Michigan - Michigan lawmakers should tread very carefully as they move to amend the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.
The voters have made it clear in 2008 they want medical marijuana as a treatment option in this state. The ballot initiative didn’t just squeak by, it was resoundingly approved — especially in Muskegon County where 67 percent of the voters supported the proposal.
Every county in the state had at least 50 percent of the voters supporting the measure. Washtenaw County, which is home to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, approved the proposal by 71 percent, the highest in the state, followed by Wayne County at 69 percent. Huron County at the tip of the thumb had the lowest approval rate at 50 percent.
So, any changes to the law that would make it more difficult to use marijuana as a medicine would be a slap in the face of voters.
Michigan probably should take a good look at what California, the first to approve medical marijuana in 1996, and other states are doing to clear up the gray areas this state is facing. Their experience could help Michigan find a middle ground.
Marijuana use has gone through a lot of stages in this country. It was legal before 1937 for all uses. Then it was placed on the controlled substance list along with other previously legal drugs like ******* and ******. Now marijuana is seeing a revival as a medicine — a use that has been recorded in history for up to 10,000 years in Asian countries.
Although 14 states have legalized marijuana use as a medicine, the federal government hasn’t, which adds another layer of issues. A 2009 directive from the U.S. Deputy Attorney General provided guidelines to U.S. Attorneys in the states that had legalized medical marijuana and recommended against prosecuting patients using medical marijuana products according to state laws.
It’s all very confusing.
And that means there is some room for fine-tuning Michigan’s law.
In a Feb. 7-8 review of how Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act is working, The Muskegon Chronicle found many patients unwilling to have their names published for fear of ridicule or arrest. Most area doctors and medical facilities contacted also declined to comment.
It’s clear there’s still a stigma attached to marijuana, even though it has been found effective in reducing nausea, easing glaucoma and improving appetite and sleep in AIDS patients.
There’s also a concern medical marijuana will be used for other than the intended purpose. That’s a fair concern. It happens with many other prescription drugs now. In 2007, prescription drug abuse accounted for 10 percent of all drug cases prosecuted in Muskegon County.
Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom, R-Norton Shores, and Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, have introduced a bill that would tighten user access to marijuana. Authorized patients would not be allowed to grow their own supply as they can choose to do now, although several patients The Chronicle interviewed did not. Instead, the state would license marijuana-growing facilities. The drug would then be distributed through regulated dispensaries or approved pharmacists with a prescription.
There are plenty of details that need to be worked out, including cooperation between law enforcement and the medical community to reduce the “hassle” factor that patients — and doctors and pharmacists — fear. Citizens should not be afraid to do something that is legal.
The Van Woerkom/Kuipers proposal is not off the mark. California, Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Rhode Island and Montana utilize dispensaries to sell medical marijuana. California’s medical marijuana market is estimated at about $14 billion a year and dispensaries generated $18 million in state sales taxes during 2008. A California official believes with better controls, “cannabusiness” could contribute $1.3 billion in taxes to the struggling state.
That’s something to think about.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: MLive.com
Copyright: Michigan Live LLC
The voters have made it clear in 2008 they want medical marijuana as a treatment option in this state. The ballot initiative didn’t just squeak by, it was resoundingly approved — especially in Muskegon County where 67 percent of the voters supported the proposal.
Every county in the state had at least 50 percent of the voters supporting the measure. Washtenaw County, which is home to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, approved the proposal by 71 percent, the highest in the state, followed by Wayne County at 69 percent. Huron County at the tip of the thumb had the lowest approval rate at 50 percent.
So, any changes to the law that would make it more difficult to use marijuana as a medicine would be a slap in the face of voters.
Michigan probably should take a good look at what California, the first to approve medical marijuana in 1996, and other states are doing to clear up the gray areas this state is facing. Their experience could help Michigan find a middle ground.
Marijuana use has gone through a lot of stages in this country. It was legal before 1937 for all uses. Then it was placed on the controlled substance list along with other previously legal drugs like ******* and ******. Now marijuana is seeing a revival as a medicine — a use that has been recorded in history for up to 10,000 years in Asian countries.
Although 14 states have legalized marijuana use as a medicine, the federal government hasn’t, which adds another layer of issues. A 2009 directive from the U.S. Deputy Attorney General provided guidelines to U.S. Attorneys in the states that had legalized medical marijuana and recommended against prosecuting patients using medical marijuana products according to state laws.
It’s all very confusing.
And that means there is some room for fine-tuning Michigan’s law.
In a Feb. 7-8 review of how Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act is working, The Muskegon Chronicle found many patients unwilling to have their names published for fear of ridicule or arrest. Most area doctors and medical facilities contacted also declined to comment.
It’s clear there’s still a stigma attached to marijuana, even though it has been found effective in reducing nausea, easing glaucoma and improving appetite and sleep in AIDS patients.
There’s also a concern medical marijuana will be used for other than the intended purpose. That’s a fair concern. It happens with many other prescription drugs now. In 2007, prescription drug abuse accounted for 10 percent of all drug cases prosecuted in Muskegon County.
Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom, R-Norton Shores, and Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, have introduced a bill that would tighten user access to marijuana. Authorized patients would not be allowed to grow their own supply as they can choose to do now, although several patients The Chronicle interviewed did not. Instead, the state would license marijuana-growing facilities. The drug would then be distributed through regulated dispensaries or approved pharmacists with a prescription.
There are plenty of details that need to be worked out, including cooperation between law enforcement and the medical community to reduce the “hassle” factor that patients — and doctors and pharmacists — fear. Citizens should not be afraid to do something that is legal.
The Van Woerkom/Kuipers proposal is not off the mark. California, Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Rhode Island and Montana utilize dispensaries to sell medical marijuana. California’s medical marijuana market is estimated at about $14 billion a year and dispensaries generated $18 million in state sales taxes during 2008. A California official believes with better controls, “cannabusiness” could contribute $1.3 billion in taxes to the struggling state.
That’s something to think about.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: MLive.com
Copyright: Michigan Live LLC
