Pubdate: Sat, 19 Jul 2014
Source: Macomb Daily, The (MI)
Copyright: 2014 The Macomb Daily
Contact:  http://www.macombdaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2253
Author: Frank DeFrank, The Macomb Daily
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?275 (Cannabis - Michigan)

UTICA TARGETED WITH PROPOSAL TO RELAX MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT

One of Macomb County's smallest communities could become a 
battleground over the enforcement of marijuana laws.

A local group that calls itself Coalition for a Safer Utica filed 
petitions Friday calling for a city charter amendment that would 
liberalize marijuana use in the city.

Mike Lumetta, who led the petition drive, said the goal is to reduce 
the enforcement of marijuana laws to the "lowest policing priority."

Lumetta said his group collected the signatures of more than 180 
registered voters. If those are verified, the proposal could go to 
voters in November.

The presentation of the petitions by Lumetta's group did not come as 
a surprise to city officials. A larger, statewide group called the 
Safer Michigan Coalition announced earlier this year Utica would be 
one of the cities "targeted" for local proposals.

"I expected it," said Utica Mayor Jacqueline Noonan.

Earlier this week, the Utica City Council passed a resolution that 
expressed its opposition to decriminalization. But the resolution is 
unlikely to have any impact on whether the coalition's proposal gets 
on the ballot.

Noonan said she is opposed personally to the proposal.

"Altering our charter to relax police enforcement isn't the way to 
go," she said.

She also acknowledged the right of Lumetta's group and others to 
petition the government to change old laws or make new ones.

"This is America," she said.

Noonan also said she would not organize opposition to the proposal if 
it goes to voters.

The statewide effort to decriminalize marijuana has targeted several 
communities around the state. According to the Safer Michigan 
Coalition Website, the organization succeeded in winning approval of 
14 decriminalization-related ballot proposals through 2013.

The group compiled a list of 19 communities targeted for 2014, and 
Utica was among them. Others on the list included Oak Park, Hazel 
Park, Berkley, Pleasant Ridge and Grosse Pointe Park.

"My prediction is, we'll succeed in all of them," said Chuck Ream, a 
member of the Safer Michigan Coaltion leadership team.

The Safer Michigan Coalition's ultimate goal is the approval of 
recreational marijuana use throughout the state, either by 
legislative action or via a statewide ballot initiative.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom