A change is gonna come Christeen Landino remembers attending her first marijuana protest in downtown Detroit back in 1974. She still has a card from then that she paid $1 for in support of the Michigan Marijuana Initiative, an unsuccessful petition drive to get decriminalization on the ballot that year. It didn't happen then, but we know that a whole lot of water has passed under the Ambassador Bridge since then. President Nixon had recently declared his war on drugs, and had marijuana designated a Schedule 1 drug, despite having been advised to decriminalize it. Today Nixon's drug war is pretty well considered a failure, and the majority of Americans support legalization of marijuana. [continues 1115 words]
Marijuana has become pretty normal in America. That doesn't mean that people aren't still getting dragged off to jail for possession. According to FBI estimates, about 750,000 people were arrested for marijuana-related offenses in 2012. The vast majority of them were for simple possession, and although marijuana use is approximately equal among both groups, young African-Americans and Latinos are arrested at rates much higher than whites. Those arrest numbers speak to a whole different set of social issues other than marijuana use, and as soon as this marijuana thing gets untangled, it will give law enforcement one less way to ensnare people of color in the legal system. [continues 1160 words]
UM Study Also Finds Use of Cocaine Down, ADHD Drugs Up, Alcohol Mixed Daily use of marijuana by college students is at its highest rate in more than three decades and stimulant use has almost doubled, a study released Monday by the University of Michigan shows. But some drugs, such as synthetic marijuana and cocaine, are on the decline while the use of alcohol is mixed, according to the Monitoring the Future study - a national, federally funded survey of college students conducted by UM researchers for four decades. [continues 412 words]
Last week, The Washington Post asked, Is medical marijuana the answer to America's prescription painkiller epidemic? The article looked at a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, titled "Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Analgesic Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1999-2010." The study began with the reasoning that because painkiller overdose deaths continue to skyrocket in the U.S., and because medical marijuana is considered a treatment for chronic pain in states where it's legal, medical marijuana states might have lower prescription painkiller overdose rates. [continues 544 words]
I first wrote about Alysa Erwin in December 2013. At the time, she had been cancer-free for 11 months. Alysa's and her family's ordeal started in January 2011 when she was 14 years old. She started having debilitating headaches, and in the spring was diagnosed with Grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma - brain cancer - at the University of Michigan hospital. Her parents were told she might live 18 to 24 months with chemotherapy treatments. After one round of chemo, Alysa was so sick her family decided to forgo conventional treatments and try treating her with Rick Simpson Hemp Oil. [continues 1168 words]
Marijuana decriminalization in Mount Pleasant just got two more voices of opposition in the form of Michigan's governor and attorney general. Both Gov. Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette sent letters to Mount Pleasant's city commissioners care of City Clerk Jeremy Howard denouncing the proposal, which is slated to be on the Nov. 4 ballot. The proposal, spearheaded by marijuana advocacy groups on and off campus, would effectively make the use, possession and transfer of less than one ounce of marijuana legal in the city. [continues 282 words]
La PORTE - La Porte's success, or lack thereof, in fighting drug abuse in the community was an issue of some contention during the La Porte Board of Public Works meeting this week. There, city Councilman Roger Galloway said the city's police department needed a new direction in combating the prevalent heroin abuse and other illegal drug problems swarming the streets. He said the department was too reactive, and needed to start doing something to saturate these problem areas with law enforcers to handle the drug issue. He suggested paying for more off-duty officers to work shifts, and obtaining a second K-9 officer, among other changes, which he believed could be handled with the department's current budget. [continues 456 words]
CADILLAC -- The days of seeing marijuana dispensaries in Haring Township may be going up in smoke. Haring Township board members approved a decision for Zirnhelt, Bowron and Wiggins, P.L.C. to prepare a marijuana moratorium for the township at a special meeting Monday at the township hall. Earlier this month, the township board agreed to work with township attorney Corey Wiggins in the drafting of an updated version of its 2011 marijuana moratorium. In 2011, the township voted to impose a moratorium on the use of any land and the issuance of any permits, licenses and approvals related to the medical marijuana business within the township. The township adopted the ordinance although the planning commission recommended the "no action" alternative with regard to regulation related to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. The planning commission noted numerous, diverse and possibly conflicting legal interpretations of the act and pending lawsuits regarding aspects of the act as a basis for its recommendation. [continues 170 words]
Last week, there was a disturbance in the Force: The world lost a great giver of light, Robin Williams. The sky above metro Detroit, where Williams spent his childhood, seemed to know this loss intimately, and flooded the region. The wake of the event still ripples throughout the world, and there are tributes to Williams around the globe. From the theaters on Broadway to Syrian rebels to planning the next Emmy awards, people are honoring the actor ... fans are even demanding a character be created in the video game "Legend of Zelda." [continues 510 words]
Livingston County Sees 22 Percent Drop in Patients Over Two-Year Period While Colorado is smoking pot -- medical and recreational -- by the ton, according to a recent report, the number of medical marijuana patients in Livingston County has decreased. Proponents of medical marijuana say this is due to intimidation by law enforcement. "Individual communities within each county are permissive or restrictive based on their own beliefs," said Rick Thompson, editor and blogger for The Compassion Chronicles. "Howell is not pleasant toward medical marijuana patients, but Livingston County rural areas are not quite as difficult." [continues 803 words]
Over the past 10 years, Michigan citizens have voted in favor of pro-marijuana ordinances and state laws every time they have been given the opportunity, and the Committee to Reform Onaway, CRO, is hoping the streak continues in Onaway when its citizen-initiated ballot amendment proposal goes to voters in November. The proposed amendment to the Onaway city charter, which will be placed on the November ballot, reads, "Nothing in the code of ordinances shall apply to the use, possession, or transfer of less than one ounce of marijuana, by a person who has attained the age of 21 years." [continues 1029 words]
CADILLAC -- Protesters who gathered at the Wexford County Courthouse expressed different reasons for being there but had one thing in common: support for medical marijuana. Voters passed a law allowing limited use of medical marijuana in 2008. It requires individuals to receive a doctor's certification and have a card identifying themselves as patients. Approximately a dozen activists visited the courthouse Thursday, Aug. 14 carrying signs with messages such as "No victim, no crime" and "My rights, my choice" as they congregated in the courthouse parking lot and circled the building on the sidewalk. [continues 245 words]
Port Huron residents will vote Nov. 4 on whether to amend the Port Huron city charter to decriminalize marijuana. Port Huron City Manager James Freed said the initiatory petition submitted by Laura Rigby on July 29 had enough signatures to get on the ballot. Five percent of registered voters, or 1,054 people, were needed to approve the peition. City Clerk Sue Child said 1,095 of the signatures were valid. Rigby turned in more than 1,600 signatures. The petition seeks to legalize the possession and use of less than 1 ounce of marijuana by anyone 21 or older. [continues 327 words]
Tragedy always reminds us of how precious life is, how important people are to us, but it is also a time to take a closer look at ourselves and face our own demons. The recent loss of actor and comedian Robin Williams brings increased attention to an illness that far too many people suffer from - substance use disorder and depression. Williams battled an addiction to drugs and alcohol for decades. Williams was quoted in an ABC News interview as saying that "drinking presents another side of yourself that even you don't know." [continues 810 words]
Chuck Ream takes his cannabis religiously. In fact he's evangelistic about it. "When you get out past your own ego, the teaching plants carry the message of right and wrong just like the Bible," says Ream. "That teaching from the magical plants could be the impetus to save our civilization, to move beyond absolute materialism. It's the only real religion." It's that kind of zeal that led to Ream receiving the High Times Lester Grinspoon Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Michigan Medical Marijuana Cannabis Cup. It's a great honor, but Ream has bigger ambitions. [continues 1091 words]
Last week, The New York Times published an editorial calling for the federal legalization of marijuana but suggested it should be left to individual states about whether it should be legal within their individual boundaries. The Times made a number of logical arguments, including comparing the criminalization of marijuana with the outlawing of alcohol in the Prohibition era. The Times said marijuana should be legal for recreational and medical use. It noted that arrests for marijuana far outstrip the number of arrests for more serious and more dangerous substances, including heroin and cocaine, and the enforcement tends to waste law enforcement resources that could be spent better on more serious crimes. [continues 809 words]
When Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012, nobody knew exactly how would it affect the state's economy. But when the numbers starting coming in, it turned out that pot legalization proved to be a good source of revenue for the state. One report said Colorado expected about $184 million in tax revenues in the first 18 months since the law passed. The Colorado story encouraged many Michigan communities to legalize or decriminalize pot in their areas and the recent cities being added to the list are Oak Park and Hazel Park. [continues 385 words]
6 Suspended After Evidence Taken in Raid Not Logged Detroit - Six members of a Detroit police narcotics unit that raided a suspected drug house have been suspended after a surveillance video captured them taking away a box they never logged as evidence. The investigation is part of a larger Internal Affairs probe into the now-disbanded Narcotics Section, which was retooled last month after allegations surfaced claiming major problems in the unit. One sergeant and five officers have been suspended with pay while Internal Affairs investigators try to determine what was inside the box taken from the raid, said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. [continues 483 words]
Novi District Judge Advances to Nov. Election in Tight Race Voters in Hazel Park and Oak Park approved legalizing possession of marijuana for personal use Tuesday, while a controversial Novi district judge advanced to November's general election. Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News Debra Young of the Safer Michigan Coalition, which backed allowing small-time marijuana possession in Oak Park. The measure passed. The marijuana proposal won with 62 percent voting yes in Hazel Park and 53 percent approving in Oak Park. Hazel Park voters also approved an operating millage for the school district. [continues 507 words]
Advocate: 'I Just Think Voters Spoke on It. I Figured It Was Going to Pass.' Hazel Park and Oak Park voters who expected legalized marijuana after Tuesday's vote may face some disappointment. The two marijuana decriminalization ballot measures passed by voters are most likely a statement rather than a full-on legalization. Hazel Park Police Chief Martin Barner said the way his department handles marijuana will not change. "I'm going to continue to enforce the laws of the state and federal laws," Barner said. "And until the city council, mayor, city attorney and other administration tell me to do otherwise, (we will enforce it)." [continues 324 words]
Voters in the cities of Hazel Park and Oak Park passed similar ordinance amendments that will allow for individuals ages 21 and older to legally use, possess or transfer less than one ounce of marijuana on private property. The Hazel Park ballot measure passed with 763 "yes" votes and 460 "no" votes with all precincts reporting. The Oak Park ballot measure passed with 2,161 "yes" votes and 1,913 "no" votes with all precincts reporting. Both cities join Ferndale, where voters approved a similar decriminalization amendment in November 2013 by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Hazel Park Schools Millage YES: 57.75% (909) NO: 42.25% (665) Oakland County SMART Bus Millage YES: 73.66% (73,253) NO: 26.34% (26,195) [end]
Voters in the cities of Hazel Park and Oak Park passed similar ordinance amendments that will allow for individuals ages 21 and older to legally use, possess or transfer less than 1-ounce of marijuana on private property. The Hazel Park ballot measure passed with 763 "yes" votes and 460 "no" votes with all precincts reporting. The Oak Park ballot measure passed with 2,161 "yes" votes and 1,913 "no" votes with all precincts reporting. Both cities join Ferndale, where voters approved a similar decriminalization amendment in November 2013 by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. [end]
Voters said yes to decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in Hazel Park and Oak Park today, according to unofficial election results. The measure would allow the use, possession or transfer of less than 1 ounce of marijuana on private property not used by the public by a person who is at least 21 years old. It passed 62% to 38% with all precincts reporting in Hazel Park. The unofficial win was more narrow in Oak Park with 53% to 47% passage with all precincts reporting. [continues 92 words]
There is much talk these days, on a local and national level, of what to do with the 40,000-plus children at the U.S.-Mexican border. Like it or not, some of those kids are being placed with their family members or social service organizations right here in southeast Michigan. The United Nations calls them refugees, and some locals call them an invasion. The truth is that these children are indeed refugees - refugees of our War on Drugs. Sonia Nazario, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Enrique's Journey, a story about a boy from Honduras on his quest to reunite with his mother in the United States, embarked on a four-country journey with him 10 years ago, and recently went back to see how things had changed. She discussed it on a recent episode of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. [continues 574 words]
TRAVERSE CITY Daniel Reid's life changed more than a decade after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a neurological disease that can lead to vision problems, pain and paralysis. An MS researcher told Reid about using Cannabidiol, a compound in marijuana, to treat the disease. "Within a few days it had an enormous effect on me," Reid said. "Over time I weaned myself off of other medications I was using, and now that's how I am treating my MS. I've had it since 1997, and I'm perfectly healthy. It's not progressing." [continues 330 words]
Michigan's 27th District House seat is turning out to be a hotly-contested primary race with five Democratic candidates and two Republicans aiming for victory. The district covers areas of Berkley, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak Township. Marijuana seems to be one of the hottest topics for the voters in the district in recent months as civil right groups have managed to put the pot legalization on the ballot in these communities. Andrew Robert Cissell, a Democrat, has been personally involved in submitting the required petitions for the ballot. [continues 363 words]
Chuck Ream knows that a few cities in mid-Michigan can't change the world, or the country. But he and others hope that ballot initiatives in Mt. Pleasant and Harrison in the November election to legalize small amounts of marijuana will at the very least get people thinking about decriminalizing cannabis on a larger scale. Ream is part of an effort in to legalize the use, possession or transfer of less than 2.5 ounces of marijuana on private property among people 21 and older. [continues 401 words]
The Ferndale City Council has given its unanimous approval to a medical marijuana center similar to one that county authorities raided with a SWAT team and padlocked in 2010. But city officials said the Meridian Wellness Center, which is to occupy a former liquor store on East 9 Mile near I-75, will operate within state law as it provides medical marijuana to state-approved patients. "I'd like there to be more state guidelines for us to follow," but the city found no reason to block the center from opening after those who proposed it met a list of conditions, Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter said. [continues 542 words]
Michigan's 27th District House seat is turning out to be a hotly-contested primary race with five Democratic candidates and two Republicans aiming for victory. The district covers areas of Berkley, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak Township. Marijuana seems to be one of the hottest topics for the voters in the district in recent months as civil right groups have managed to put the pot legalization on the ballot in these communities. Andrew Robert Cissell, a Democrat, has been personally involved in submitting the required petitions for the ballot. [continues 362 words]
Oakland County ballots for Tuesday's primary election are crowded with candidates seeking six open state House seats where incumbents aren't running. But perhaps the most heated matchup is between a Republican incumbent and his challenger. In the 39th District, state Rep. Klint Kesto of Commerce Township faces tea party activist Deb O'Hagan of West Bloomfield. In May, O'Hagan removed the state coat of arms from her Facebook page after the Michigan Secretary of State received a complaint from a Kesto supporter that she was violating state law by using the design in campaign ads, according to a Free Press report. [continues 645 words]
Michigan Moves Forward Well, we can chalk up another medical Cannabis Cup for the state of Michigan. Truth is, I was too busy to make it to Clio, although the Wyclef Jean show to cap it off would have been worth the trip on its own. At least I got to enjoy Lee DeVito's posts from the affair. I think he sent them in by carrier pigeon - an electronic pigeon. These kinds of things are the fulfillment of lots of strategic planning to make sure things go right. The last Cup, held in Detroit in 2011, was pretty good except for Detroit police felt the need to stroll through and show off a little muscle. That included shutting down the medicating area. [continues 1112 words]
Clerk's Office Will Verify Signatures in Next Several Weeks Marijuana activists turned in a petition Tuesday with 1,681 signatures to the Port Huron City Clerk Office to get a proposal to decriminalize marijuana on the Nov. 4 ballot. The ballot proposal was created and signatures were collected by The Coalition for a Safer Port Huron, a subgroup of the statewide Coalition for a Safer Michigan. The proposal aims to legalize the possession and use of less than one ounce of marijuana by anyone 21 or older. [continues 303 words]
Three medical marijuana caregivers are ready to open a shop for their patients now that the Ferndale City Council has approved their plan. Adam Applebaum, CEO of Meridian Wellness, told city council members he and two other caregivers will service up to five patients each, as allowed under the state's medical marijuana law. Patients would be serviced by appointment and the facility would host educational seminars and other meetings, Applebaum said. "It is very hard for a patient to get matched with a caregiver," he said Monday, adding that some patients are hesitant to have caregivers come to their homes. "This way we can facilitate a neutral ground with security." [continues 385 words]
A proposal to legalize possession of marijuana won't appear on November ballots in Grosse Pointe Park after all. Organizers of the effort learned Monday that city officials had found a technicality - an incorrect date of Feb. 27 instead of June 27 on one set of signatures -- that invalided their petition drive. "It's my fault - I put down a two rather than a six," said Tim Beck, 62, of Detroit, who helped organize petition drives in 16 other cities for marijuana questions headed for ballots this year. [continues 250 words]
Marijuana questions could pop up on ballots in at least 17 cities across Michigan this summer and fall. The questions aim to ease or eliminate local penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana, an approach that supporters call decriminalization. Last week, volunteers submitted stacks of signed petitions in Frankfort, Huntington Woods, Mt. Pleasant, Pleasant Ridge and Utica; in prior weeks, they did so in Berkley, Grosse Pointe Park, Harrison, Hazel Park, Lapeer, Montrose, Oak Park, Onaway and Saginaw, said leaders of the nonprofit Safer Michigan Coalition, which coordinated the petition drives around Michigan. [continues 1009 words]
Mount Pleasant voters could see a student-backed proposition calling for the citywide decriminalization of marijuana on the November ballot. Student Advocates for Medical/Recreational Cannabis have procured enough petition signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. The registered student organization at Central Michigan University got all the necessary signatures a week shy of their deadline. "It's a step in the right direction," said Ian Elliot, president of SAMRC and a Cheboygan sophomore. "Any policy change that will promote the mission of realizing a responsible cannabis policy is good." [continues 351 words]
A group of medical marijuana caregivers wants to open up a shop to dispense marijuana to their patients in Ferndale at a former party store on East Nine Mile. The company, called Meridian Wellness, is seeking approval to operate from the Ferndale City Council on Monday. "We're going to see on Monday what the requirements are for the facility and that the applicant has met them," said Mayor Dave Coulter. "Ferndale supports the concept of medical marijuana and supports facilities like this if they are operating legally." [continues 512 words]
Pot decriminalization advocates turned in petitions Tuesday to get the issue on the November ballot in Huntington Woods and Pleasant Ridge. "This is an issue about freedom and liberty," said Andrew Cissell, a candidate running in the Aug. 5 primary as a Democrat to be state representative for the 27th District. "We have done this in every city in the district." Cissell and volunteers last year got the decriminalization proposal on the ballot Ferndale, where it passed overwhelmingly. So far this year Cissell has also successfully submitted petitions to get the proposal on ballots in Oak Park, Hazel Park and Berkley. [continues 377 words]
Yes We Cannabis! After a few years' absence since the High Times first brought their Medical Cannabis Cup to Detroit back in 2011, the event is back, this time at Clio's Auto City Speedway. The two-day event combines a pot expo, seminars, a musical performance by Wyclef Jean, and of course the prestigious pot awards issued by High Times' consummate cannabis professionals. To learn more about the event, we caught up with High Times senior cultivation editor Danny Danko (Metro Times Editor in Chief Valerie Vande Panne worked with Danko at High Times). [continues 1042 words]
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. [continues 273 words]
On the agenda for the July 15 meeting was a proposed resolution "declaring a 120-day moratorium on the consideration of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city." The Algonac City Council passed the resolution unanimously. Relying on the federal laws regarding marijuana to trump state and local regulations to avoid "some of the perceived negative impacts of marijuana use and possession" was ruled unconstitutional recently by the Michigan Supreme Court, reported city attorney Jim Downey. St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon was present at the same meeting for different reasons to give a report of the sheriff's deputy's work for the city and to answer any questions or concerns. When the agenda item for the moratorium came up, he had much to say on the topic. [continues 560 words]
The War on Drugs Creates a New Class of People to Be Discrimined Neil Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), is a dedicated advocate against the War on Drugs. He's participated in it on the police side as a 33-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department. He's served on drug squads and done undercover work. LEAP is a national organization of former and current law-enforcement officers who support ending the War on Drugs. Franklin was among those, along with Michelle Alexander (author of The New Jim Crow), who convinced the national NAACP to pass a resolution calling for an end to the War On Drugs in 2011. [continues 1156 words]
LANSING -- The Legislature has a few session days scheduled through July and August that traditionally have been used to introduce bills and not much more. Roll call generally isn't taken and neither are any votes. But this year, that might change. Several committees are meeting Wednesday and a vote might be taken in the full Senate on a pair of bills dealing with access to medical marijuana. Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, said last week that the two bills, which would allow communities to decide whether they want medical marijuana dispensaries in their town and regulate those businesses, as well as allow for the sale of marijuana-infused products like brownies and oils, will be taken up in the Senate this week. [continues 432 words]
Regarding your July 8 editorial, the people of Washington state are way ahead of the politicians in Washington, D.C. Oregon should follow their lead. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a grand success. The drug war distorts supply and demand dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal is to deter use, marijuana prohibition is a catastrophic failure. The United States has almost double the rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands where marijuana is legal. [continues 67 words]
The Macomb Township Board of Trustees recently adopted a resolution opposing the legalization of marijuana for general use in Macomb County communities. At the July 9 township board meeting, Supervisor Janet Dunn said that the Chippewa Valley Coalition for Youth and Families requested that the board adopt the resolution. "This resolution does not, it does not relate to any use of medical marijuana that is used in the medical profession. I want to make sure of that, that people understand that they will still be able to get it," Macomb Township Trustee Roger Krzeminski said. The resolution indicates that ballot proposals to decriminalize marijuana for general use are being considered in 12 Michigan communities and that general marijuana use and possession is not permitted under federal and state laws. [end]
The legalization of marijuana in the United States seems inevitable. The long-anticipated "opening day" for marijuana retail sales in Washington state will be cheered by some and lamented by others, but the more prudent response for policy-makers should be one of discovery. We know very little about marijuana use or the implications of lifting prohibition on the drug. Benefits and risks are likely overstated by advocates and opponents of legalization, but we don't know for sure because the federal government has long stood in the way of serious medical research of the drug. That needs to change. [continues 516 words]
Marijuana legalization advocates turned in petitions Tuesday signed by Berkley voters to put a citywide pot decriminalization proposal on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election. The proposal would make it legal for anyone 21 or older to use, possess or transfer up to an ounce of marijuana on private property not used by the public. Berkley is the most recent city targeted by the Safer Michigan Coalition, which last year successfully passed similar proposals in Ferndale, Jackson and Lansing. A petition drive is now underway in Huntington Woods and another is expected to start in Pleasant Ridge to also get the proposal on ballots in those communities. Statewide, advocates are eyeing other cities such as Utica, Port Huron, Mount Pleasant and East Lansing. [continues 478 words]
Pot and recreation The eyes of America are on Colorado, so far the only state where legal marijuana for recreational use by adults is available (with Washington state not far behind). And the folks involved in marijuana issues in Colorado and elsewhere are well aware of that. So, last week, the national organization Drug Policy Alliance held a teleconference marking six months of marijuana legalization. I learned a lot about what's going on there, but the assessment from Mike Elliott of the Colorado Marijuana Industry Group (MIG) seems to sum things up pretty well: [continues 1186 words]
Volunteers who've walked the streets of Berkley for the last month said Monday they plan to turn in about 700 signatures today aimed at putting yet another marijuana-legalization question before yet another city's voters. By the time the door-to-door campaigns end, similar questions likely will appear on ballots in nearly 20 communities around the state, from Utica to the U.P., said leaders of Safer Michigan, a Detroit-based nonprofit group coordinating the far-flung petition drives. [continues 383 words]
Pot at the Polls. Michiganders are gearing up for a lot of voting about marijuana over the next several months. In August, folks in Hazel Park and Oak Park will be voting on decriminalization of possession and transfer on private property of up to an ounce of the substance for those 21 and older. In Oak Park, the Safer Oak Park Coalition had to take it to court to force the city to put the question on the ballot, even though the Safer Michigan Coalition had successfully jumped through all the legal hoops to get it on. Oak Park officials tried to use an administrative maneuver to keep it off. They claimed that the ballot language had to be approved by Attorney General Bill Schuette's office. Schuette is no friend of marijuana decriminalization, and the AG stood mute on the language. Since the AG didn't speak, Oak Park officials said the question couldn't go on the ballot. The coalition sued, and an Oakland County Circuit Court ruled that the question must go on the ballot. [continues 1093 words]
Inside Michigan
