Milliken's Drug Ideas Lauded

Commenting on Gov. William G. Milliken's statement calling for a reduction of penalties for use and possession of marijuana, Mayor Robert J. Harris said this "is precisely what the Ann Arbor Citizens Blue Ribbon Committee on Drug abuse recommended." The City Council has passed at first reading an ordinance which would make the use and possession of marijuana here a misdemeanor rather than a felony. Second reading action on the ordinance is scheduled for Monday night. Gov. Milliken, in a message to the State Legislature, called for state action to drop the charge for possession of marijuana from a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison to a misdemeanor punishable by a jail sentence up to 90 days. Mayor Harris said discussions with legislative leaders in Lansing leads him to believe it is extremely unlikely such legislation would be given immediate effect and, if passed, would not become effective until 90 days after adjournment of the session. He added "it is at best an even money proposition whether the Legislature will be able to agree on i any marijuana legislation during this session. "Accordingly, the need remains for Ann Arbor to go the route of Birmingham, Dearborn and East Lansing and pass such an ordinance on the local level, to plug the gap until such time as reform legislation is passed in Lansing," Harris said. "No doubt this is why the Governor's Office of Drug Abuse wrote us urging us to pass the ordinance proposed by the Drug Abuse Committee."