The people of Hailey, Idaho, find as follows:
WHEREAS the federal government's war on drugs has failed; and
WHEREAS Hailey should determine its marijuana policies locally, not hand them over to the federal drug enforcement administration; and
WHEREAS each year Idaho spends millions of dollars enforcing marijuana laws, thereby filling local jails and prisons to capacity, and expending valuable law enforcement resources that would be better spent on fighting violent and serious crimes; and
WHEREAS decades of arresting millions of marijuana users have failed to control marijuana use or reduce its availability; and
WHEREAS medical and governmental studies have consistently found cannabis to be less dangerous than alcohol, tobacco and other already legal drugs; and
WHEREAS making adult marijuana offenses Hailey's lowest law enforcement priority will reduce the city's spending on law enforcement and punishment;
THEREFORE the people of the city of Hailey do hereby enact the following chapter establishing that marijuana offenses by adults shall be the lowest police priority of the city. (1992 Code § 11.08.020)