A registered medical marijuana user and local activist filed a petition with the Detroit City Clerk seeking to loosen the marijuana laws in the city. According to The Detroit Free Press, Tim Beck submitted the petition featuring 6,100 signatures and got a “job well done” from Clerk Janice Winfrey.
According to the Detroit News, the Clerk has 10 days to verify the signatures before passing the petition on to the Detroit City Council. From there the council has 90 days to vote on the item or pass it on to voters to make the decision in November. With legalization support at all time highs, Beck no doubt is hoping for the latter.
The proposed initiative would make it legal for residents to be in possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use. Beck claims this measure has the potential to reduce some unnecessary spending in the budget.
In all honesty, not many are optimistic about the measure, even those who support it. Opponents will likely point to the belief that marijuana use leads to more serious drugs or that the legalization would run in contrast to state and federal laws.
Legislation like this is popping up all over the map this year as Californians will be going to the voting booth in November on the same issue. The War on Drugs is seen as largely ineffective by many and the recreational use of marijuana is surrounded by less and less stigma as time goes on.
Currently, however, if you are caught with a small amount of personal marijuana, you will face a criminal charge. Possession of marijuana in Michigan is a misdemeanor and carries up to 1 year in jail. Although the likelihood of you serving a year for a small amount of marijuana is not likely, the possibility is there.
If this is your first offense, there is a good chance we can have the charge conditionally discharged. This simply means you will be required to serve probation pre-trial. When the probationary period is completed satisfactorily, the charges are dropped.
If you are facing marijuana charges in Michigan, contact our attorneys for a phone consultation. Together we can discuss the options available to you under current marijuana laws.
