The Missoulian reported Aug. 29 that Initiative 2, sponsored by Citizens for Responsible Crime Policy, calls for making "citations, arrests, property seizures and prosecutions for adult marijuana offenses Missoula County's lowest law-enforcement priority." However, police would still be free to target marijuana dealers and use by minors.

A Community Oversight Committee would monitor police adherence to the policy, which would not be binding; the committee would "annually track and report to taxpayers how much local government time and money are being spent on adult marijuana offenses as compared to other law-enforcement issues," said Angela Goodhope, a spokeswoman for Citizens for Responsible Crime Policy.

Detective Tom Lewis of Missoula's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas office, called the measure "a joke."

"Most misdemeanor possession cases arise from traffic stops or arrests on other warrants," he said.  We're not out there looking for it, but a lot of people have marijuana in their pockets."

But Goodhope said Montana spends $9 million annually enforcing marijuana laws.