ACTIVISTS PROMOTE LEGALIZED MARIJUANA, OTHER INITIATIVES IN PETITIONS

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- 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 Tuesday 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 conscious 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."

Schmid, who also was involved in the successful 1992 initiative that
created term limits for state legislators, is pushing two other initiatives
for 2000.

One would make the Legislature part-time, meeting only from January to
April. The form of that petition was approved Tuesday by the Board of State
Canvassers.

Schmid said Michigan is one of only eight states with a full-time
Legislature, and he thinks lawmakers should be forced to finish their
business sooner.

"Then we don't have a standing army around Lansing away from their
districts," he said.

The other initiative -- the Litigation Culture Amendment -- would prohibit
state or local governments from suing lawful industries for damages
resulting from the use of a legal product.

That would include lawsuits against the alcohol, tobacco, gambling and gun
industries.

Michigan is among states that have successfully sued tobacco companies for
health costs covered by Medicaid incurred by those who smoke. And Detroit
and Wayne County are among entities suing gun manufacturers for marketing
guns in ways that increase the likelihood that they will be used to commit
crimes.

"These lawyers are trying to change public policy through the courts when
they cannot pursued legislators in an accountable setting to get policies
they want," Schmid said.

The format of two other petition initiatives has been approved by the Board
of State Canvassers.

One is the petition that would allow children attending schools with low
graduation rates to use publicly funded vouchers to attend private schools.

The other, also approved Tuesday, would guarantee third-party binding
arbitration for state employees. The state Civil Service Commission,
appointed by Gov. John Engler, now has the ultimate authority to approve or
alter any negotiated agreement.

All the petitions must be turned in by July. The circulators must collect
all signatures in a 180-day period.