Michigan Stoners Refuse to Pay Pot Tickets

Some Michigan stoners have flat out refused to pay their fines for possession of marijuana. Reports indicate that since the city of Grand Rapids voted to decriminalize the herb back in 2012, replacing criminal penalties with a $25 fine, people caught in violation have racked up over $100,000 in unpaid debts to society.

Unlike an unpaid traffic ticket, which can result in the suspension of a driver’s license, people typically ignore citations for marijuana possession because there isn’t much that can happen to them for opting not to pay.

This could soon be remedied, though, as local lawmakers are working to address the situation of unpaid pot fines. There is speculation that the city could simply start turning non-compliant offenders over to the state, which considers it a crime to avoid paying a citation.

While we certainly appreciate Michiganders giving the proverbial middle finger to the system, there are people all over the country being sent to jail for this same offense. It would look pretty stupid to end up with a misdemeanor on your record simply because you refused to pay a pot ticket.