cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Ballot Proposal In The Works Marijuana Ballot Proposal In The Works Posted by FoM on March 21, 2001 at 23:01:52 PT By Dawson Bell, Free Press Lansing Staff Source: Detroit Free Press Advocates for the decriminalization of possessing marijuana in Michigan are preparing to begin another petition drive, in hopes of placing the issue before voters in 2002.A group called PRAyes will ask state officials Friday to approve the form of petitions to be used in the drive. It plans to kick off the campaign at a national symposium in Ann Arbor the day before the annual Hash Bash on April 7. Petition drive director Greg Schmid, a Saginaw attorney who also coordinated an unsuccessful marijuana petition drive last year, said the new effort will have the benefit of experience, time and changing public attitudes."We're not encouraging the use of drugs. We're attacking the intolerance of the failed war on drugs," he said."It's time to put prohibition on the trash heap of history."The ballot proposal would amend the Michigan Constitution to decriminalize the at-home possession of small amounts (3 ounces) of marijuana and three live marijuana plants. It would also change forfeiture laws to direct the proceeds from drug, gambling and alcohol seizures toward programs for the treatment of addiction.Schmid said the measure is intended to authorize personal possession and use of marijuana by adults. It would remain illegal for "kids, in cars and in public," he said.Schmid said a core group of volunteers who participated in last year's failed drive are ready to begin, with county directors in half of Michigan's 83 counties. He said the group also will benefit from a summer-long collection effort. In 2000, the signature collection operation was forced to begin in worse weather in order to meet tight deadlines for the fall election.PRAyes needs the signatures of 302,711 registered voters to qualify for the ballot. No petition drive has qualified for the state ballot in more than a decade without the use of paid signature collectors, something Schmid said PRAyes cannot afford. It does have a Web site, www.PRAyes.com.But he said he is encouraged by the experience in other states in recent years. In the 2000 election, voters in Colorado and Nevada approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. And both Oregon and Utah adopted forfeiture reforms.Note: Group seeks OK to use small amounts of drug.Contact Dawson Bell at: dbell freepress.comSource: Detroit Free Press (MI)Author: Dawson Bell, Free Press Lansing StaffPublished: March 22, 2001Copyright: 2001 Detroit Free PressContact: letters freepress.comWebsite: http://www.freep.com/Forum: http://www.freep.com/webx/cgi-bin/WebXRelated Articles & Web Site:PRAyeshttp://www.prayes.com/Ann Arbor Hashbashhttp://www.hashbash.com/ Marijuana Backers Fail To Filehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6352.shtmlMan Says Tally Close on Pot Petition Drive http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6307.shtmlHash Bash Mash & Cash http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5279.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by tombstone on April 14, 2001 at 06:26:10 PT: lets go for it!! What a great initiative. Long time comming...will do all i can to help,enough of this oppression. The government will have a hard time explaining to people who have been incarcerated why years of their lives have been taken away for something they did in their own livingrooms. Give us freedom of choice!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Douglas on April 03, 2001 at 13:00:12 PT: Hi!! Hello friends i love the cannabisi dont speak englishPlease speak spanish [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by craven on March 22, 2001 at 08:52:44 PT hmmm.... yeah, it sounds good.. but with nothing in it for the govt. the arguement will be: with the drug unregulated (like alcohol) more people will have access to it (growing their own or buying it from someone who grows it) and it'll end up back into the hands of kids. The general term decrim. sounds great, but with no incentives for the govt (taxes) and still no way to regulate the market, I fear the arguement will always be "with more adults legally possessing and growing, more will end up in kids hands". I fear, the only way the govt will be happy, is if a) they get money (taxes) out of it, and b) they can regulate it (like alcohol) to be more certain kids cant buy it for themselves. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by aocp on March 22, 2001 at 08:35:54 PT: Re: Stripey And the hydroponics companies' stocks should net a tidy profit, as well. Greg Schmidt is a great man from my hometown of Saginaw (gush of pride). I tell you, if i could grow my own MJ, i'd have nothing to do with the black market. You can take that to the bank. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Stripey on March 22, 2001 at 08:09:35 PT Growing. . . You would be allowed to grow to obtain that 3 oz. I'm Positive that the criminal market will decrease if you're allowed to grow your own in Michigan. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by J.R. Bob Dobbs on March 22, 2001 at 06:05:53 PT Where does it come from? How can we get 3 oz. in our houses if we don't get it there in our cars? Weird. Still, would be a massive improvement... http://www.hashbash.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by rambler on March 22, 2001 at 04:36:35 PT Go West Seeker of Freedom Come out to the West Coast sm247.Michigan will not be whatyou think plus the weather is more radical up north,young man [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by sm247 on March 22, 2001 at 04:20:20 PT Go North young man I WILL be moving to Michigan ! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: