Eureka Springs Passes Low Priority Marijuana Initiative

Hello everyone this is Ryan from Fayetteville NORML.

PRESS RELEASE- EUREKA SPRINGS LOW PRIORITY MARIJUANA INITIATIVE CERTIFIED
11-10-06 Levi Phillips has signed off on the Carroll County election results. These results will be sent to the state election commission for final certification.

As of 9:00 pm, Thursday, November 9, 2006, Cindy Baker, attorney for the Republican Party, had filed no challenges other than the one challenging the absentee ballots, which have nevertheless been counted, and are included in the totals below.

Eureka Springs Citizens vote Yes to make marijuana a low priority.

63% (598) Voted Yes for Low Priority
37% (345) Voted Against

â??For the first time in Arkansas history, citizens have had an opportunity to voice their opinion on Americaâ??s failed marijuana laws. Eureka Springs citizens would rather police focus on violent crimes and property crimes - and not spend their limited resources targeting, arresting, and prosecuting minor marijuana offenders. Last year Arkansas spent $29 Million dollars to enforce federal & state marijuana laws. Over 6,000 Arkansan's were arrested for marijuana in 2004, & 405 were arrested in Fayetteville in 2005. Every 40 seconds an American is arrested for marijuana. This vote is a positive step in beginning a serious discussion about the failure of Americaâ??s unjust marijuana laws.â? Ryan Denham â?? Fayetteville/UofA NORML

â??What this result tells us is that citizens strongly support reforming America's marijuana laws, but that they prefer to do so incrementally. This victory in Eureka Springs, once again, affirms that a majority of US citizens don't want adults
who use marijuana responsibly to face arrest or jail, and they do not want a significant portion of their tax dollars to be spent on policies that prioritize targeting and prosecuting marijuana offenders.â? Paul Armentano, Senior Policy Analyst (NORML | NORML Foundation)

For more information you can contact:

Ryan Denham-Campaign Director
[email protected]

&

NORML
Allen St. Pierre
1600 K Street, N.W.
Suite 501 Washington DC, 20006-2832
202-483-5500 x107 (w)
202-484-0057 (f)
[email protected]
http://www.norml.org

Outcomes of the other marijuana initiatives accross the country:
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7084
http://www.mpp.org/site/c.glKZLeMQIs..._Elections.htm

INITIATIVE TEXT

â??Initiative Petition

To the honorable, Mary Jean Sell, City Clerk of The City of Eureka Springs, Arkansas We, the undersigned legal voter of the City of Eureka Springs respectfully propose the following amendment to the ordinances of the Municipal Code of the City of Eureka Springs to wit:â?

LOW PRIORITY

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING POLICY FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION AND PARAPHERNALIA POSSESSION BY ADULTS-PROSECUTIONS, amending section 7.04.01 of the City of Eureka Springs Municipal Code, by adding a new section labeled as 7.04.03 relating to prosecuting marijuana and paraphernalia cases in the District Court of the City of Eureka Springs pursuant to applicable city ordinances, and fixing a time when this ordinance shall become effective.

(A) The purpose of this Initiative is to ensure that adults as defined by state criminal statutes are not arrested and suffer only a fine and/or community service or counseling and no other punishment or penalty, for the possession of a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and/or marijuana paraphernalia. This Initiative shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of these purposes.

(B) When any law enforcement officer suspects any adult of possession of a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and/or possession of marijuana paraphernalia, that person shall not be required to post bond, suffer arrest, suffer incarceration, suffer prosecution, be taken into custody for any purpose nor detained for any reason other than the issuance of a citation. There shall be a strong presumption that the proper disposition of any such case is to suspend the imposition of sentence and/or require community service work and/or drug counseling and education.

(C) The provisions of this measure are severableâ??if any provision of this measure is declared invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions of the measure which can be given effect without the invalid provision.

(D) This Ordinance shall be effective upon passage by the voters of the City of Eureka Springs and any city ordinance or regulation that is inconsistent with this Ordinance shall be null and void once this Ordinance is passed.

(E) The message of this ordinance is that people should not use marijuana, but should also not lose opportunities for education and employment because of such use. The limited resources of law enforcement should be directed primarily toward crimes of violence or property loss. The enforcement of laws against marijuana shall be the lowest law enforcement priority.