Legalized Pot Petition Not Looking Good

[AlternativeSolutionsPlus]

Legalized Pot Petition Not Looking Good

 

The group looking to legalize marijuana by putting a constitutional amendment passed this November managed about 100 activists in front of the Capitol.

 

Afterwards, Matt ABEL, who chairs the effort, said he is not ready to toss in the towel even though the math does not look good.

 

The group needs about 5,000 signatures everyday during the next 55 days to collect about 300,000, the minimum they would need to get the measure on the ballot. They have 25,000 on hand now with about 80,000 petition pages in the field currently.

 

Abel told MIRS he is hoping for a last-minute surge noting, "Our community tends to run late . . . We're not going to give up 'til the end. It's certainly still doable."

 

Sen. Rick JONES (R-Grand Ledge) is hoping it is not.

 

The Eaton County Republican said, "I spent 31 years in the sheriff's department and I never saw pot do anybody any good. I have seen a lot of students get bad grades and fail because of it. It doesn't help our society and I don't think we need any more vices."

 

One of the demonstrators at the rally was a Macomb County Prosecutor candidate, Mike WRATHHELL, a Republican. He said he backs total legalization and offers a constitutional rationale for doing so.

 

"The Declaration of independence talks about the right to pursue happiness," he said. "People drink beer to get a little buzz . . . why can't we get a little buzz from a little marijuana?"

 

Demonstrator Brad FORRESTER from Cheboygan rejects all the arguments from law enforcement and other opponents as not grounded in science.

 

"They spout theories and their ideas but they don't base those ideas on any real science or studies."

 

He dismissed all of it as "scare tactics."

 

Abel reported that if they don't make it to the ballot this time, the group would be back in two years to try again.

 

http://www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3833#31178

[Estimated Prophet]

Mike Rathell sounds like a sensible person.