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gage ~ ) <br />.THE COUNTY OF HAWAII, THE STATE OF HAWAI'~ <br />AN ORDINANCE ADDING A NEW ARTICLE TO THE HAWAII COUNTY CODE (2005 EDITION, AS <br />AMENDED) _. .. _._ -..,. <br />BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE Ct;-kJNTY~OF HAWAII - <br />Section 1: TITLE ~F,. R ~ C ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ' <br /><~ ~ <br />This Article shall be known as the ~ ~~ ~ <br />- -~ <br />'LOWEST LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIORITY OF CAN1~4-B~Ij~~-MaE' ' ~ _-' r a ~' <br />-- oo <br />Section 2: PURPOSE fJ#'F. ~,~' ,,~,,_,~,,, ,,. _~_,~ ~ <br />..'y! ~ _ <br />The purpose of this Article is to; ~ - ~.' .: ~ o0 <br />(a) Provide law enforcement more time and resources to focus on serious crimes. -. ~, <br />(b) Allow our court systems to run more efficiently; <br />(c) Create space in our prisons to hold serious criminals; <br />(d) Save taxpayers money and provide more funding for necessities such-as education and health care. <br />(e) Reduce the fear of prosecution and the stigma of criminality from non-violent citizens who harmlessly <br />cultivate and/or use Cannabis for personal, medicinal, religious, and recreational purposes. <br />Section 3: FINDINGS <br />(a) The Institute of Medicine has found that Cannabis (marijuana) has medicinal value and is <br />not a gateway drug. <br />(b) According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the use of Cannabis (marijuana) directly results in <br />0 (zero) deaths per year. <br />(c) According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), the marijuana eradication program has not <br />stopped Cannabis cultivation in the County of Hawaii, rather the program has only decreased the <br />availability of the plant, which increases it's `street'value, resulting in more crime. <br />(d) The National .Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) also reported that a large increase of the use of <br />methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and other hard drugs was related to the marijuana eradication <br />program's implementation. <br />(e) According to public record, the mandatory program review'for the marijuana eradication program, <br />required by Section 3-16 of the County Charter to be performed at least once every 4 .years, has never <br />been performed in the 30 years that the program has existed. <br />(f) Law abiding adults are being arrested and imprisoned for nonviolent Cannabis offenses, <br />clogging our court dockets, overcrowding our prisons, tying up valuable law enforcement resources <br />I <br />"ExxzBZZ ~~~ <br />