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The Minneapolis City Council on Friday rejected putting a medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot, despite the signatures of thousands of supporters.
Organizers had gathered the signatures of more than 7,000 registered voters on a petition in favor of adding a city charter amendment for a medicinal marijuana distribution system. The charter amendment would have taken effect if medicinal marijuana ever became legal at the state and federal level.
City Council members who opposed the amendment said it did not fit in with the city charter's mission.
"My view is that we shouldn't be putting things in the charter that don't relate to the general governance of the city," said Council Member Scott Benson.
Benson was one of the eight council members who voted against putting the amendment on the ballot. Four disagreed.
Council Member Dean Zimmermann said he supports putting the amendment on the ballot because of the thousands of people who signed the petition.
"For us to act and say what the citizens say has no value is a slap in the face of democracy," Zimmermann said.
Organizers of the petition gained about 12,000 signatures, including those of nearly 7,600 registered voters. But the city clerk's office says the petition would need about 200 more signatures by registered voters to be valid.
A petition organizer, Jason Samuels of Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction, said his group was evaluating what to do next but wouldn't comment further Friday.
Typically, petition organizers would have another 10 days to gather the necessary signatures by registered voters. But City Council members opposed to the charter amendment said Friday that their decision would be the same even with the correct number of signatures.
Neal Levine, a former Minneapolis resident who now serves as director of state policies for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said his group is preparing to take legal action against the city. Levine expects his group to file a lawsuit in the next week.
Pioneer Press
BY GITA SITARAMIAH
Sat, Aug. 21, 2004
https://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/9456642.htm?1c
Organizers had gathered the signatures of more than 7,000 registered voters on a petition in favor of adding a city charter amendment for a medicinal marijuana distribution system. The charter amendment would have taken effect if medicinal marijuana ever became legal at the state and federal level.
City Council members who opposed the amendment said it did not fit in with the city charter's mission.
"My view is that we shouldn't be putting things in the charter that don't relate to the general governance of the city," said Council Member Scott Benson.
Benson was one of the eight council members who voted against putting the amendment on the ballot. Four disagreed.
Council Member Dean Zimmermann said he supports putting the amendment on the ballot because of the thousands of people who signed the petition.
"For us to act and say what the citizens say has no value is a slap in the face of democracy," Zimmermann said.
Organizers of the petition gained about 12,000 signatures, including those of nearly 7,600 registered voters. But the city clerk's office says the petition would need about 200 more signatures by registered voters to be valid.
A petition organizer, Jason Samuels of Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction, said his group was evaluating what to do next but wouldn't comment further Friday.
Typically, petition organizers would have another 10 days to gather the necessary signatures by registered voters. But City Council members opposed to the charter amendment said Friday that their decision would be the same even with the correct number of signatures.
Neal Levine, a former Minneapolis resident who now serves as director of state policies for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said his group is preparing to take legal action against the city. Levine expects his group to file a lawsuit in the next week.
Pioneer Press
BY GITA SITARAMIAH
Sat, Aug. 21, 2004
https://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/9456642.htm?1c
