cannabisnews.com: Minneapolis Marijuana Issue Gets No Support Minneapolis Marijuana Issue Gets No Support Posted by CN Staff on August 17, 2004 at 18:43:49 PT By Gita Sitaramiah, Pioneer Press Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press A Minneapolis City Council committee decided today that a medicinal marijuana initiative doesn’t belong on the city ballot this fall.The unanimous decision by the Intergovernmental Relations Committee doesn’t bode well for those who want to amend the city charter to include a provision for a medicinal marijuana distribution system. The full council takes up the matter Friday. Council Member Lisa Goodman said she’s sympathetic to those behind the medicinal marijuana cause, but couldn’t support such an issue arising as an amendment to the city charter."It’s clear to me that the charter isn’t the appropriate place to discuss the issue," Goodman said.Goodman and other City Council members said the issue should be addressed as an ordinance if the use of medicinal marijuana becomes legal.The Minneapolis Charter Commission recommended against putting the proposed amendment on the ballot because members say it’s inconsistent with the purpose of the charter, the governing document of the city.But supporters of putting the issue to a vote in November disagreed.Jason Samuels of Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction said he was surprised by the City Council committee’s decision. His group filed a petition with the signatures of nearly 12,000 supporters in favor of putting the issue up for a citywide vote."I think it’s profoundly undemocratic," he said.Even if the charter amendment were put to a November vote and approved, such a system would have to be legal under state and federal law. Minnesota doesn’t allow the use of marijuana for medical treatment, and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule later this year on federal intervention efforts in California, where voters legalized medicinal marijuana in 1996.The committee’s decision drew criticism from supporters nationally. Neal Levine, a former Minneapolis resident who now serves as director of state policies for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said he doesn’t buy the reasons given by council members for keeping the proposal off the ballot."We are fully prepared to go to court, and to spend whatever it takes to prevent the city’s voters from being disenfranchised," Levine said.Complete Title: Minneapolis Marijuana Issue Gets No Support from CommitteeSource: St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)Author: Gita Sitaramiah, Pioneer PressPublished: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 Copyright: 2004 St. Paul Pioneer PressContact: letters pioneerpress.comWebsite: http://www.pioneerplanet.com/Related Articles & Web Site:COHRhttp://www.cohr.org/Marijuana Backers Try To Get on Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19317.shtmlGroup Petition To Legalize Medicinal Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19299.shtmlMinneapolis Ballot May Have Pot Vote http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19297.shtmlMedical Marijuana in Minneapolishttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17894.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by jimmyk on August 18, 2004 at 23:15:57 PT MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA ARTICLE XIII Sec. 7. NO LICENSE REQUIRED TO PEDDLE Any person may sell or peddle the products of the farm or garden occupied and cultivated by him without obtaining a license therefor.. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by afterburner on August 18, 2004 at 16:12:46 PT Cluck, Cluck, Cluck "If you don't like the law, then change it." Detroit did it. Local governments should be the MOST responsive to the will of the citizenry! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by darwin on August 18, 2004 at 06:25:26 PT Bastards! Time to take it to the state level up here in MN... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by The GCW on August 18, 2004 at 03:25:54 PT When Marijuana Issues Gets No Support ... It sets up society for great loss on every facet.Here is one example of how a negative comes from cannabis being illegal; if it were legal, things would be different.420 AMLouisiana State Trooper Shoots, Kills Drug Suspecthttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1175/a08.html?397They found and impounded 77 pounds of high-grade marijuana.420It would help to consider cannabis and hemp a plant instead of a drug.The title could also read:Louisiana State Trooper Shoots, Kills PLANT Suspect.420All the seed bearing plants are good. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 17, 2004 at 19:52:44 PT Related Article from The Star Tribune Minneapolis Committee Passes on Pot Question Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune August 18, 2004 As soon as a Minneapolis City Council panel Tuesday decided against putting a medicinal marijuana question on the November ballot, a policy group threatened to sue.The Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted 5-0 against putting the issue on the ballot. Chairman Scott Benson said the proposal contravenes current state and federal law.The proposal would ask the voters whether to amend the City Charter "to require that the City Council shall authorize, license, and regulate a reasonable number of medicinal marijuana distribution centers in the city of Minneapolis as is necessary to provide services to patients who have been recommended medicinal marijuana by a medical or osteopathic doctor licensed to practice in the state of Minnesota to the extent permitted by state and federal law."Benson said the proposal is unnecessary because if medicinal marijuana were legal, there's little doubt the city would set up centers for distribution. Instead, he said the group that pushed the proposal, Citizens for Harm Reduction, is trying to make a political point. "I feel sorry for them that they're having a hard time getting their message across to state or federal elected officials, but I don't see putting that in the charter," Benson said.Voting with Benson against putting the issue to voters were Council President Paul Ostrow and Council Members Lisa Goodman, Barret Lane and Natalie Johnson Lee. Council Member Paul Zerby was absent.The Marijuana Policy Project, which is funding the citizens group, said it will sue the city to get on the ballot, calling the reasons for denial transparently phony. "We are fully prepared to go to court and to spend whatever it takes to prevent the city's voters from being disenfranchised," said Neal Levine, director of policies of the Washington, D.C.-based project.The group's petition contained more than 12,000 signatures, which are still being validated by the city elections department. Some 7,774 signatures from registered voters are required.The entire City Council is expected to consider the measure at Friday's meeting. A similar outcome is expected.Rochelle Olson is at: raolson startribune.comCoppyright: 2004 Star Tribunehttp://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4933675.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment