La Crosse Decriminalization Ordinance on hold, what to do now?

The La Crosse Tribune recently followed up with a report on the move to decriminalize marijuana by the Common Council in La Crosse.  We have followed the movement in La Crosse during the my campaign for Wisconsin State Assembly in 2009.  I had received feedback from folks in the area after the initial report, but support somewhat died down after the veto from a young mayor Matt Harter.

What we knew: The La Crosse Common Council last month sustained Mayor Matt Harter’s veto of an ordinance that would have decriminalized first-offense possession of 25 or fewer grams of THC, or marijuana. Council member Chris Olson, who wrote the original resolution, then introduced a revised measure reducing the possession to fewer than 7 grams. If passed, authorities would have the flexibility to cite offenders either with a municipal ordinance violation or a misdemeanor.

Hopefully the new news will re-juvenite the movement in the La Crosse area and perhaps see some of the seats up for election taken by cannabis activist.  Now is the time to get organized and cracking if you are planning on it, with 17 seats up for grabs who knows what the outcome will bring.  The blog of the Northern Wisconsin NORML took the news as a call for action, urging supporters to keep the cannabis conversations going and not to let the six month stall develop in a tactic to kill the concept all together.  Stay active, get organized and become vocal. If not you, who?  If not now, when?

What’s new: The council postponed a vote on the revised ordinance for six months at Olson’s request. Council members Rich Becker, Doug Farmer, Bruce Ranis, Bernie Maney, Tom Sweeney and Lorraine Decker opposed the referral.

What’s next: The move delays any further consideration of the measure until after the spring elections, when the southern half of the council’s 17 seats are on the ballot.