Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2000
Source: Michigan Daily (MI)
Copyright: 2000 The Michigan Daily
Contact:  420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327
Website: http://www.michigandaily.com/
Cited: Ann Arbor City Council http://www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us
Bookmark: additional articles on medical cannabis are available at 
http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm

STONEWALLED

Marijuana Vote Wrongly Blocked By Council

A petition was brought to the Ann Arbor City Council this summer to add a 
medical marijuana referendum to this November's city ballot. In a 
controversial move, the Council nullified the petition, along with any hope 
of allowing the public to vote on it in this coming election. Short of 
bringing suits against the city, 6,000 signatures and months of hard work 
have been wrongly blocked.

Supporters of the petition say they were given an incorrect due date for 
signatures by the Washtenaw County Clerk and the Ann Arbor City Clerk. Thus 
the signatures were turned it in six days late. Both clerks confirmed that 
the error was their own and not the petitioners'.

But this tardiness allowed the Council a perfect excuse for blocking the 
initiative from going to a city-wide vote this November. Supporters hope 
the Council will allow citizens to vote on the proposal next year. 
Petitioners collected nearly 6,000 signatures, approximately 1,500 more 
than necessary. The authenticity of the signatures has not been an issue.

It is important that this resolution be offered to the public because 
marijuana has been proven to treat the pain, along with other symptoms and 
side-effects of numerous diseases and their treatments, including cancer, 
AIDS, asthma and glaucoma. It can also be used to kill symptoms of pain 
without debilitating side effects. When used properly, it can be a benign 
medicinal substance and not just another target of the War on Drugs.

The Clerk's office has openly admitted to and apologized for the misquoted 
date, causing Councilmember Elizabeth Daley to press for a motion that the 
Council vote to put the amendment on the ballot in spite of the error. 
Regrettably, with only two out of the 10 council members voting with her, 
Daley retracted her own motion and thus killed any chances the petition 
might have had left.

The only way that the petition may still appear on this upcoming November 
ballot is if a lawsuit is filed and a judge forces the issue to a city-wide 
vote. However, until the decision to pursue legal avenues can be made, 
supporters of the petition ask that people contact the Council at 
http://www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us and voice their concerns. Direct democratic 
action is the best way to inform elected officials of the importance of 
medical marijuana and continue the activism that has carried the cause this 
long.

The decision of the Ann Arbor City Council was likely a political move to 
prevent any chances of legalizing medical marijuana. While it is 
understandable that deadlines must exist in such matters, the error was the 
city's and not petitioners. The fact that the Council considered a motion 
to overlook rules implies that members hold the final say in determining 
whether a simple mistake is grounds to invalidate 6,000 signatures. Had 
this been a clear-cut case of a missed deadline for a petition, the issue 
would have never been in question and Ann Arbor citizens would have a 
medical marijuana vote on the ballot in November.

Every governmental representative is elected to protect the interests of 
voters. If voters are asking for nothing more than the right to vote on a 
specific issue, it is unjust for elected officials to stand in the way, 
especially with such overwhelming support for a vote on this matter.
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MAP posted-by: Thunder