tcnorml lowest enforcement policy sample

7/31/2019 TCNORML Lowest Enforcement Policy Sample

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RESOLUTION NO. ____________

A RESOLUTION declaring the City/County of ________ supportslowest-priority enforcement of ("marihuana/marijuana" or botanical

name "cannabis") laws by law enforcement.

WHEREAS, Our city/county sees the need to focus limitedresources on violent and dangerous crimes. Taxpayers should notbe burdened by the substantial cost of investigating, arresting,prosecuting and jailing people for non-violent marijuanapossession; (1)

WHEREAS, Americans were subjected to more than 850,000arrests for marijuana-related arrests and such arrests accountedfor more than half of all drug arrests in the United States in 2010.(2)

WHEREAS, the failures and harms of the Drug War have fallenmost heavily on racial minorities and lower income communities,and no racial or economic group in Washington or the UnitedStates has escaped the Drug War unharmed; (3)

WHEREAS, federal education loans are denied to middle-incomeand lower-income students pursuant to Congressionalamendments to the Higher Education Act where applicant studentshave been convicted of charges involving marijuana; (4)

WHEREAS, the federal government has violated the will ofcitizens, and their civil liberties. Federal disregard of legally

enacted state laws are inconsistent with state's powers, and runscounter to our democratic values. (5)

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY/COUNTYCOUNCIL OF _______________:


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A new ordinance is adopted and a new section is added to theMunicipal Code titled "DRUGS.

NEW SECTION: The City/County Manager shall ensure that the

City/County Police/Sheriff Department and the City Attorney'soffice make investigation, arrest, and prosecution of non-violentoffenses where marijuana was intended for personal use, thelowest law enforcement priority. Consistent with this policy, theCityPolice /County Sheriff Department and City Attorney /CountyProsecutor shall not cooperate with federal agencies, or expendfunds which may facilitate federal enforcement of marijuanapossession. The City/County Manager, its Police/Sheriff

Department and City Attorney/County Prosecutor shall make allrelevant personnel aware of the intent and formalization of thisresolution.

Severability: If any provision of this resolution or its application toany person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of thisordinance or the application of the terms and provisions to otherpersons or circumstances shall not be affected.

Interpretation: This act is to be liberally construed to effectuate thedefined intent of the City of ______/ County of ________.


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Links1. Decriminalizing marijuana frees up police resources to deal with

more serious crimes.http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-talking-points-2

#point1

2. 2010 arrestshttp://norml.org/news/2011/09/19/marijuana-prosecutions-for-2010-near-record-high

3. Racial minorities unfairly treated.http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/10/the-new-jim-crow-how-the-war-on-drugs-gave-birth-to-a-permanent-american-undercaste/

4. Consequences of convicted of charges involving marijuana.http://michaelsantos.net/prison-journal/the-oxford-handbook-chapter-3-review-the-felon-class-and-collateral-consequences/

5. Justice Department Raids WA State Cannabis Dispensarieshttp://norml.org/news/2011/11/17/justice-department-raids-several-washington-state-cannabis-dispensaries
http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-talking-points-2%23point1http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-talking-points-2%23point1http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-talking-points-2%23point1http://norml.org/news/2011/09/19/marijuana-prosecutions-for-2010-near-record-highhttp://norml.org/news/2011/09/19/marijuana-prosecutions-for-2010-near-record-highhttp://blog.norml.org/2010/03/10/the-new-jim-crow-how-the-war-on-drugs-gave-birth-to-a-permanent-american-undercaste/http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/10/the-new-jim-crow-how-the-war-on-drugs-gave-birth-to-a-permanent-american-undercaste/http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/10/the-new-jim-crow-how-the-war-on-drugs-gave-birth-to-a-permanent-american-undercaste/http://michaelsantos.net/prison-journal/the-oxford-handbook-chapter-3-review-the-felon-class-and-collateral-consequences/http://michaelsantos.net/prison-journal/the-oxford-handbook-chapter-3-review-the-felon-class-and-collateral-consequences/http://michaelsantos.net/prison-journal/the-oxford-handbook-chapter-3-review-the-felon-class-and-collateral-consequences/http://norml.org/news/2011/11/17/justice-department-raids-several-washington-state-cannabis-dispensarieshttp://norml.org/news/2011/11/17/justice-department-raids-several-washington-state-cannabis-dispensarieshttp://norml.org/news/2011/11/17/justice-department-raids-several-washington-state-cannabis-dispensarieshttp://norml.org/news/2011/11/17/justice-department-raids-several-washington-state-cannabis-dispensarieshttp://norml.org/news/2011/11/17/justice-department-raids-several-washington-state-cannabis-dispensarieshttp://michaelsantos.net/prison-journal/the-oxford-handbook-chapter-3-review-the-felon-class-and-collateral-consequences/http://michaelsantos.net/prison-journal/the-oxford-handbook-chapter-3-review-the-felon-class-and-collateral-consequences/http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/10/the-new-jim-crow-how-the-war-on-drugs-gave-birth-to-a-permanent-american-undercaste/http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/10/the-new-jim-crow-how-the-war-on-drugs-gave-birth-to-a-permanent-american-undercaste/http://norml.org/news/2011/09/19/marijuana-prosecutions-for-2010-near-record-highhttp://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-talking-points-2%23point1http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-talking-points-2%23point1

tcnorml lowest enforcement policy sample

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