Drug Policy
The costly War on Drugs continues to erode personal liberties without curbing drug trade or use. This heavy-handed tactic has failed. The ACLU supports a public health approach, including investment in drug treatment, education, and regulation of drug availability. The ACLU’s goal is to end punitive drug policies that cause the widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration.
Michigan Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Its First Medical Marijuana Case
ACLU asks court to dismiss felony drug charges against registered patient
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2011
DETROIT – In an order announced today, the Michigan Supreme Court agreed to review the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan’s appeal in the case of a registered medical marijuana patient who is facing felony drug charges despite complying with state law. This will be the first time the Michigan Supreme Court weighs in on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. > Full Story
ACLU Appeals Dismissal Of Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart For Firing Cancer Patient Who Legally Used Medical Marijuana
Michigan State Law Passed In 2008 Protects Employees Who Use Marijuana To Treat Debilitating Diseases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 27, 2011
CINCINNATI – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a federal appeals court to reinstate its lawsuit against Wal-Mart and the manager of its Battle Creek store for wrongfully firing an employee for using medical marijuana in accordance with state law. The patient, Joseph Casias, used marijuana to treat the painful symptoms of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer.
> Full Story
ACLU Asks Michigan Supreme Court to Hear Medical Marijuana Case
Felony drug charges against registered patient should be dismissed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2011
DETROIT – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan asked the state’s highest court yesterday to review the case of a registered medical marijuana patient who is facing felony drug charges despite complying with state law. If the appeal is accepted, it will be the first time the Michigan Supreme Court weighs in on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.
April 1, 2011
DETROIT – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan asked the state’s highest court yesterday to review the case of a registered medical marijuana patient who is facing felony drug charges despite complying with state law. If the appeal is accepted, it will be the first time the Michigan Supreme Court weighs in on the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.
> Full Story
Landlords Are Not Required To Evict Medical Marijuana Patients, ACLU Explains in Letter
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 17, 2011
March 17, 2011
DETROIT – The Michigan State Housing Development Authority must adopt written guidelines for landlords and local public housing agencies to address the evictions of subsidized housing tenants who use medical marijuana in accordance with state law, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said in a letter today.
> Full Story
ACLU To Appeal Dismissal Of Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart For Firing Cancer Patient Who Legally Used Medical Marijuana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 11, 2011
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The American Civil Liberties Union today said it will appeal a decision by a federal judge to dismiss an ACLU lawsuit filed in June against Wal-Mart and the manager of its Battle Creek, Michigan store for wrongfully firing an employee for using medical marijuana in accordance with state law to treat the painful symptoms of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer.
> Full Story
ACLU Joins Lawsuit Against City of Wyoming For Banning Medical Marijuana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 16, 2010
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that it will represent a registered patient who is challenging the City of Wyoming’s ordinance banning medical marijuana in direct violation of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. The lawsuit was originally filed in November by John Ter Beek, a medical marijuana patient who fears being penalized by local officials if he grows or uses medical marijuana in compliance with state law. > Full Story
ACLU Sues Cities For Banning Medical Marijuana
Lawsuit Challenges Ordinances in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and Livonia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:December 1, 2010
DETROIT – In an effort to defend the rights of medical marijuana patients and caregivers throughout the state, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sued the cities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and Livonia today on behalf of a registered medical marijuana patient with multiple sclerosis and her husband who fear arrest and prosecution by local officials if they grow or use medical marijuana in compliance with state law. In the past year, each of the cities adopted a local ordinance that completely bans medical marijuana — in direct violation of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.
> Full Story
ACLU Says Lawsuit Charging Wal-Mart With Wrongfully Firing Medical Marijuana Patient Should Proceed
Michigan State Law Passed in 2008 Protects Employees Who Use Marijuana to Treat Debilitating Diseases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 12, 2010
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union told a federal judge today that the lawsuit against Wal-Mart for wrongfully firing an employee for lawfully using medical marijuana in accordance with state law to treat the painful symptoms of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer should proceed.
ACLU Blasts Flint Proposal to Drug Test All Public Housing Tenants
Mandatory Drug Testing as Condition for Government Assistance is Illegal and Ineffective
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:August 11, 2010
DETROIT— In a letter today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan urged the Flint Housing Commission to reconsider a proposal to require all public subsidized housing tenants to submit to mandatory drug testing without suspicion.
> Full Story
ACLU Urges Oakland County Cities To Respect Rights of Medical Marijuana Patients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:July 29, 2010
DETROIT – In a letter today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan urged Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham officials to uphold the rights of medical marijuana patients by clarifying or rescinding city ordinances that violate Michigan’s medical marijuana law.
> Full Story
ACLU Sues Wal-Mart On Behalf Of Cancer Patient Fired For Legally Using Medical Marijuana
Michigan State Law Passed In 2008 Protects Employees Who Use Marijuana To Treat Debilitating Diseases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 29, 2010
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Michigan in partnership with the law firm of Daniel W. Grow, PLLC, filed a lawsuit today against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the manager of its Battle Creek store for wrongfully firing an employee for using medicinal marijuana in accordance with state law to treat the painful symptoms of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer.
> Full Story
ACLU Blasts Passage of Grand Rapids Medical Marijuana Ordinance
Group says amendment is a good first step, but concerns persist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 10, 2010
Grand Rapids, Mich. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan denounced the passage of a Grand Rapids city ordinance today for violating the rights guaranteed to patients and their caregivers by the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. Despite amending the ordinance to remove a provision that would have allowed police to search a caregiver's home without notice or a warrant, the ordinance still unlawfully requires caregivers to obtain a business license from the city and to live in designated areas.
> Full Story
Royal Oak Must Follow Medical Marijuana Law, ACLU Says in Letter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:February 16, 2010
Detroit – In a letter today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan urged the Royal Oak Police Department and City Attorney to abide by the law and end its practice of seizing medical marijuana from registered patients. > Full Story
Terminally Ill Medical Marijuana Patient Should Not Be Evicted, ACLU Tells Property Management Company
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:December 22, 2009
Elk Rapids, Mich. – In a letter today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan came to the aid of a terminally ill woman who is being evicted from her apartment for legally using medical marijuana to treat the painful symptoms of her advanced brain cancer. The ACLU wrote the letter on behalf of Lori Montroy, 49, a resident of Elk Rapids who is facing eviction by the Gardner Group of Michigan, the company that manages her apartment complex.
> Full Story
Welfare Drug Testing Case Re-Heard by Appeals Court
DETROIT – The challenge to Michigan’s welfare drug testing law will be reviewed again, this time by all active judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals, when oral argument is heard on Wednesday, March 26. The law has not been enforced since 2000 when a U.S. district judge ruled that random drug testing violated welfare recipients' privacy rights.
> Full StoryACLU Gains Attention of Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Court Agrees to Rehear Drug Testing Case and Denies Government Request to Rehear Closed Immigration Hearings Case
In an interesting turn of events this week, the ACLU of Michigan was victorious on two different cases that are before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
The Sixth Circuit has agreed to rehear the case regarding the drug testing of welfare recipients, Marchwinski et al., v. Family Independence Agency, et al, but has denied the government’s request for an en banc court to rehear the closed immigration hearings decision.
> Full StoryACLU Lawsuit Challenges Unconstitutional Breathalyzer Tests for Pedestrians
October 31, 2002 - Press Release
Bay City - The ACLU of Michigan filed a federal lawsuit today challenging a police practice of forcing pedestrians under age 21 to take a Breathalyzer test without first obtaining a search warrant. The case was filed against the City of Bay City on behalf of Jamie Spencer, a 20-year-old woman who was forced by an officer to take a breath test or pay a $100 fine even though she had not been drinking alcohol.
> Full StoryMan Wins Return of Bail Money Seized by Police
ACLU Denounces Practice of Seizing Cash Based Only on Dog Sniffs
November 14, 2000 - Press Release
WAYNE, MI - Fred Lipke picked up $2000 from the City of Wayne Police Department today. A police officer had seized the money from Lipke this June when Lipke brought it to the police station to bail out a friend. The police officer, following department policy, took the bail money and showed it to drug-sniffing dogs. When the dogs "alerted" to the scent of drugs on the money, the officer seized it as the alleged proceeds of a drug sale under the state civil forfeiture law.
> Full StoryFederal Judge Blocks MI's Plan to Drug Test Welfare Recipients
September 5, 2000 - Press Release
DETROIT, MI - A federal district judge today blocked the country's first-ever law requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug testing, saying that the policy, enacted by Michigan last year, sets a "dangerous precedent" under the Constitution.
> Full StoryCourt Asked to Strike Down Grand Blanc High School Drug Testing Policy
Court Asked to Strike Down High School Drug Testing Policy
June 5, 2000 - Press Release
FLINT - To stop Grand Blanc High School's drug testing program, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a motion on Tuesday in an on-going lawsuit asking that the Genesee County Circuit Court rule the school's policy a violation of the Michigan Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
> Full StoryACLU Sues Grand Blanc Community Schools over Drug Testing Policy
March 28, 2000 - Press Release
The ACLU of Michigan, representing Grand Blanc student Micah White, filed a lawsuit today in Genesee County Circuit Court challenging a policy at the school to require drug testing of student athletes.
> Full Story
