My Best Guess on Outcomes of Marijuana Initiatives

Skylor said:

Yeah cops, lawyers, even prosecutors and chief of police officers can say what ever they like but it doesn't mean they are always correct....no matter what the appeals court rules, it will be up to the state supreme court if state law does trump local laws---another words, we won't know what will happen until sometime next year or even until 2016.

Least us MM users can relax, I'm still hoping thou, the more people who can't be arrested for just having a little bit of weed, the better, IMO

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That has been decided and/or affirmed in Ter Beek v City of Wyoming. State law does trump local municipal laws.

Dr Gruber said:

Have you read the graphic novel? Much better then the movie.

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As a matter of fact I have.

bored not banned.

Hi Abe

Hi Porter

GregS said:

That has been decided and/or affirmed in Ter Beek v City of Wyoming. State law does trump local municipal laws.

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Then how come this.......http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/11/grand_rapids_marijuana_decrimi_5.html


GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Justices with the state Court of Appeals will hear arguments Friday on whether Grand Rapids voters had the right to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Voters in 2012 approved an amendment to make it a civil infraction to possess less than 2.5 ounces of marijuana.

The change survived a legal challenge in 2013 when Kent County Circuit Court Judge Paul Sullivan ruled that voters had the authority.

"The voters of Grand Rapids had the power to amend the city charter and plaintiff has failed to show that any section of the charter amendment necessarily conflicts with state law," Sullivan wrote in an opinion.

Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth, who led the challenge, maintains that decriminalization conflicts with state law that classifies marijuana possession as a misdemeanor.

Related: Grand Rapids marijuana decriminalization: No spike in cases

Forsyth's office appealed Sullivan's ruling.

Justices with a state Court of Appeals panel on Friday, Nov. 14 will hear oral arguments in the case.

A written opinion likely will be released in several months.

Related: Grand Rapids man gets first citation after marijuana decriminalized

Grand Rapids Police began following the amendment in May 2013 and have been writing civil-infraction tickets since then.

Still whatever happens it will be appealed again to the state supreme court .....yeah they put on a real good show, I always thought as well state law does overrule local laws but maybe that just isn't the case, the matter is now in the hands of an appeals court....let us pray

How is all this local decrim/civil fine legislation affecting the game of civil forfeiture, or the root of our criminalization problem?

"Holder has said the Justice Department collected roughly $8.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in fiscal year 2013, or nearly three times the appropriated $2.76 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period. And an investigative series by The Washington Post has found that the amount seized by civil asset forfeitures nationwide has more than doubled to $1.1 billion last year, from $508 million in 2008. Critics have highlighted several cases which they claim had dubious justification, and deprived unprosecuted citizens of money and property." Tim lynch

I've always said that total legalization would COST the government money in the long run. That weed is illegal cause the governments make more money by keeping the drug illegal...and as an added bonus they get to lock up more of the people. This whole war on drugs only kick off after the civil rights wins in the 1960's. When minorities gotten more rights, they also started to lose their freedom in greater numbers. Today the US locks up over half the minorities but they are "more free" today vs back when they had to go to the back of the bus...yeah right, maybe for a few of the lucky ones

Until law enforcement is willing to give up forfeiture money, I find their objections to any bill related to decriminalization or provisioning centers rather hollow.

Dr. Bob