News » Detroit Ballot Won’t Feature Marijuana Legalization





A ballot measure to legalize an ounce or less of marijuana in Michigan won’t be on the Detroit ballot this November, petition organizers say. Not because there aren’t enough signatures on the petition, but because the Detroit Election Commission and a Wayne County Circuit Judge say it can’t appear on the ballot.

The Commission and judge say the ballot measure is “preempted” by a state law banning possession of the drug. Petition organizers say that there is not enough time before the elections to get a good appeal into court and have the ruling overturned. They will ask the judge to reconsider and then proceed with an appeal and hope to be on next year’s ballot – the petition would still stand in that case.

The obvious question is how, exactly, existing state law can pre-empt a ballot vote to negate all or part of that law makes the ballot initiative illegal. This seems like a dangerously closed-loop kind of thinking. Is the next step to outlaw any act by the legislature or town council to amend or abolish existing laws as well?

[source Freep]

Tags: Detroit, legalization, Michigan