7/10/13 - An effort to expand the legalization of marijuana in Michigan is being led in part by local pot advocate. A three-week effort begins today to demonstrate the economic clout of marijuana advocates, who are asking supporters to send a message by spending $2 bills for every cash purchase. 45-year-old Steven Greene of South Lyon picked up $200 in $2 bills from a credit union in Southfield. Greene is a state-registered user of medical marijuana and a caregiver licensed by the state to grow medical marijuana for others. He hopes that once the $2 bills start popping up, people will also realize that by arresting marijuana advocates theyâre not only taking that money out of circulation, but also spending tax dollars to put them in jail. The Detroit Free Press quotes a study released this year that indicated Americans who use marijuana, legally or illegally, spend about $30 billion per year just on the drug itself. Karen OâKeefe, director of state policies for the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Marijuana Policy Project, said that because Michigan has slightly over 3% of the U.S. population, the stateâs marijuana users spend approximately $945 million a year on the substance. Michigan voters approved marijuana for some chronic medical conditions in 2008, but the Supreme Court ruled in January that medical marijuana dispensaries aren't allowed. (JK)
↧