{"id":1148,"date":"2012-05-14T07:47:49","date_gmt":"2012-05-14T07:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/?p=15534"},"modified":"2012-05-14T07:47:49","modified_gmt":"2012-05-14T07:47:49","slug":"detroit-lawmakers-attempt-to-block-ballot-initiative-to-decriminalize-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/detroit-lawmakers-attempt-to-block-ballot-initiative-to-decriminalize-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Lawmakers Attempt to Block Ballot Initiative to Decriminalize Marijuana"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/detroit-lawmakers-attempt-to-block-ballot-initiative-to-decriminalize-marijuana\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"259\" height=\"194\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/detroit.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"detroit\" title=\"detroit\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-15536\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/news-and-articles\/detroit-lawmakers-attempt-to-block-ballot-initiative-to-decriminalize-marijuana\/attachment\/detroit\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-15536\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/detroit-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Michigan has been a hotbed of marijuana reform activity over the course of the past several years.\u00a0 They are one of the <a href=\"http:\/\/medicalmarijuana.procon.org\/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881\" target=\"_blank\">16 states with legalized medical marijuana<\/a> and have had local municipalities attempt decriminalization efforts, usually met with opposition by state<a href=\"http:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/ag\/0,4534,7-164-19441-248720--,00.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Attorney General Bill Schuette.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The marijuana reform movement has had to rely heavily on ballot initiatives grassroots support as politicians have had a hard time breaking away from lobbyists who desperately want to uphold antiquated cannabis laws.\u00a0 \u00a0Marijuana reform has many accomplishments including helping patients and pushing forward decriminalization efforts that can help non-violent offenders to avoid incarceration.\u00a0 It is also is allowing the American public access to a unique perspective in what is normally a very closed door political system.\u00a0 Americans can now see that so much more is at hand than simple matters of right or wrong.\u00a0 Lobbyists, special interests and long held stubborn beliefs carry more weight in Washington D.C. and state governments than struggling patients and those whose lives are ruined by small possession marijuana charges.<\/p>\n<p>A recent entry in the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.freep.com\/article\/20120509\/NEWS01\/120509069\/Fight-legalize-marijuana-possession-Detroit-hits-roadblock\" target=\"_blank\"> Detroit Free Press<\/a> sheds even more light on this issue in Michigan.\u00a0 Efforts to totally decriminalize small marijuana possession had gained considerable momentum as of late.\u00a0 However, the Detroit political machine is in full force and has filed a suit with the<a href=\"http:\/\/courts.michigan.gov\/supremecourt\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Michigan Supreme Court<\/a> to disqualify a ballot initiative that would eliminate penalties associated with low level cannabis possession.\u00a0 Detroit\u2019s legal department claims that the ballot issue would not create a legitimate ordinance because marijuana is not legal on a state level.\u00a0 Activists and patients are accustomed to this desperate political argument as relief is often prevented by this line of thinking.\u00a0 Of course what is most interesting is this the same state (like many others) that has already sided with its people by providing medical marijuana on a state wide level even though it conflicts with federal law.\u00a0 Proponents of the ballot initiative seemed unfazed as Tim Beck, who heads the initiative through an organization called<a href=\"http:\/\/www.saferdetroit.net\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Coalition for a Safer Detroit<\/a>, stated \u201cThe law is on our side, and we have every expectation that the people of Detroit will vote on this in 2012.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Activists should only be motivated by the actions our elected officials have taken.\u00a0 Clearly, lawmakers feel well within their comfort zone to ignore the pleas of Americans.\u00a0 Three quarters of this country agrees with medical marijuana and half even support total legalization.\u00a0 A ballot initiative is organized and conducted by the people, typically without the support of big time corporate lobbyists.\u00a0 Apparently politicians fear us far less than them, but they seem to have overplayed their hand, and whether they like it or not reform is coming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"259\" height=\"194\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/detroit.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"detroit\" title=\"detroit\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-15536\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/news-and-articles\/detroit-lawmakers-attempt-to-block-ballot-initiative-to-decriminalize-marijuana\/attachment\/detroit\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-15536\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/detroit-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Michigan has been a hotbed of marijuana reform activity over the course of the past several years.\u00a0 They are one of the <a href=\"http:\/\/medicalmarijuana.procon.org\/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881\" target=\"_blank\">16 states with legalized medical marijuana<\/a> and have had local municipalities attempt decriminalization efforts, usually met with opposition by state<a href=\"http:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/ag\/0,4534,7-164-19441-248720--,00.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Attorney General Bill Schuette.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The marijuana reform movement has had to rely heavily on ballot initiatives grassroots support as politicians have had a hard time breaking away from lobbyists who desperately want to uphold antiquated cannabis laws.\u00a0 \u00a0Marijuana reform has many accomplishments including helping patients and pushing forward decriminalization efforts that can help non-violent offenders to avoid incarceration.\u00a0 It is also is allowing the American public access to a unique perspective in what is normally a very closed door political system.\u00a0 Americans can now see that so much more is at hand than simple matters of right or wrong.\u00a0 Lobbyists, special interests and long held stubborn beliefs carry more weight in Washington D.C. and state governments than struggling patients and those whose lives are ruined by small possession marijuana charges.<\/p>\n<p>A recent entry in the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.freep.com\/article\/20120509\/NEWS01\/120509069\/Fight-legalize-marijuana-possession-Detroit-hits-roadblock\" target=\"_blank\"> Detroit Free Press<\/a> sheds even more light on this issue in Michigan.\u00a0 Efforts to totally decriminalize small marijuana possession had gained considerable momentum as of late.\u00a0 However, the Detroit political machine is in full force and has filed a suit with the<a href=\"http:\/\/courts.michigan.gov\/supremecourt\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Michigan Supreme Court<\/a> to disqualify a ballot initiative that would eliminate penalties associated with low level cannabis possession.\u00a0 Detroit\u2019s legal department claims that the ballot issue would not create a legitimate ordinance because marijuana is not legal on a state level.\u00a0 Activists and patients are accustomed to this desperate political argument as relief is often prevented by this line of thinking.\u00a0 Of course what is most interesting is this the same state (like many others) that has already sided with its people by providing medical marijuana on a state wide level even though it conflicts with federal law.\u00a0 Proponents of the ballot initiative seemed unfazed as Tim Beck, who heads the initiative through an organization called<a href=\"http:\/\/www.saferdetroit.net\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Coalition for a Safer Detroit<\/a>, stated \u201cThe law is on our side, and we have every expectation that the people of Detroit will vote on this in 2012.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Activists should only be motivated by the actions our elected officials have taken.\u00a0 Clearly, lawmakers feel well within their comfort zone to ignore the pleas of Americans.\u00a0 Three quarters of this country agrees with medical marijuana and half even support total legalization.\u00a0 A ballot initiative is organized and conducted by the people, typically without the support of big time corporate lobbyists.\u00a0 Apparently politicians fear us far less than them, but they seem to have overplayed their hand, and whether they like it or not reform is coming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[672,52,324,970,661,56,9,196,51,70,1,3,61],"tags":[3245,2632,2902,3541,3234,2636,2774,2631,5,6],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}