More than a dozen cities and counties have directed local law enforcement to de-prioritize marijuana possession enforcement in their areas, either through voter initiatives or through action by elected officials. Some municipalities, such as Seattle and Santa Monica, are faithfully following the ordinances. Unfortunately, others seem to be ignoring the lowest priority measures. Please see the following chart for information on LLEP (lowest law enforcement priority) jurisdictions.
Jurisdiction
Year Passed
Vote Percentage
Seattle, WA
2003
Passed with 58% of the vote.
Oakland, CA
2004
Passed with 65% of the vote.
Santa Barbara, CA
2006
Passed with 66% of the vote.
Santa Cruz, CA
2006
Passed with 64% of the vote.
San Francisco, CA
2006
San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance in an 8-3 vote.
Santa Monica, CA
2006
Passed with 65% of the vote.
West Hollywood, CA
2006
West Hollywood City Council passed the resolution in a 4-0 vote.
Eureka Springs, AR
2006
Passed with 62% of the vote.
Missoula County, MT*
2006
Passed with 54% of the vote.
Denver, CO
2007
Passed with 55% of the vote.
Fayetteville, AR
2008
Passed with 66% of the vote.
Hawaii County, HI
2008
Passed with 53% of the vote.
Hailey, ID
2010
The initiative passed with 51% of the vote in 2007, and again in 2008 with 54% of the vote, but due to a redaction by a district court judge, the measure did not officially go into effect until 2010.
Kalamazoo, MI
2011
Passed with 66% of the vote.
Tacoma, WA
2011
Passed with 65% of the vote.
Ypsilanti, MI
2012
Passed with 74% of the vote.
* In 2011, Missoula County prosecutor Fred Van Valkenburg convinced the state legislature to attempt to thwart the will of voters by passing a bill — H.B. 391 — saying that a local initiative cannot determine local police priorities. Whether the new law applies to Missoula County's ordinance — which is now an ordinance, not an initiative — has not been litigated. However, Van Valkenburg has said he is prosecuting marijuana possession again.
