TAXPAYERS TO DECIDE WHETHER MARIJUANA SHOULD BE 'LOW PRIORITY'

The group Sensible Fayetteville has gathered enough signatures to put
a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot that will make a misdemeanor
possession of marijuana the lowest priority for law enforcement.

Many have mixed feelings about the effect this ordinance could have
on the city: Jacob Holloway, field organizer for Sensible
Fayetteville, said an initiative like this sends "a message that we
will no longer accept inaction," while City Attorney Kit Williams
said the ordinance essentially would have "no effect" on Fayetteville
residents.

What actually should bring the issue of decriminalizing marijuana to
full focus, then, is the overcrowding of jails and the spending of
taxpayers' money to house those charged with misdemeanors.

About 400 marijuana-related arrests were made in 2005 in
Fayetteville, and the state of Arkansas spends about $30 million a
year making arrests for marijuana use, said Ryan Denham, campaign
director for Sensible Fayetteville.

"We have more serious fish to fry than going after someone with a
small amount of marijuana," Mayor Dan Coody said.

We agree. But legalizing marijuana - or keeping it illegal - is not the issue.

The fact this measure simply is being placed on the November ballot
is a significant step forward for all Fayetteville citizens. Who
better to decide whether marijuana possession should be criminalized
and how tax money should be spent than the Fayetteville taxpayers themselves?