Detroit votes to protect medical marijuana patients!

Published: August 4, 2004

Yesterday, the people of Detroit stood up for their seriously ill neighbors and commonsense law enforcement priorities. Detroiters passed the city's medical marijuana initiative—Proposal M—by a 60-40 vote, immediately stopping the city's arrest and prosecution of medical marijuana patients.

Until Proposal M passed, seriously ill patients possessing medical marijuana could be arrested and incarcerated according to Detroit's city code. Now, Detroiters who use marijuana at their medical professionals' advice are exempt from Detroit's city-level prohibitions on possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. Although state and federal law still criminalize marijuana's medical use, this is a significant protection for medical marijuana patients.

This victory is the product of years of hard work and dedication. The campaign could not possibly have succeeded without your help. Dan Solano and Rochelle Lampkin—two patients who have used medical marijuana—proved invaluable by testifying in front of the City Council, speaking to reporters, and giving their precious time to help make this victory possible.

And Proposal M would not have been possible without the years of labor by its sponsor, Tim Beck of the Detroit Coalition for Compassionate Care (DCCC), the rest of DCCC, and Michigan NORML. A special thanks goes to the dozens of volunteers who helped distribute literature during their campaign. Without their hard work and selfless dedication, Detroit would not have become one of the cities that protect medical marijuana patients from arrest by city authorities.

Now, it's time to build on Detroit's success. Please take a few minutes to Take Action and ask your state senator and representative to follow Detroit's lead and protect medical marijuana patients from arrest.

Click here to view the news coverage of Proposal M's passage.

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