A City Council committee turned down the chance to legalize marijuana Wednesday, clearing the way for voters to decide in November.
Last month, the Coalition for a Safer Detroit filed petitions to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana for personal use. The City Council could have approved the ordinance change without going to voters, but a city lawyer warned that the council can't approve an ordinance that conflicts with state law.
The inaction doesn't surprise Tim Beck, a medical marijuana user who expects voters to pass the change. "It frees up the Police Department ... to pursue crimes with actual victims."
DETROIT — Michigan's relatively new medical marijuana law played a role in a significant ruling that stops prosecutors from charging motorists who have a byproduct of pot in their body.
