The Des Moines City Council voted in favor of a resolution June 22 that will create a task force to study cannabis decriminalization, according to the Des Moines Register.
The resolution was part of an anti-racial profiling ordinance that passed unanimously, the news outlet reported, and it establishes a six-member volunteer task force to study the issue and provide recommendations by Oct. 1.
The group must include a member appointed by the City Attorney; a member of the Civil and Human Rights Commission; an attorney chosen by the NAACP, ACLU and CCI; a criminal defense attorney appointed by City Council; a member with experience in substance abuse treatment services and resources; and a community member with “demonstrated interest and involvement in these issues selected by City Council,” Des Moines Register reported.
Gary Dickey Jr. has been selected to serve as the criminal defense attorney and the chair of the task force, according to the news outlet, while local musician and civil rights organizer Billy Weathers will serve as the community member.
