A RESOLUTION CONCERNING ELKO COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 2017-04

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA 

WHEREAS, the purpose of government is to defend the natural rights of her individual citizens; and

WHEREAS, citizens have the natural right to trade goods and services among themselves; and

WHEREAS, our nation’s birth was a justified rejection of, among other things, overbearing economic regulations and prohibitions on trade and goods; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nevada has legalized the production, transportation, sale, and consumption of Cannabis products; and

WHEREAS, the Cole Memo demonstrates that the federal government places a low priority on regulating the cannabis industry thereby mitigating the conflict between federal and state law; and (https://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/3052013829132756857467.pdf)

WHEREAS, Cannabis consumption causes fewer adverse health effects than alcohol or tobacco consumption; and (https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm)(https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects.htm)

WHEREAS, Cannabis is a safe and effective alternative to addictive opiates with virtually no risk of death by overdose; and (https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html )(https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates)

WHEREAS, legal Cannabis consumers are less likely to be involved in violent crime than legal alcohol consumers; and (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2961462-6/fulltext#article_upsell)

WHEREAS, Nevada Cannabis dispensaries utilize more aggressive identification and security measures than alcohol, cigarette, and opiate distributors; and

WHEREAS, failure to provide a legal means of acquiring a desired good always results in a thriving and illegal black market, necessitating more law enforcement encounters, arrests, incarceration, and court costs; and

WHEREAS, the black market does not regulate against the sale of Cannabis to minors; and

WHEREAS, many other jurisdictions have legalized Cannabis production, distribution, processing, and sales with minimal adverse affects to the community; and

WHEREAS, the Elko County Commission has passed COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 2017-04 effectively promoting the black market and continuing a failed drug war in Elko County; now therefore

THE ELKO COUNTY LIBERTARIAN PARTY RESOLVES:

That the Elko County Commission has violated its purpose as a government body bound to defend the natural rights of her individual citizens to freely trade goods and services; and

That the Elko County Commission has wrongfully usurped authority over her citizens in a misguided attempt to protect them from their individual choices in the pursuit of happiness; and

That the Elko County Commission should correct its error by rescinding COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 2017-04.