Pubdate: Wed, 11 Aug 2004
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2004 Star Tribune
Contact:  http://www.startribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/266
Author: Rochelle Olson
Cited: Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction http://www.cohr.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MEDICINAL MARIJUANA BACKERS TRY TO GET ON MINNEAPOLIS BALLOT

As medicinal marijuana supporters submitted a petition Tuesday to get the 
issue on the Minneapolis ballot in November, key City Council members 
questioned the action.

Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction submitted a petition to the city 
elections office with what they say are 12,000 signatures, substantially 
more than the required 7,774 signatures of registered city voters. The 
elections office has begun certifying the signatures to ensure that they 
are valid.

The proposed language would 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."

The council's Intergovernmental Relations Committee will discuss the issue 
Tuesday. Committee Chairman Scott Benson said he doesn't think the issue is 
appropriate for the charter.

The council legally has some decision-making authority on whether to put 
charter amendments on the ballot. The extent of that authority will be 
discussed at the committee meeting.

But both Benson and Council President Paul Ostrow say it seems to be a 
waste to take a vote and possibly amend the charter for something over 
which the city has no legal authority.

Benson said, "If it's not a proper subject matter to be regulated by the 
charter, which I don't think this is, it doesn't have to go on the ballot."

Ostrow agreed, saying marijuana legalization clearly is an issue for the 
Legislature, not the City Council. (The Legislature hasn't conducted a 
committee meeting on medicinal marijuana since 2000.)

Benson and Ostrow say putting the issue to Minneapolis voters would result 
not in any changes, but would merely be a poll of popular opinion.

Council Vice President Robert Lilligren, however, said that he signed the 
petition and that he is supportive of medicinal marijuana after seeing 
about 20 friends die of complications from AIDS. "One of the few things 
that brought them some relief and encouraged them to eat was smoking 
marijuana," he said.

Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction President Aaron Marcus said the 
proposal doesn't conflict with the law because it's conditioned on a change 
in state or federal law.

"I think it is an uphill battle, but I believe the climate is right," 
Marcus said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake