PETITION DRIVE SEEKS TO LEGALIZE HOMEGROWN POT FOR PERSONAL USE

LANSING -- Anyone 21 or older could grow and smoke marijuana at home
without violating Michigan law under a proposed "Personal Responsibility
Amendment" to the state constitution.

Saginaw attorney Carl Schmid said last week he already has 1,000 volunteers
ready to collect the 302,711 signatures needed to put the question on the
November 2000 ballot. The campaign will kick off on Jan. 14, he said.

Users would be limited to growing a "personal amount" of marijuana, not to
exceed three mature plants, seedlings and 3 ounces of dried marijuana.

The proposal also would allow medical use of marijuana for anyone under 21
who has a debilitating medical condition and is in consultation with a
physician. Minors would have to have the consent of a custodial parent or
guardian.

The amendment reads, in part, "Marijuana prohibition and forfeiture laws
tend to corrupt government and erode respect for the rule of law and
individual free will.

"Freedom of conscience includes the personal responsibility to exercise
self-restraint and to assume the risk of any harmful and debilitating
personal consequences that could result from the abuse of marijuana,
alcohol or tobacco."

Schmid said many of the volunteers pushing the issue don''t even smoke
marijuana.

"It''s not about marijuana. It's a freedom issue," he said.

Chuck Thomas of the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project said there
have been other efforts to legalize marijuana for nonmedical use, but many
are unsuccessful because of poor organization and a lack of broad public
support.

"I think we need a lot more public education to convince the American
people that prohibition does more harm than good before these initiatives
can pass," he said.

Thomas said if the initiative were to pass, marijuana users would still be
violating federal law and could be arrested by federal agents. But he said
only about 10,000 of the 700,000 marijuana arrests made nationwide each
year are by federal agents.

"If it's possible to change state law to remove criminal penalties on the
state level, that's a good thing," Thomas said. "It would protect marijuana
users."

The proposal would ban the use and possession of marijuana while operating
a vehicle or machine, while a person was on parole, probation or
incarcerated or for any commercial activity.

But state Sen. William Van Regenmorter, R-Jenison, said he still believes
marijuana use can affect others. He said allowing marijuana use would
invite more people to drive under the influence of drugs and lead to the
use of more addictive drugs.

"The government, I believe, has a role when there are implications to
public safety, when there are implications of therapy cost and the
expansive use of mind-altering drugs," he said. "I don't think it's fair to
say the potential to impact individuals is gone."