cannabisnews.com: Panel Debates Details of Marijuana Enforcement





Panel Debates Details of Marijuana Enforcement
Posted by CN Staff on February 26, 2004 at 10:09:40 PT
By Lydia Wright
Source: UW Daily Online
A panel appointed to review the effects of Seattle's controversial Initiative 75 debated the legal details of easing restrictions on adult marijuana use. Seattle's newest, and probably most liberal, drug law is being monitored by a panel of community lawyers, politicians and law-enforcement members.Created to monitor the enforcement of I-75, 10 of the 11 panel members convened last night to discuss issues ranging from categorizing marijuana-related crimes to the panel's clerical organization. 
Also present at the meeting were about two dozen citizens, many wearing marijuana-leaf insignia and Hempfest T-shirts.Passed in September 2003, I-75 eased Seattle's enforcement of laws regarding marijuana use. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the city attorney's office are now required to make marijuana possession their lowest law-enforcement priority."The panel's purpose isn't to stop prosecuting marijuana cases because of I-75," said City Attorney Tom Carr. "We would have to ignore state law and we can't do that."According to SPD Capt. Ronald Mochizuki, the SPD will focus on investigating drug dealing rather than possession charges. He said the majority of marijuana-possession incidences are discovered during investigations into other crimes."We take every call seriously, but we have to prioritize," said Mochizuki. "We don't have the resources to put marijuana enforcement first.""The intent of I-75 was to use resources responsibly," said Dominic Holden, a citizen panel member, citing the lack of SPD funding available for extensive enforcement.The panel is responsible for having quarterly meetings to monitor the progress of I-75 and creating a final assessment to be delivered to the City Council. As its first official order of business, it extended the deadline of this final report from 2006 to 2007. Due to concerns over incomplete data and unclear definitions of marijuana-related offenses, it decided to individually research data-collection options to discuss at a later meeting.Nick Licata, Seattle councilman and newly appointed panel chair, outlined three tentative categories of marijuana-related crimes. Cultivation, or growing, and possession without intention to sell are both felonies, and simple possession is a misdemeanor. Calling a fourth category a "gray area," the panel put off the classification of "intention to sell" pending further deliberation."The first thing to do is to collect a potpourri of criteria in these categories that will distinguish between growing marijuana for commercial and for personal use," Licata said The panel will next meet at 5:30 p.m. March 4 at City Hall.Source: UW Daily OnlineAuthor: Lydia WrightPublished: February 26, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Daily University of WashingtonContact: opinion u.washington.eduWebsite: http://thedaily.washington.edu/Related Articles:Council To Form Marijuana Committeehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18142.shtmlMarijuana Initiative No Way To Change Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18138.shtmlSeattle Approaches Sensible Drug Policy http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18094.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 26, 2004 at 15:48:11 PT:
Interesting
Wonder what they hope to accomplish?
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