home>>>

Hollywood Holland - A Wink to Marijuana

Anorak Playfuls.com

West Hollywood, CA June 21, 2006 -- West Hollywood slowly stepping toward the Dutch view on weed? Maybe, not quite as straightforward, but clearly enough to convey a message. City leaders adopted a resolution Monday night that is meant to prevent the sheriff department from touching certain adult pot smokers.

Spokeswoman Tamara White stated the City Council backed the resolution up 4-0. The only council member who abstained from voting was Jeffrey Prang, who is also an assistant to the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Lee Baca.

The resolution states that the Sheriff department is not to "target adult marijuana users who consume this drug in private and pose no danger to the community." Drug dealers, minors that smoke and public smokers would still be prone to arrest.

Although the resolution is not legally enforceable, it's making a statement that law enforcement resources should be directed towards more dangerous activities and perpetrators than mere weed smokers explained Councilman John Duran, the main sponsor of the resolution.

"Marijuana, you know, a joint or two is just so far down on the scale it doesn't seem worthwhile to allocate any sources to the enforcement of the marijuana laws," said Duran, who is also a lawyer. "We cannot do anything that contradicts state law, but what we can do is direct our local law enforcement in terms of what we want them to prioritize," he said. "I think, deep down, they really feel the same way we do."

The city's high gay population means many citizens have HIV. Medical marijuana has already been approved by the council. "This goes a step further" said Duran, according to The Mercury.

Sheriff Baca had no comments, because he hadn't gotten the chance to review the resolution, said Kerri Webb, his spokeswoman. He might just enjoy a joint while skimming the text.