cannabisnews.com: Hailey Voters Say ‘Yes’ To Marijuana Reforms Hailey Voters Say ‘Yes’ To Marijuana Reforms Posted by CN Staff on November 07, 2007 at 05:47:39 PT By Terry Smith Source: Idaho Mountain Express Idaho -- Hailey's electorate approved three of four marijuana legalization or reform initiatives in a city election Tuesday, Nov. 6. Voter returns that came in late Tuesday night showed close voting but approval of initiatives to legalize medical use of marijuana, to make enforcement of marijuana laws the city's lowest police priority and to legalize industrial use of hemp. The initiative that failed would have mandated the city to regulate and tax marijuana sales and to establish a Community Oversight Committee to iron out the details for legalization. The three approved initiatives also require the Community Oversight Committee to work out the details for implementation. The initiatives further require that the city of Hailey lobby other branches of government for the reform of marijuana laws. The taxation and regulation initiative failed by a vote of 573-674, while the marijuana medical initiative passed by a vote of 687-581. Hailey voters favored the police priority initiative by a margin of 637-601. The industrial hemp measure passed by 683-565. Hailey City Clerk Heather Dawson said 1,288 voters of the city's 3,494 registered electorate turned out to vote in Tuesday's election. Ryan Davidson, chairman of The Liberty Lobby of Idaho and the man who got the initiatives on the Hailey ballot, could not be reached for comment late Tuesday but said earlier that he was confident the initiatives would succeed. The vote on the initiatives culminated more than three years of work on Davidson's behalf to put legalization issues before voters in the Wood River Valley. He started the project in August of 2004 when he presented initiating petitions for legalization to the cities of Hailey, Sun Valley and Ketchum. All three entities denied his petitions and a series of court actions ensued. In September 2006, Davidson won a major victory when the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that municipalities do not have the right to determine the constitutionality of proposed initiatives. With that victory in hand, Davidson renewed his legalization efforts in 2007 and successfully landed the four initiatives on this year's Hailey general election ballot. He continues to work his proposed initiatives in Ketchum and Sun Valley and hopes to have them on ballots in those cities as early as the primary elections in May of 2008. His work in the Wood River Valley is part of a larger grassroots effort to reform marijuana laws statewide. Meanwhile, the Idaho Attorney General's Office has declined to say what it will do if any of the Hailey initiatives pass, but issued a statement last week reminding voters that possession of marijuana is a crime under both state and federal law. City Attorney Ned Williamson predicted prior to the election that the city will be subjected to future litigation if the initiatives pass and said that the costs could be high for Hailey taxpayers. Note: Results likely to lead to more litigation.Source: Idaho Mountain Express (ID)Author: Terry SmithPublished: November 7, 2007Copyright: 2007 Express Publishing, Inc.Contact: letters mtexpress.comWebsite: http://www.mtexpress.com/Related Articles:Marijuana Referendum Looms Large in Haileyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23444.shtmlMarijuana Advocate Battles With Ketchumhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23394.shtmlMarijuana Initiative Makes Hailey Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23358.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by potpal on November 08, 2007 at 05:08:07 PT But still... ...while the marijuana medical initiative passed by a vote of 687-581 ...fantastic.Although,I'm amazed that there is that much opposition to something that will help sick people. 581 people with little compassion, extremely misguided and ignorant of what's good for all of us. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on November 07, 2007 at 08:37:33 PT AP: Idaho Town Says 'Loosen Up' On Some Pot Laws Wednesday, November 7, 2007Associated Press HAILEY - City residents voted Tuesday to legalize medical marijuana, make enforcing pot laws the lowest police priority and decriminalize industrial hemp. But they rejected a companion measure that foresaw the city regulating and taxing legal pot sales. The medical marijuana and industrial hemp measures each passed with 54 percent of the vote, while 51 percent of voters supported making pot arrests the lowest police priority. Meanwhile, the initiative to legalize pot sales to adults was supported by only 46 percent of voters. Just where this leaves this central Idaho town is uncertain, because officials with the Idaho attorney general say state and federal laws that criminalize all marijuana trump new municipal codes. City officials said before the vote they expected litigation if the measures passed.Copyright: 2007 Associated Presshttp://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-nov0707-hailey_marijuana.1e8a8f402.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Hope on November 07, 2007 at 07:52:07 PT The "message" I see in this vote.... "Get off our backs!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by dongenero on November 07, 2007 at 07:42:50 PT Congratulations Ryan! Great work! Congratulations to Mason too. Another resounding victory. This is certainly a good news day.The message? Got cannabis?Regrading Idaho, it makes sense they would vote down the government taxing and regulating marijuana. I have the impression Idahoans (???) would just as soon get government out of the way unless it is really needed. These votes seem to reflect that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 07, 2007 at 07:24:36 PT ripit That is great news for your state. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by ripit on November 07, 2007 at 07:22:22 PT: i am happy i hope this keeps snowballing into bigger and better things here in my home state! my sister just moved to hailey a few months ago and wasn't registered to vote in blaine county yet.she called to let me know the results this morning at 5. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Hope on November 07, 2007 at 06:00:20 PT Isn't there some law about threatening voters before a vote? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Hope on November 07, 2007 at 05:59:38 PT Who would sue them about this? "City Attorney Ned Williamson predicted prior to the election that the city will be subjected to future litigation if the initiatives pass and said that the costs could be high for Hailey taxpayers." [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 07, 2007 at 05:48:19 PT Good Job Wat To Go Idaho! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment