[420 Girl]

The burning question in Hailey - how to regulate use of marijuana and hemp - still hasn't been snuffed out.

In 2007 and 2008, Hailey voters approved initiatives related to marijuana and hemp policy. Earlier this year, a 5th District Court judge gutted those initiatives, but a few portions remain, including the creation of a committee to advise the Hailey City Council on marijuana issues.

That committee met for the first time on Monday, when they elected officers and heard comments from the Hailey city attorney on their purpose. They also decided on their next move - to learn inside and out Idaho's marijuana laws and what remains of the voter-approved initiatives.

"We need to educate ourselves first of all with the acts, with what the law is," said Peter Lobb, whom the committee elected as chairman. "To tell you the truth, I don't know what the purposes and the tasks (of the committee) are. Sometimes I think we're here just because it (the advisory committee portion of the initiatives) didn't get thrown out."

The committee will meet again on Oct. 19, and is expected to look next at issues of medicinal marijuana. Most members of the committee said they have had friends or family members who could have benefited from the antinausea, appetite-increasing properties of marijuana if it had been legal. Some said their ill friend or family member did use the drug, even though it wasn't legal to do so.

Ryan Davidson, a Boise-area activist with the Idaho Liberty Lobby, which launched the initiatives, was present to answer questions about the laws' intent.

"Certain things are mandated, but the committee is free to pursue things as they feel fit," Davidson said. "The power you have is to put an official government stamp on recommendations for drug policy."

He said this year is a good time to address medicinal marijuana issues because state Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, is planning to submit legislation on the issue during the next session.

Other members of the committee are Joanie Allen, vice-chairwoman and Liberty Lobby's representative on the committee; Lt. Steve England, Hailey Police Department representative; Tom Hickey; Jim Spinelli, Hailey Chamber of Commerce executive director; Pete Kramer, a former City Council candidate; and Frank Halverson, chief operating official of Power Engineers, who was not present on Monday.

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