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.