cannabisnews.com: City OKs Marijuana Proposal





City OKs Marijuana Proposal
Posted by CN Staff on November 09, 2005 at 07:57:03 PT
By Christine Finger, Record-Eagle Staff Writer
Source: Record-Eagle 
Traverse City, Michigan -- Laura Barber's voice quivered with emotion after she heard Traverse City voters supported a measure to make medical marijuana use a low law enforcement priority.   "I'm just absolutely overwhelmed," said Barber, whose Coalition for Compassionate Care spearheaded the citizen petition drive to put the issue on Tuesday's ballot.
Voters approved the new city ordinance by a margin of 1,594 to 925, with 63 percent casting ballots in favor. The measure doesn't legalize marijuana possession but calls for the possession, delivery or use of marijuana by a medical patient to be the "lowest law enforcement priority of the city."   Barber said sharing stories like her husband's evoked support from voters. Matthew Barber was arrested last year for possession of marijuana, which he uses to relieve multiple sclerosis symptoms.   "When it hit that close to home, it made people take a look at their neighbors," she said. "Many people agreed with what we're doing because we're doing it for the right reasons."   City commissioner Ralph Soffredine, former city police chief and a vocal critic of the measure, called the ordinance "ambivalent" and predicted the city will seek legal clarification of its impact.   "I don't think it means anything," he said, pointing to existing state laws regarding marijuana. "We'll take it to court."    Barber said she and others from the Coalition for Compassionate Care were out in force Tuesday campaigning in support of the ballot proposal.   Paul Golden saw one of the group's campaign vehicles outside Eastern Elementary School, home to one of the city's polling places, when he picked his child up from school Tuesday afternoon. He's not a city voter but said the sight seemed a paradox to him and other parents.   "This is a drug-free zone," Golden said. "They're sending kids mixed signals."   Medical marijuana ordinances have been passed in Ann Arbor and Detroit, and Ferndale voters cast ballots on a similar proposal Tuesday.   Barber called Traverse City's ordinance a major step forward.   "This gives us a better standing to keep pushing farther," she said.Note: Medical use will be a low enforcement priority in TC. Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI)Author: Christine Finger, Record-Eagle Staff WriterPublished: November 9, 2005Copyright: 2005 The Traverse City Record-EagleContact: letters record-eagle.comWebsite: http://www.record-eagle.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Michigan Careshttp://www.michigancares.org/Traverse City Voters To Weigh in on Measure http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21263.shtml Medical Use Supporters Gear Up for Fall Fighthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21094.shtml 
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Comment #13 posted by Toker00 on November 10, 2005 at 03:42:22 PT
Cannabis free zones.
Cannabis free America. The war on Cannabis. The Cannabis war. War on CANNABIS drugs. This is your brain. This is your brain on Cannabis. Cannabis Awareness, Resistance, and Education. Victims of the Cannabis war. End the Cannabis war. Cannabis war rant. Cannabis addicts. Cannabis abuse. Don't do Cannabis. Cannabis Enforcement Agency. Food and Cannabis Administration. Cannabis task force. The Office of National Cannabis Control Policy.This is your anti-brain. This is your anti-brain off Cannabis. Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
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Comment #12 posted by ekim on November 09, 2005 at 19:16:29 PT
Paul have u been to New Millennium Theatre 
Hi Paul was just reading at Pete Gunthers site Drug War Rant and was all the way to the bottom of the page where Pete has other web sites listed. http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/its New Millennium Theatre so i sent your post to them and asked them to put your story on the stage. Man i do hope you people can hook up. I sent the request to the submission for creation dept. 
 Paul have you been to one of Petes shows in the windy city. 
good luck and thank you for all you are doing. mikehttp://www.nmtchicago.org/
http://www.nmtchicago.org/
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Comment #11 posted by paulpeterson on November 09, 2005 at 18:03:47 PT:
Illinois just added another decrim. town
I believe we are now up to 16 confirmed towns in decriminalized zone (North Army) Highland Park started giving a parking ticket late last year. Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Niles, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Now Highland Park-the first confirmed area in Lake County.These are hits made by Chiefs of Police-that is why it sails right through the village councils-I got Wilmette's to do it three years ago. Now when the press gets ahold of the article, they always call the chiefs-these guys get good press, it goads them to do it themselves in other towns.Five just cropped up spontaneously on the South Shore-There again-the chiefs were quoted. Those collars must belong to JAMES GERACH, Oak Lawn attorney and LEAP speaker-Oak Lawn is one of the five. I told the press how to format the article for success two years ago. Now they seem to be following the same format. Us guys that work behind the scenes, without any "inflammatory" press fears, without taking any credit in the press, in fact, KEEP THE POLICE FROM KNEE JERK REACTING NEGATIVELY (since they get the chance to look good and all in the press).Of course, even though the Michigan successes and Denver success (kudos all around, folks) are merely "symbolic" in some concrete sense, what with the state laws and federal policies still hunched back and ready to take back any gains (or so they want us to believe and all)-it is the same game, really, to convince them that 1) the times, they are a-changing, 2) they won't get washed out to sea by the change, 3) this frees up their time to worry about real crimes, 4) this allows them to reconsider each and every decision they make to bust, 5) people don't want them to bust anymore, 6) they won't get fired if they don't bust anymore, etc.Kudos's again, folks, over there in Michigan. Kudos. PAUL PETERSON 847-853-4200
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Comment #10 posted by mayan on November 09, 2005 at 16:37:55 PT
Whiners
City commissioner Ralph Soffredine, former city police chief and a vocal critic of the measure, called the ordinance "ambivalent" and predicted the city will seek legal clarification of its impact."I don't think it means anything," he said, pointing to existing state laws regarding marijuana. "We'll take it to court."Never mind the will of the voters! How sickening!!!"This is a drug-free zone," Golden said. "They're sending kids mixed signals."No, they're telling kids the truth. Cannabis IS medicine. The prohibitionists and their "war on SOME drugs" are the ones confusing children witht their hypocrisy. They say drugs that kill are alright but harmless cannabis is bad.
The kids already know what's going on and lying to them will just turn them against you.Hats off to Traverse City and Ferndale! 
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 09, 2005 at 11:49:20 PT
Press Release from The Marijuana Policy Project
Medical Marijuana Wins in Ferndale, Traverse City***Big Victories Make 4 Wins in a Row for Medical Marijuana in Michigan.November 8, 2005 FERNDALE, MICHIGAN -- Voters in Ferndale and Traverse City endorsed medical marijuana initiatives by impressive margins today, marking four wins in a row for local medical marijuana initiatives in just over a year. The new victories come on the heels of wins last year in Detroit, where voters passed a medical marijuana proposal by 60% to 40%, and in Ann Arbor, where a similar measure passed by 74% to 26% margin.In final, unofficial returns, Ferndale's Proposal D, which would remove the threat of arrest and jail under city law for seriously ill people who use and grow marijuana with their doctors' recommendations, was passing by 61% to 39%. Traverse City's Proposal 3, which would make the prosecution of medical marijuana patients the city's lowest law enforcement priority, won by 63% to 37%, according to final, unofficial returns posted on the city Web site."With these two big wins, voters in four very different Michigan communities have now overwhelmingly voted to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest, and it's time for the state legislature to listen to the message voters are sending," said Karen O'Keefe, legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "With new scientific evidence of marijuana's medical value coming in almost literally every day, there is simply no justification for subjecting patients fighting cancer, MS, or AIDS to the threat of arrest and jail for using a doctor-recommended medicine. The legislature and governor should act immediately to protect patients statewide."With more than 18,000 members and 120,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana—both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment. For more information, please visit: http://www.MarijuanaPolicy.orghttp://www.mpp.org/releases/nr20051108.html
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Comment #8 posted by siege on November 09, 2005 at 10:33:31 PT
Board of Supervisors
Thank you, San Diego County Board of Supervisors and please take it all the way to the Supreme Court and help the people of the country of the usa make marijuana legal again! I know how dumb San Diego County is they think they can not be beaten at any thing...
Or are you Supervisors doing this to kill the DEA bad service to the people??? and not know any better!
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Comment #7 posted by dongenero on November 09, 2005 at 10:24:47 PT
wag the dog
It's interesting that for all of these recent referendums passing there are police or city officials in each case, expressing defiance in the face of the voter's will.Government is in service of the people not the people in service of the government. Some house cleaning is in order.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on November 09, 2005 at 10:23:13 PT
Press Release from NORML
Two City Medical Use Initiatives Approved by Voters in Michigan***November 9, 2005 - Ferndale & Traverse City, MI, USAFerndale and Traverse City, Michigan: Voters approved two municipal level marijuana-related initiatives in Michigan on Tuesday. Proposal D in Ferndale, which exempts medical use patients from local criminal penalties if they are acting with their physician's recommendation, was approved with the support of 61% of the voters; and Proposal 3 in Traverse City, which requires the police to make the prosecution of medical cannabis patients the town's lowest law enforcement priority, and exempts authorized caregivers from criminal prosecution, was approved with support of 63% of the voters. Similar measures were passed by Ann Arbor (by 74%) and Detroit (by 60%) in 2004.Tim Beck, Executive Director of Michigan NORML said "With the approval of these two medical use initiatives, and the approval of similar initiatives in Detroit and Ann Arbor last year, it is crystal clear where the voters stand.""The handwriting is on the wall," Beck continued. "Serious change in public policy is coming to Michigan, through either the legislature, or a statewide ballot initiative, if necessary."For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at 202-483-5500; or Tim Beck, MI NORML Executive Director at 313-881-8995. Full text of the Traverse City municipal initiative can be found at: http://www.compassionatemi.org/Welcome.html - full text for the Ferndale initiative can be found at: http://www.ferndalecares.org/http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6722
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 09, 2005 at 09:12:47 PT
I Remember the Sign We Saw
The town had that they were a drug free town but someone painted in an s and it made it drugs free in that town. It really was funny to see.
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on November 09, 2005 at 09:04:35 PT
Say, What?
"This is a drug-free zone," Golden said. "They're sending kids mixed signals."Does that mean that a sick child can get no medical (drug) treatment within the school? No headaches allowed. No diabetics or asthmatics allowed. Discrimination anyone?{Paul Golden saw one of the group's [Coalition for Compassionate Care] campaign vehicles outside Eastern Elementary School, home to one of the city's polling places, when he picked his child up from school Tuesday afternoon. He's not a city voter but said the sight seemed a paradox to him and other parents.}Now, they want to censure electoral freedom with their zero-tolerance zones. What's so wrong about teaching children about "Compassionate Care"?
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 09, 2005 at 08:29:51 PT
California Medical Marijuana News Article
County Supervisors Vote to Sue State Over Medical Marijuana Law***Wednesday, November 9, 2005In a move that has left medical marijuana advocates speechless and has surprised state attorneys, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted in a closed session yesterday to sue the state government over California's medical marijuana laws.The action was the latest volley in the county's broadside against the state's medical marijuana laws, coming less than a week after the Board of Supervisors voted to refuse to implement a state ID card program for medical marijuana patients."At the open session board meeting last week, the board members publicly announced that they did not agree with the law, and decided that they didn't want to do it," said County Counsel John Sansone, "… I advised them on the strengths and the weaknesses of this type of legal challenge."At the heart of the board's challenge is the contention that Proposition 215, which was passed by California voters in 1996, is directly at odds with federal laws against the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The supervisors are essentially arguing that, by making them enact the ID card system, the state is asking them to do something that violates federal law.All of the supervisors said they could not comment on an issue that had been discussed in closed session.Complete Article: http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=euLTJbMUKvH&b=359887&ct=1584081
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 09, 2005 at 08:25:28 PT
Drug Free Zone
My husband and I saw a sign one time with a town being called a drug free zone and it could also be interrupted that drugs are free in that town. 
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Comment #1 posted by runderwo on November 09, 2005 at 08:22:28 PT
mixed signals
 "This is a drug-free zone," Golden said. "They're sending kids mixed signals."Yes, it truly disturbs me that we are sending them signals of compassion and tolerance alongside the signals of Johnny Pee and DARE.
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