Court rules marijuana bill should have gone to voters

DETROIT, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday a measure decriminalizing marijuana was improperly barred from the 2010 ballot in Detroit.

The appeals court reversed a ruling by a Wayne County judge who upheld the Detroit Elections Commission's decision to keep the issue off the ballot, the Detroit Free Press reported.

The Detroit Elections Commission said the measure conflicted with the state drug laws.

However, a 2-1 majority of the appeals court said that was not the election commission's decision to make.

"It was outside the authority of [city officials] to consider the substance and effect of the initiative and defendants have a clear legal duty to place the matter on the ballot," the court wrote.