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TRAVERSE CITY — Frankfort voters face a burning question on their upcoming election ballots.
A sufficient number of Frankfort's 1,061 registered voters signed a petition to put an initiative on marijuana decriminalization up for a vote in their picture-postcard Benzie County city. The successful petition drive puts Frankfort among 11 Michigan cities with similar measures going before voters on Nov. 4.
Safer Michigan Coalition Executive Director Chuck Ream said that's part of a statewide effort to decriminalize marijuana. He framed Frankfort's vote as more about "American values" than about marijuana itself.
"Frankfort is a wonderful town, full of patriotic Americans who can vote to end cannabis prohibition, which is an atrocity and affront to every American value," he said. "America is based on individual liberty, justice and freedom."
The ballot will ask voters if the city's charter should be amended with a "marijuana" section.
The proposed section states nothing in municipal code "shall apply to the use, possession, or transfer of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, on private property not used by the public, or transportation of 1 ounce or less of marijuana by a person who has attained the age of 21 years."
That effectively would make marijuana possession in Frankfort a civil infraction, if it passes. It also could put local police in the tricky position of abiding by the amended charter or continuing to enforce other marijuana laws.
Ream views such local marijuana initiatives as steps that would apply pressure on state legislators to enact a larger-scale decriminalization law. He said coalition members originally sought to have Benzie County commissioners pass a countywide measure, but it faltered this summer.
"After three drafts, we were stymied in Benzie County as a whole, but Frankfort was a fallback," he said.
Volunteers with the group's Frankfort chapter gathered 102 signatures to put marijuana decriminalization on their ballots. Frankfort City Clerk Kimberly Kidder believes it's the first initiatory petition to make it to a ballot in Frankfort's history, and one that didn't get a stamp of approval from state officials.
"The attorney general's office denied the request for the charter amendment, and so did the governor," she said. "But because it's an initiatory petition it still goes before the city's voters for approval."
Frankfort's police Chief Robert Lozowski previously told the Record-Eagle his officers will continue to enforce state law if the initiative passes.
Ream said that would be akin to slapping "voters in the face." He said laws criminalizing marijuana use or possession would be viewed in the future as "mistaken behavior" similar to slavery or child labor.
"This is something we have to expunge from society," he said.
"(Decriminalization) will stop the worst atrocities," he said. "It would make money for the local municipality and prevent the individual from having lives completely destroyed because of the fact they enjoy a plant."
Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel said a countywide millage proposal for another drug enforcement officer is more focused on having a "voice" on investigations into harder drugs. He said Benzie County deputies don't enforce Frankfort laws.
Steven Thompson is chapter director of Benzie County National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He's helping organize a Oct. 22 town hall forum in the Frankfort Lion's Club on the proposed charter change.
"I'm hoping those that attend are not what I'd refer to as the 'choir members.' You get tired of preaching to the choir," he said. "I'm hoping to have a good honest discussion."
http://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/article_fbf3f33e-a4d0-5d0a-a12e-32a70d68126c.html
A sufficient number of Frankfort's 1,061 registered voters signed a petition to put an initiative on marijuana decriminalization up for a vote in their picture-postcard Benzie County city. The successful petition drive puts Frankfort among 11 Michigan cities with similar measures going before voters on Nov. 4.
Safer Michigan Coalition Executive Director Chuck Ream said that's part of a statewide effort to decriminalize marijuana. He framed Frankfort's vote as more about "American values" than about marijuana itself.
"Frankfort is a wonderful town, full of patriotic Americans who can vote to end cannabis prohibition, which is an atrocity and affront to every American value," he said. "America is based on individual liberty, justice and freedom."
The ballot will ask voters if the city's charter should be amended with a "marijuana" section.
The proposed section states nothing in municipal code "shall apply to the use, possession, or transfer of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, on private property not used by the public, or transportation of 1 ounce or less of marijuana by a person who has attained the age of 21 years."
That effectively would make marijuana possession in Frankfort a civil infraction, if it passes. It also could put local police in the tricky position of abiding by the amended charter or continuing to enforce other marijuana laws.
Ream views such local marijuana initiatives as steps that would apply pressure on state legislators to enact a larger-scale decriminalization law. He said coalition members originally sought to have Benzie County commissioners pass a countywide measure, but it faltered this summer.
"After three drafts, we were stymied in Benzie County as a whole, but Frankfort was a fallback," he said.
Volunteers with the group's Frankfort chapter gathered 102 signatures to put marijuana decriminalization on their ballots. Frankfort City Clerk Kimberly Kidder believes it's the first initiatory petition to make it to a ballot in Frankfort's history, and one that didn't get a stamp of approval from state officials.
"The attorney general's office denied the request for the charter amendment, and so did the governor," she said. "But because it's an initiatory petition it still goes before the city's voters for approval."
Frankfort's police Chief Robert Lozowski previously told the Record-Eagle his officers will continue to enforce state law if the initiative passes.
Ream said that would be akin to slapping "voters in the face." He said laws criminalizing marijuana use or possession would be viewed in the future as "mistaken behavior" similar to slavery or child labor.
"This is something we have to expunge from society," he said.
"(Decriminalization) will stop the worst atrocities," he said. "It would make money for the local municipality and prevent the individual from having lives completely destroyed because of the fact they enjoy a plant."
Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel said a countywide millage proposal for another drug enforcement officer is more focused on having a "voice" on investigations into harder drugs. He said Benzie County deputies don't enforce Frankfort laws.
Steven Thompson is chapter director of Benzie County National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He's helping organize a Oct. 22 town hall forum in the Frankfort Lion's Club on the proposed charter change.
"I'm hoping those that attend are not what I'd refer to as the 'choir members.' You get tired of preaching to the choir," he said. "I'm hoping to have a good honest discussion."
http://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/article_fbf3f33e-a4d0-5d0a-a12e-32a70d68126c.html