[420 Girl]

FAYETTEVILLE — Fayetteville could have another advisory panel to add to its growing list of resident-led boards and commissions.

Matthew Petty, a city councilman from Ward 2, wants the council to adopt an ordinance establishing a marijuana policy review panel to oversee the city’s recently adopted Lowest Law Enforcement and Prosecutorial Priority Policy Ordinance.

The ordinance, approved by 66 percent of voters last November, would have the Fayetteville Police Department and local prosecutors treat adult marijuana possession offenses as a low priority.

Petty proposes an eight-member panel appointed by the mayor and made up of a member from the city council, a representative from the Fayetteville Police Department, one representative from the Fayetteville City Attorney’s office and one at-large resident. Also, the panel would have one representative from drug and alcohol counseling, a public defender and a criminal defense attorney.

“This is something that’s modeled after other cities that have passed similar marijuana ordinances,” Petty said.

“The panel should hear grievances from citizens arrested for small amounts of marijuana,” said Ryan Denham, of Sensible Fayetteville, the group which worked to put the measure on the November ballot. “I would like to see the panel determine if marijuana is really a low priority and if anything has actually changed since the passage of our low priority ordinance.”

The panel should draft a comprehensive final report to the mayor's office with policy recommendations, he added.

According to the draft of Petty’s ordinance, the panel will be required to submit a written report twice a year.

The student body at the University of Arkansas recently passed a similar referendum to have small-amount marijuana offenses treated along the same lines as alcohol offenses.

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