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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.