Idaho Mountain Express: Marijuana committee gets down to business

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Marijuana committee gets down to business

By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

The city of Hailey's Marijuana Oversight Committee is hoping to move forward in its role as a recommending body without causing confrontations with city or state officials. With the help of city staff, the committee will form a mission statement in time for the city's strategic planning session in March 2010.

"The citizens of Hailey are imploring us to do something," said committee member Pete Kramer. "But I would not advise taking on the state of Idaho."

The committee was formed earlier this year after three controversial marijuana initiatives were passed by Hailey voters. The initiatives proposed allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, legalizing industrial hemp and making enforcement of marijuana laws the lowest priority for Hailey police.

Portions of all three ordinances were redacted by 5th District Judge Robert Elgee, but the oversight committee was formed and charged with gathering information and making recommendations to the City Council on how the city should handle several issues regarding marijuana policy.

In September, the committee decided to focus efforts on supporting the medical use of marijuana. Since that time, committee members have researched legalization efforts in other mountain communities such as Breckenridge, Colo., where legalization was passed by 72 percent of voters in November.

Colorado has about 100 legal dispensaries for distributing marijuana for medical reasons.

Hailey's Oversight Committee Chairman Peter Lobb said he had contacted Idaho Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, to learn more about a marijuana legalization bill the congressman is expected to introduce to the Legislature in February.

"This could be a tipping point," said committee member and former Hailey Chamber of Commerce Director Jim Spinelli.

Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com

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The comments below are from the readers of mtexpress.com and in no way represent the views of Express Publishing Inc.

Josh – Hailey

11/19/09 - 20:01

www.cato.org

NFP Collective – CA

11/19/09 - 14:30

The process, State, county, then city. You guys just arrested a 64 yr old for home cultivation and they want to give him something like ten years? Idaho will probably be the 50th state to allow MM to happen and if it does it will probably be state controlled like liquor. The wheel has already be invented for MM in a number of states. You need to post the bill and compare it to others, each state has a little different take on it. If you look carefully, I think they are all "blue" states. Good luck, it's a long row to hoe.

RFWoodstock – Woodstock

11/19/09 - 07:12

Valid medicinal value, it's a victimless crime, the War on Drugs WAY too costly, too many arrests for simple possession, tax it and use the money to pay for health insurance and to reduce the deficit...Need I say more?

Woodstock Universe supports legalization of Marijuana.

We will giveaway a Woodstock Universe Prize Package to the best member blog on "Why we should legalize marijuana?"

Prize package includes Woodstock Universe T-shirt and magnet, WDST decal, Radio Woodstock Live in Woodstock CD and Woodstock 3 days of peace and music Director's Cut DVD.

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Peace, love, music, one world,
RFWoodstock

Reply to RFWoodstock

kw – United States

11/19/09 - 08:51

Hello-beware-it`s a time warp-2010 will soon be here

Reply to RFWoodstock

Maxwell Powers

11/23/09 - 21:38

How come you couldn't get the url to woodstockuniverse.com formatted correctly? Did you have smoke in your eyes?

PS: Current poll results: 49% (1132) Yes
50% (1161) No

kw – hailey

11/18/09 - 07:24

March 2010? Anything going on this winter? Kick-back?