cannabisnews.com: Cities Pass On Issue of Legalizing Marijuana





Cities Pass On Issue of Legalizing Marijuana
Posted by FoM on September 29, 2001 at 15:27:55 PT
By Christy Strawser
Source: Daily Tribune
A leading proponent of marijuana legalization has something in common with the leaders of several local governments: both think the issue is none of a community's business. Officials for the Tri-Community Coalition, a youth anti-drug and alcohol abuse group in Berkley, Huntington Woods and Oak Park, tried to make cities take a stand on the issue by asking them to pass resolutions against marijuana decriminalization. Each city, however, refused to consider the issue.
"We're going to try again," said Tri-Community Coalition coordinator Judy Rubin. "But so far, no one will support it."While the city councils from all three communities said they support the coalition and its work, council members refused to put the item on their respective agendas for a vote.Their hesitation to consider the issue makes sense to Saginaw attorney Greg Schmidt, the leading proponent behind a petition drive to have the legalization issue put before voters in November 2002."They tried it, and they tried a lot of different techniques, Schmidt said. "But let's let the voters decide."They don't have a legal leg to stand on. Their business is to accept the law as it is, not make the law. I respect the law and so should they."Judy Rubin of the coalition said she understands that local cities can't make laws governing the use of controlled substances, but she wants the signed resolution as a show of their support."We need to gather strength against it," she said. "And this is a great way to start." Berkley left the door open to come around to her way of thinking. The council originally pulled the item from its agenda, but recently agreed to again let the coalition plead its case."We have asked the coalition to schedule a work session item where they will inform us of the information they're using and bring everybody up to speed," said Berkley Mayor John Mark Mooney. "We just haven't gotten around to it yet."He added, though, that even after the city understands what data the group is using to oppose the resolution there might be a bigger issue standing in the way of adopting it."There is some discussion on the council that that may not be something on which a city council should act," Mooney added. "That is one of the issues we want to discuss. I just don't know."In Huntington Woods, city commissioners said there didn't appear to be enough evidence that the city should tackle a subject over which it has no control."We talked a little about it, but I don't think it was something we wanted to do," said Mayor Ronald Gillham. "You have to do it on a statewide basis."How could any one city enforce it more than any other city? It's one of those things where I think you need a compelling argument to take that step." Rubin said she believes her group has plenty of compelling evidence: research that says smoking marijuana negatively affects everything from a user's cognitive ability to social skills.She said research shows long-term marijuana use results in brain changes seen only in heroin and cocaine abusers. It adversely affects learning ability, memory, perception, problem solving, coordination, motor skills and judgment, she added. "From our point of view, it is not a good thing," Rubin said. "Legalizing it could change the whole climate of our society."Schmidt, 41, counters that it could change society for the better. He's leading the petition drive for marijuana decriminalization and said it's "poised to make the ballot."Schmidt supports a Personal Responsibility Amendment to the Michigan Constitution that would allow residents to grow and possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana for personal use. If passed, the amendment would make it legal for residents to grow and smoke marijuana in their own home, although it would still be illegal to sell it.The measure would also require that all proceeds from drug, alcohol and gambling forfeitures be sent to education and rehabilitation programs.Last year, a similar petition campaign fell 150,000 signatures short of making the ballot. This time, though, Schmidt has 2,700-2,800 people gathering signatures and feels assured he'll have enough signatures to put it on the ballot.He already has 231,000 of the 302,000 necessary signatures and has a self-imposed deadline of Nov. 1 to gather the rest. If he has the required signatures at least 120 days in advance, the issue will be placed on Michigan's November 2002 ballot."We have many, many supporters throughout the state," Schmidt said. "A lot of them are in Wayne County, where we have a very huge and effective campaign. We also have some really good people in Oakland County."We don't have substantial funding. It's a completely grassroots effort," he added. "We just have a lot of people on our side. It's considered an impossible feat, but we keep getting closer and closer to marijuana decriminalization."Rubin hopes that's not the case, saying if the measure passes it could especially have an adverse effect on teen-agers.Statistics show that when teen perception of risk decreases, use of marijuana increases, Rubin said, adding that young people emulate the behavior of adults.Schmidt disagreed, saying decriminalization could help meet the coalition's goal of eliminating drug problems in young people."We should put government into more fruitful endeavors like fighting terrorism," Schmidt said. "They need to stop chasing mice and fight rats. I can see why they don't - rats fight back - but they must start to do it instead of demonizing and making kids want to try it because it's wrong. If it wasn't illegal, less people would try it." Anyone who wants pro-marijuana petitions can find them at: http://www.PRAyes.com -- anyone who wants to urge city officials to pass resolutions against it can call Berkley at 546-2410; Huntington Woods at 541-4300; or Oak Park at 691-7400. Source: Daily TribuneAuthor: Christy StrawserPublished: September 29, 2001 Copyright: Daily Tribune 2001 Website: http://www.dailytribune.com/Contact: http://www.zwire.com/site/blocks/opinion/opinion.cfm?Related Articles & Web Site:PRAyes.comhttp://www.PRAyes.comLocals Sign On To Legalize Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10694.shtmlPot Plan - The Metro Times http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9988.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by mcnorml on November 26, 2001 at 19:29:07 PT:
adverse effects
I would be interested in knowing just what was entailed in Judy Rubin's "research". She seems to have bought into the myths that were started during the 1930s "reefer madness" negative propaganda campain and have since been dispelled by medical and scientific research. There is no convincing evidence that heavy long-term marijuana use permanently impairs memory or other cognative functions. If I may cite one such study... A Johns Hopkins study published in May 1999, examined marijuana's effects on cognition on 1,318 participants over a 15 year period. Researchers reported "no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users, and nonusers of cannabis." They also found "no male-female differences in cognitive decline in relation to cannabis use." "These results ... seem to provide strong evidence of the absence of a long-term residual effect of cannabis use on cognition," they concluded. Source: Constantine G. Lyketsos, Elizabeth Garrett, Kung-Yee Liang, and James C. Anthony. (1999). "Cannabis Use and Cognitive Decline in Persons under 65 Years of Age," American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 149, No. 9. 
In the year 2000, a total of 734,497 people were arrested on marijuana charges. Of those, 646,042 people were arrested for possession alone. As I see it, marijuana prohibition laws are nothing more than an easy money-making scheme for law enforcement agencies and judicial precincts, who profit from fines and asset forfietures. I believe that my tax dollar would be much better spent protecting me from harm (robbery, rape, murder, terrorism, e.g.). I do not need to or wish to be "protected" from a fellow citizen who wishes to possess or use marijuana in the privacy of his or her own home. 
NORML of Macomb County
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on September 29, 2001 at 19:22:59 PT:
Good response at Ann Arbor football game today
Great petition day at Ann Arbor today. People were fired up to sign PRA. Everyone please get out and be seen, many say they are gald to see us. Does anyone know where Willie Nelson is at Farm Aid. He will be in Kzoo in OCT. at W.M.U.Miller Auditorum. Maybe he will say a few kind words about PRA. 
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Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on September 29, 2001 at 18:01:12 PT
adverse effects
"It adversely affects learning ability, memory, perception, problem solving, coordination, motor skills and judgement." - Judy RubinI will tell you which drug affects you the same and is legal: Alcohol.In fact it is far worse than marijuana and can cause death If you drink too much.In case you didn't know.
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