, though, with a couple of states already de-criminalizing its use and possession and other states lined up to hold referendums on the issue.

In addition, this past weekend the Maine Democratic Party added legalization of recreational marijuana to its platform. According to media reports, up to 75 percent of the delegates voted in favor of the measure, which supports allowing people 21 and older to have access to recreational marijuana.

The delegates stopped short, however, of adding further language stating the party would “support a sensible Maine-based solution to marijuana in view of the failure of the current prohibition.”

While South Portland City Councilor Patti Smith voted in favor of the resolution opposing legalization Monday, she also noted that there is plenty of research on both sides of the question, and she looks forward to further debate on the issue.

According to the statistics quoted in the resolution, national studies have shown that marijuana is addictive; its current potency is at the highest level since scientific analysis began; its use can lead to risky behaviors and cognitive problems; and nationally substance abuse admissions for teens is 56 percent for marijuana compared with 24 percent for alcohol.

In speaking to the council Monday, Googins said the campaign to legalize marijuana use “is not a good thing for the community.” He also said the argument that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol is not borne out by his more than 40 years in law enforcement.

And with the increased potency of marijuana, Googins said, it’s easier to get higher on smaller amounts. “(Marijuana use) has a negative impact on lives and livelihoods,” he concluded.

But Boyer said the Marijuana Policy Project has its own statistics, which counteract the “scare tactics” being employed by special interest groups, such as police unions, private prisons and medical groups, including the American Medical Association.

He also said the resolution’s focus on teen use of marijuana and the negative impacts to them were irrelevant since no one was talking about allowing minors to have access to recreational marijuana.

However, Councilor Maxine Beecher, who is a member of South Portland Citizens Against Substance Abuse and who spent her career working on substance abuse prevention and education, disagreed.

“We do know that marijuana affects the frontal lobes of kids, and it’s not as simple as saying it’s only OK for adults. When kids see adults using, it sets an example and it seems like the norm,” Beecher said.

“This is about health and welfare,” she added.

While Councilor Linda Cohen acknowledged that, “there are valid points on both sides,” she also said it’s bad policy to legalize marijuana in a piecemeal fashion, city by city, as the Marijuana Policy Project is attempting to do.

With Jalbert and Councilor Tom Blake absent, the council approved the resolution in a vote of 5-0.

In other action Monday, the council set a public hearing on a public nuisance complaint at 35 Mildred St. for 7 p.m. on June 16.

And, Cohen announced that she has moved out of District 4. However, the city charter allows her to continue to represent the district until her term is up in December 2015.

South Portland may become the next battleground in the effort to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.