{"id":1905,"date":"2018-11-16T23:02:28","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T20:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=1905"},"modified":"2018-11-20T23:43:14","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T20:43:14","slug":"weed-is-legal-now-but-high-number-of-arab-americans-reject-proposal-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/weed-is-legal-now-but-high-number-of-arab-americans-reject-proposal-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Weed is legal now, but high number of Arab Americans reject Proposal 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

By The Yemeni American News<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Michigan has become the first state in the Midwest to legalize weed. The decision came directly via the voters, not through politicians. Proposal 1, a referendum on marijuana passed comfortably on Nov. 6.
\nHowever, making weed legal was not high on the priorities of voters in the mostly Arab American neighborhoods of east Dearborn.
\nFor example, in the mostly Yemeni Southend neighborhood, less than 20 percent of the votes were in favor of the proposal. In the two precincts at Salina Elementary, 752 Southenders voted against the legalization of weed, and only 183 people voted for it.
\nAlthough Arab Americans overwhelmingly sided with liberal, Democratic candidates, they took a conservative position on weed. About two thirds of the voters in east Dearborn rejected Prop1.
\nIn the single precinct a Becker Elementary, which serves as a polling station to a mostly Arab neighborhood off of Warren Avenue, 405 people said \u201cno\u201d, compared to 188 \u201cyes\u201d ballots.
\nAt the same precinct 564 votes went to Democratic candidate for governor Gretchen Whitmer and 55 for Republican Bill Schuette.
\nWhitmer had backed prop 1; Schuette opposed it but said he would honor the results of the vote.
\n\u201cI believe Marijuana should not be legalized due to its negative effects, especially on the youth. It\u2019s very disturbing to learn that 1\/3 of the community voted yes,\u201d said Mahdi Ali, president of the American Moslem Society in the Southend.
\nAli added that the success of Proposal 1 puts an additional pressure on imams and religious institutions to \u201ceducate community members on how marijuana is harmful and damaging\u201d.<\/p>\n

Arguments<\/strong>
\nOpponents of the proposal say legalization makes the drug more accessible, especially to young people who would harm their health by abusing it.
\nThey also argue that decriminalizing the drug will lead to more traffic accidents because of people driving under the influence.
\nSupporters of legalization say that marijuana is already being widely used, but regulating the industry would bring tax revenues to the state.
\nAnother argument for legalization is the amount of energy police officers waste on weed offenders – time that may now be spent to combat serious crime. For example, 9 percent of police arrests in Michigan in 2015 were weed-related.
\nFurthermore, some advocates for racial justice say legalization would be a legal relief for people of color who are disproportionately targeted for marijuana offenses.
\n\u201cThe aggressive enforcement of marijuana possession laws needlessly ensnares hundreds of thousands of people into the criminal justice system and wastes billions of taxpayers\u2019 dollars. What\u2019s more, it is carried out with staggering racial bias,\u201d the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says.
\n\u201cDespite being a priority for police departments nationwide, the War on Marijuana has failed to reduce marijuana use and availability and diverted resources that could be better invested in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dearborn dispensaries?<\/strong>
\nThe proposal has legalized the use and possession of weed for people 21 and over. However, municipalities still have local control in approving weed vendors.
\nSome people in the Arab community are already calling on Dearborn to reject weed businesses.
\n\u201cDearborn should not allow dispensaries,\u201d Mohammed Sohoubah, a resident and owner of pharmacies, said. He explained that the legal age of 21 will not stop children from consuming the drug. \u201cKids will buy it from others who will buy it for them, just like alcohol.\u201d
\nHe added that weed businesses would affect the entire city.
\n\u201cResidential property values will start to decline over the next decade once dispensaries are open in Dearborn,\u201d he said.
\nMaher Saleh, a business owner, said the legalization will create a headache for families and law enforcement agents.
\n\u201cWhat kind of example are we going to set for our kids when they ask what marijuana is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What is still illegal<\/strong>
\nPolice officials have warned that simply because marijuana is now legal, driving high is still not tolerated. Michigan State Police will continue roadside drug testing, including for marijuana.
\n\u201cMotorists under the influence of drugs pose a risk to themselves and others on the road,\u201d Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP said in a statement. \u201cWith drugged driving on the rise, law enforcement officers need an effective tool to assist in making these determinations during a traffic stop.\u201d
\nAnd similarly to alcohol, marijuana cannot be consumed in public.
\n\u201cFirst of all, you can\u2019t just walk down the street smoking weed,\u201d Romulus Police Sgt. Labrit Jackson was quoted as saying by the News Herald.
\nAnd while Michigan has made weed legal, the federal government as well as the neighboring states of Ohio and Indiana still consider it banned substance.
\nSo even marijuana that is bought legally in Michigan can get you in trouble in Ohio.
\nBetter not leave weed in your car if you\u2019re going to visit friends in Toledo!<\/p>\n

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