Michigan State Representative Jeff Irwin plans to introduce a bill in the state House of Representatives that would lessen the penalties for using marijuana. Several communities in Michigan have already voted to decriminalize marijuana possession, but this new bill would change the law statewide.
He explained, “We must take those policies that are already governing a good percentage of people in Michigan, and are working just fine, and apply those policies statewide. And by doing so, we will free up a lot of law enforcement resources.”
The bill would decriminalize low level marijuana possession and change the penalty to a fine rather than jail time.
Irwin believes that the state wastes millions of dollars by “running marijuana users through the court system and doing so at a great cost to our state and at great cost to those individuals and their futures.”
[Source]
cmoney710 said on Feb 11, 2013
hey some good news for MI. Why no legalization tho?
lucy said on Feb 11, 2013
At this point I think a lot of lawmakers are seeing the "baby steps" approach as the best way to make real change. You decriminalize and people see it's not causing any additional problems, it helps to make a better case for legalization.
Mike-420 said on Feb 11, 2013
Lucy hit the nail on the head there.. Michigan is a baby steps kinda state. .u start making major changes to laws and it really pisses off 1 or 2 core groups of people… Gotta ease into this and show the people and lawmakers that theres money to be made and crime rates will decrease allowing police to do jobs that REALLY matter
roadkill said on Feb 12, 2013
a lucy anything happening in fla?
eddie273273 said on Feb 12, 2013
Michiganistan republicans will never pass this bill . Michigan is looking into opening FOR PROFIT PRISONS and they need to keep those types of prisons full of nonviolent offenders so they can be used as slave labor .
Republicans are doing everything in their power to change or nullify the MMJ law passed by the people . This is what you get from a one party fascist government .
Republicans don't do baby steps .