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Voters in East Lansing, Michigan, decisively approve marijuana decriminalization
May 6, 2015
By Josh Altic
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Yesterday, voters in East Lansing, Michigan, went to the polls and joined their neighbors in Lansing by approving a proposal to decriminalize small amounts of recreational marijuana, according to city law. Final election night results showed that just over 65 percent of city voters approved of the measure, willing to support the efforts of the Safer Michigan Coalition, which has backed dozens of similar local initiatives.
Safer Michigan Coalition Co-founder Tim Beck stated, “Our goal is to create confusion and chaos between state and local laws so our legislators in Lansing with [sic] step up to the plate and do the will of the people. Ultimately there needs to be marijuana legalization like they have in Colorado, where it is legal and regulated.”[1][2]
Critics of the proposal were concerned about the conflict it created between local law and state and federal law. East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett claimed a local charter amendment would be ineffectual and confuse residents into thinking there are no penalties attached to marijuana use, when, in fact, law enforcement can still enforce marijuana prohibition.
Triplett was also afraid confusion would arise from the rift created by the proposal between local law in the city and local law governing Michigan State University, which wasn't affected by the proposal. Triplett said, “I support decriminalization of marijuana as a matter of public policy, but I have serious concerns about attempting to advance this policy via local charter amendment, especially in a university community. East Lansing charter amendments and ordinances do not govern the campus of Michigan State University. To the extent that not having a local prohibition on marijuana impacts the legal landscape (which is minimally), we would have a separate set of rules on each side of Grand River Avenue.”[1]
The mayor concluded with his opinion on some pros and cons of the proposal: “If nothing else, it’s another signal to the State Legislature and Congress about where public opinion is on this issue. My only hope is that too many people don’t get caught in the legal crossfire while the state is catching up with the citizenry. Decriminalizing marijuana is the right thing to do. But this charter amendment is a good example of how the means matter just as much as the desired end.”[1]
See also
- City of East Lansing Marijuana Decriminalization Proposal (May 2015)
- Local marijuana on the ballot
- The Tuesday Count: Extensive tax plan for roads and more on today’s ballot in Michigan
Footnotes
