In November, registered voters in East Lansing can vote on decriminalizing recreational marijuana use within city limits if a circulating petition garners enough signatures.
The petition would allow voters to decide on marijuana reform similar to what Lansing voters enacted last year, which allows for the use, possession or transfer of less than one ounce of marijuana on private property for those age 21 or older.
But there is one difference — the East Lansing measure additionally allows for those age 21 or older to transport less than one ounce of marijuana.
In recent days a host of signature collectors have been hitting the city's streets.
Jeffrey Hank, an attorney and congressional hopeful spearheading the petition, said they've gathered nearly 1,400 signatures. Hank estimated the numbers are close to the required amount, but said they'll continue collecting for the next few weeks.
Hank is part of the Safer Michigan Coalition, which initiated petitions that successfully reformed marijuana laws in Jackson, Ferndale and Lansing in 2013.
If the petition in East Lansing goes to a vote and passes, local police could still arrest people for possession under state and federal law, Hank said. But the reform would remove financial incentive for such arrests.
"The police, if they want to, can still charge you with state law," Hank said. "In Lansing and Jackson the police have respected the will of the people. You would hope you don't have the local police acting against the will of the people."
Safer Michigan Coalition board member Charles Ream said the coalition predicts a 70 percent win in East Lansing if the measure is on the ballot in November.
Although it would fall short of uprooting marijuana prohibition altogether, it would provide student marijuana smokers with greater peace of mind, Ream said.
"Young people are the ones most often arrested, and (they) have the most to lose — their student loans, housing, professional licenses — they could lose their entire future," Ream said.
East Lansing council member Ruth Beier supports marijuana reform, she said, because "marijuana is no worse a substance than alcohol" and prohibition "puts a lot of people on the wrong side of the law for no reason."
"Personally, I detest what marijuana does to some people, just like I detest what alcohol does to some people," Beier said. "Some people get addicted, do it every day for 25 years and get stunted, but I don't think that's a good argument for criminalizing it. I think it's a waste of money to try and enforce."
Any enacted marijuana reform in East Lansing will not change MSU drug policies, which currently forbid the use of marijuana on university grounds.
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