Bellatrix

Minneapolis marijuana issue gets no support from committee

GITA SITARAMIAH | Pioneer Press
| August 17th, 2004

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.

Bellatrix; yeah, I don't buy them either. This is just typical buck passing by a government body that's afraid to take a stand on a sensitive issue. Now that the issue is there, it's not going to go away.

"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.

Gita Sitaramiah can be reached at 612-338-8198 or gsitaramiah@pioneerpress.com

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ThugLife469

Ya know, Im surprised this hasn't come up before. Lets all hope that Minnesota becomes the next state to get medical mj laws. Im high and I cant think of anything right now

Peace


ThugLife

J-mov

I hate my state. Minnesota is a pathetic excuse for a suitable living area: it is known to its residents as "The State Where Nothing Is Allowed", and for good reason. Doesn't stop me from having a sweet outdoor grow op though!

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Have you ever wondered, what color does a smurf turn when you choke it?

donnfeer

MN used to be a good place, one of the first to pass decrim in the 70's. But now our statesmen, (and women), have all died, been killed in "accidents", or retired, and we're left with worthless puppets who follow whatever path the social engineers tell them will get the most money. By the way, J-mov, gardening's illegal here, (nothing's allowed, you know), so be careful.

J-mov

Even gardening your own, legal, fruits and veggies? I'm in trouble... But not to worry; we live far from anyone in the country south of the metro.

Suetaz

Medical marijuana is off ballot

12,000 signatures fail to sway City Council

BY GITA SITARAMIAH | Pioneer Press | August 21, 2004

The Minneapolis City Council on Friday rejected putting a medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot, despite the signatures of thousands of supporters.

Organizers had gathered the signatures of more than 7,000 registered voters on a petition in favor of adding a city charter amendment for a medicinal marijuana distribution system. The charter amendment would have taken effect if medicinal marijuana ever became legal at the state and federal level.

City Council members who opposed the amendment said it did not fit in with the city charter's mission.

"My view is that we shouldn't be putting things in the charter that don't relate to the general governance of the city," said Council Member Scott Benson.

Benson was one of the eight council members who voted against putting the amendment on the ballot. Four disagreed.

Council Member Dean Zimmermann said he supports putting the amendment on the ballot because of the thousands of people who signed the petition.

"For us to act and say what the citizens say has no value is a slap in the face of democracy," Zimmermann said.

Organizers of the petition gained about 12,000 signatures, including those of nearly 7,600 registered voters. But the city clerk's office says the petition would need about 200 more signatures by registered voters to be valid.

A petition organizer, Jason Samuels of Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction, said his group was evaluating what to do next but wouldn't comment further Friday.

Typically, petition organizers would have another 10 days to gather the necessary signatures by registered voters. But City Council members opposed to the charter amendment said Friday that their decision would be the same even with the correct number of signatures.

Neal Levine, a former Minneapolis resident who now serves as director of state policies for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said his group is preparing to take legal action against the city. Levine expects his group to file a lawsuit in the next week.

[Suetaznote: This charter amendment didn't have a chance. They went in there knowing they wouldn't vote in favor of it, regardless of how many people signed the petition. It's pretty sad when we have to keep filing law suits to get those that we elected to listen to us.]

Gita Sitaramiah can be reached at 612-338-8198 or gsitaramiah@pioneerpress.com.

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Suetaz

City of Minneapolis is sued to allow medical Marijuana vote

By: Rashard Zanders | Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder | 9/15/2004

The Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the largest Marijuana policy reform organization in the United States, announced last week that it is suing the City of Minneapolis on behalf of Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction (COHR), to compel the City to allow a vote on a medical Marijuana charter amendment.

The nearly 700 additional signatures turned in by COHR on August 30 guaranteed that COHR organizers had obtained enough signatures to qualify the measure, but the Minneapolis City Council, by an eight to four vote, has refused to put the proposed charter amendment before voters. Council Member Dean Zimmerman, who supported the measure, responded to MSR’s invitation to comment on the vote:

“I think the reason the city council voted it down was that the subject was not a proper item for the charter. The view is that the charter should be about how the City is structured,” Zimmerman said.

Last month, Detroit, Michigan’s city council approved a proposal similar to the one COHR canvassed for last month. Ann Arbor also has the issue on the ballot this fall. Zimmerman noted, “Other places that had this measure, it passed everywhere else. It’s an issue elected officials don’t want to touch because it is so controversial.”

“It’s puzzling to us that they don’t want to let the people of the city speak on this issue,” said Bill Mirken, the director of communications of MPP.

The charter process was instituted as a way for citizens to go around elected officials unresponsive to issues they deem important. How the process emerges from this conflict remains to be seen.

Don Haumant is lead plaintiff in the action, a Minneapolis voter who was a legally registered medical Marijuana patient during the time he lived in California, and who is being deprived of his right to vote on the amendment by the City’s action.

The suit, filed Friday, September 3, in the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District, Hennepin County, argues that the proposed charter amendment “meets all of the statutory requirements set forth in Minnesota Statute 410.12,” and that therefore Minneapolis Director of Elections Susanne Griffin “is totally without legal authority to refuse to place the proposed charter amendment submitted by Petitioner and others on the November 2, 2004 general election ballot in the City of Minneapolis.”

“The City Council’s action was grossly undemocratic, disenfranchising the more than 12,000 Minneapolis voters who signed the petitions in good faith,” said Neal Levine, a former Minneapolis resident who now serves as director of state policies for MPP. “The reasons given for keeping the charter amendment off the ballot simply do not jibe with either the law or the plain language of the proposed amendment. We are happy to put our resources behind COHR and Mr. Haumant in order to make sure that the voters’ rights are respected.”

“Based on our review with our attorneys, the only way they can keep something off the ballot is if it’s manifestly unconstitutional, which it [the charter amendment] isn’t,” said Mirken.

Under the proposed charter amendment, Minneapolis would authorize medical Marijuana distribution centers to serve patients using Marijuana with their physicians’ recommendations “to the extent permitted by state and federal law.” Haumant, who suffers from pain and nausea related to liver disease, made use of a similar system while a resident of San Francisco, according to a statement from MPP.

“What the charter states doesn’t jibe with the city council’s reasons against it. This looks to be a pretty clear-cut case. We wouldn’t have sued if we didn’t think we could win. As we understood the situation, the only thing we could do to get this on the ballot is go to court,” said Mirken.

The hearing was scheduled for Monday, September 13, at 1:45 pm in the District Court of Hennepin County. MSR will keep readers informed of the outcome.

The Marijuana Policy Project works to minimize the harm associated with Marijuana. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with Marijuana is imprisonment of non-violent offenders at the public’s expense, by using up prison space that should be used for violent offenders.

For more information on medical Marijuana, visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.