Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Michigan Decriminalizes Fireworks

The Detroit News: New Michigan law lights fuse on fireworks sales

Metro Detroiters will no longer have to hit the road to the Ohio state border now that the region's first large-scale fireworks store officially has opened for business, a result of a change in Michigan law.

Black Diamond Fireworks on Van Dyke, a 4,500-square-foot oasis filled with cases of sparkly explosives, opened this week to the curiosity and enthusiasm of a small but steady stream of customers relieved that they no longer have to travel to Ohio or Indiana and sneak certain fireworks back into Michigan.

The ban on powerful fireworks — such as bottle rockets and Roman candles — was removed at the beginning of the year.

Of course, there are the standard concerns of roman candles in the streets as evidenced by the hand-wringing comments accompanying the article.

I'm sure the first idiot to say "Hey, y'all watch this!" with a firework will make the front page of the paper, but its about time you could legally buy and possess a bottle rocket in Michigan (which, contrary to the article is hardly a high-powered firework, yeesh). The law was previously pretty universally ignored with an outpouring of cars heading to our neighboring states every year in July to load up for the 4th of July celebrations, and only the occasional returning car busted for buying the forbidden fireworks.

It's gratifying that Michigan adults are now going to be treated the same as adults are treated in Ohio and Indiana, at least as far as fireworks go.

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