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<br /> <br /> N <br /> -4 of <br /> Lle;q. <br /> COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII <br /> <br /> <br /> BILL NO. <br /> ORDINANCE NO. <br /> <br /> A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE HAWAII COUNTY CODE (2005 EDITION, AS <br /> AMENDED), BY ADDING AN ARTICLE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT SHALL <br /> BE KNOWN AS THE LOWEST LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIORITY OF CANNABIS ORDINANCE <br /> <br /> SECTION 1: TITLE <br /> <br /> This Article shall be known as the LOWEST LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIORITY OF <br /> CANNABIS ORDINANCE <br /> <br /> SECTION 2: PURPOSE <br /> <br /> The purpose of this Article is to; <br /> <br /> (a) Provide law enforcement more time and resources to focus on serious crimes. <br /> <br /> (b) Allow our court systems to run more efficiently; <br /> <br /> (c) Create space in our prisons to hold serious criminals; <br /> <br /> (d) Save taxpayers money and provide more funding for necessities such as education <br /> and health care. <br /> <br /> (e) Reduce the fear of prosecution and the stigma of criminality from non-violent citizens <br /> who harmlessly cultivate and/or use Cannabis for personal, medicinal, religious, and <br /> recreational purposes. <br /> <br /> <br /> SECTION 3: FINDINGS <br /> <br /> (a) The Institute of Medicine has found that Cannabis (marijuana) has medicinal value <br /> and is not a gateway drug. <br /> <br /> (b) According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the use of Cannabis (marijuana) <br /> directly results in 0 (zero) deaths per year. <br /> (c) According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), the marijuana eradication <br /> <br /> program has not stopped Cannabis cultivation in the County of Hawai, i, rather the <br /> program has only decreased the availability of the plant, which increases its "street" <br /> value, resulting in more crime. <br /> <br /> (d) The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) also reported that a large increase of <br />