Here’s The Massively Important Full Text Of The Des Moines Iowa Marijuana Decriminalization Resolution 20-1065 Approved By City Council Vote On June 22 2020 (Read Here)

Good news. I was invited to write suggestions and policy proposals on marijuana decriminalization in Des Moines to the Des Moines City Council Marijuana Enforcement Task Force Chair, Gary Dickey. I figured actually reading the resolution in it’s entirety, as well as reviewing the city council hearing from June 22nd for context, was going to be useful. Meanwhile, I’ll be posting my draft for policy proposals here on WeedPress likely later this weekend.

Page 12 ORDINANCES – SECOND CONSIDERATION 71-I Amending by adding Article III, Sections 86-42, 86-43, 86-44, 86-45, 86-46 and 86-47 regarding unbiased policing.

(A) Supporting the decriminalization of marijuana and creating a task force to minimize enforcement for possession of marijuana for personal use.Sponsors: Council Members Mandelbaum, Boesen, Voss and Gatto

(B)Receive and file letter from Community Alliance via NAACP to Des Moines City Council and Mayor regarding Anti racial profiling ordinance. (C) Consider Amendment to ordinance regarding Policy Review Committee language.

— Des Moines City Council Agenda, June 22, 2020

Click to access 71ia.pdf

Download the full decriminalization of marijuana resolution 20-1065: click here.

The Resolution reads in full as follows.

A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA AND CREATING A TASK FORCE TO MINIMIZE ENFORCEMENT FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA FOR PERSONAL USE

WHEREAS, as a country, the United States spends billions of dollars each year enforcing marijuana laws; and,

WHEREAS, this enforcement has not had an impact on marijuana usage and has created additional costs for communities and individuals; and,

WHEREAS, an arrest for possession of marijuana can have an impact on housing, student loans, future employment, child custody determinations and many other circumstances; and,

WHEREAS, data shows that marijuana usage is roughly equal among whites and blacks in the United States, but blacks are 3.64 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession between blacks and whites, with blacks being over seven times more likely to be arrested than whites.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES, IOWA as follows:

That the City Council believes that enforcement of marijuana possession for personal use should be the lowest enforcement priority for Des Moines police officers. To implement this position, the City Council hereby creates a six-person volunteer task force consisting of one person appointed by the City Attorney; one member of the Civil and Human Rights Commission; an attorney jointly selected by the NAACP, ACLU and CCI; an attorney with experience in criminal defense matters selected by the City Council; an individual with background in community availability of substance abuse treatment services and resources, and a member of the community with demonstrated interest and involvement in these issues selected by the City Council. The police department shall make a qualified person available for consultation with the task force on technical matters. The City Council selects Gary Dickey Jr. to serve on the task force and selects Billy Weathers as the community member of the task force. The task force shall provide recommendations to the Council regarding:

1. any actions the state legislature could take that would facilitate making marijuana a lower enforcement priority; and
2. any actions and policies, including but not limited to ordinance changes, that the City could implement under existing state law to make marijuana possession a lower enforcement priority; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall base its recommendations on best practices previously implemented in other cities or states and shall provide its recommendations in a written report and at a Council work session no later than the first Monday in October 2020; provided that nothing in this Resolution is intended to authorize or to take any action that would result in the loss of accreditation of its police officers or loss of accreditation of the Des Moines Regional Police Academy by the State of Iowa or otherwise result in a denial of state or federal funding.

Sponsors: Council Members Mandelbaum, Boesen, Voss and Gatto.