East Lansing Moves Marijuana Vote From November To May

[bobandtorey]

EAST LANSING – Voters here will decide the fate of a proposed charter amendment on the decriminalization of marijuana six months earlier than planned.

The proposal, which would repeal the city’s marijuana laws and allow the use, possession and transfer of up to 1 ounce of the drug on private property by people 21 and older, was initially scheduled to be on the November ballot.

However, the decision by the state legislature to have voters decide a 1 percent state tax increase on May 5 created an opportunity for East Lansing to reschedule its vote.

“Every member of the city council has said publicly they wanted to have the vote on as soon as it was practicable,” Mayor Nathan Triplett said.

Charter amendments require a simple majority ‘yes’ vote to succeed.

The city’s current ordinance calls for a $25 fine and community service of not more than 45 days for a first possession of marijuana offense, and a $100 fine and community service of up to 90 days for a second offense.

Triplett said the city’s objective was always to put the measure to voters on the first available election day.

“Had there been a May or August election to begin with, we would have put it on one of those dates,” he continued.

Jeffrey Hank, speaking for Citizens for a Safer East Lansing, said there was something appropriate about voting on the marijuana measure at the same time as the sales tax increase “because more people are wondering why the State of Michigan is losing at least $400 million per year due to misguided cannabis policy while we’re being asked to raise the sales tax, which many consider regressive.”

“Many voters would rather see cannabis taxed and the money used for roads and schools like Colorado or elsewhere, and we expect that sentiment to lead to reform,” said Hank, an East Lansing lawyer who unsuccessfully sued to force the city to put the measure on the November 2014 ballot.

Five Michigan cities — Berkley, Mount Pleasant, Huntington Woods, Port Huron and Saginaw — voted to decriminalize marijuana possession in November. Nine other Michigan cities, including Lansing, have approved similar measures.

 

 

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2015/01/14/east-lansing-moves-marijuana-vote/21759235/

[slipstar059]

Where are they planning on getting the cannabis to transfer? The cannabis fairy?

[t-pain]

it is a proposal that only benefits the black market. but it may protect a lot of people who smoke weed within the city.

 

remember, even in cities where similar laws have passed, if an mmma patient or caregiver transfers marijuana to a person who is not authorized to possess for medical purposes under the MMMA, it is a crime in the MMMA sec4k.

 

(k) Any registered qualifying patient or registered primary caregiver who sells marihuana to someone who is not allowed to use marihuana for medical purposes under this act shall have his or her registry identification card revoked and is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both, in addition to any other penalties for the distribution of marihuana.

Edited January 17, 2015 by t-pain

[YesMichigan]

(k) Any registered qualifying patient or registered primary caregiver who sells marihuana to someone who is not allowed to use marihuana for medical purposes under this act shall have his or her registry identification card revoked and is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both, in addition to any other penalties for the distribution of marihuana.

 

Be magnanimous is all they ask under this section. Unless selling to UC there would need to be evidence of a transaction involving consideration.

[AmishRnot4ganja]

Be magnanimous is all they ask under this section. Unless selling to UC there would need to be evidence of a transaction involving consideration.

So, it looks like I can give marijuana away, but I cannot sell it. Cool. I can legally be the aforementioned "cannabis fairy".