ugmjfarmer
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hxxp://www.mlive.com/grpress/opinion/index.ssf/2008/10/editorial_medical_marijuana_pr.html
Editorial: Medical marijuana proposal needs more safeguards
by The Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board Sunday October 19, 2008, 9:00 AM
Should Michigan residents approve the medical marijuana proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot? We say NO. Not because we are unconvinced about the medical benefits the drug could provide some sick and dying people. There is a growing body of research and patient testimonials about marijuana's medical properties, despite federal drug laws that say it has no accepted medical use. Our concern is that there are not enough safeguards in the ballot proposal to ensure proper regulation and controlled distribution of personally grown pot.
Proposal 1 would allow people with debilitating medical conditions to grow and use marijuana to relieve pain and suffering -- if they have a doctor's approval. The Department of Community Health would set up a medical marijuana registry and issue ID cards to approved users and growers after receiving written confirmation from patients' doctors. Authorized users could grow up to a dozen plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces for personal use.
Medical marijuana has been used by cancer patients on chemotherapy to control severe nausea; to restore the appetites of AIDS patients and others with wasting diseases; and to improve muscle control for people with multiple sclerosis. Twelve states have laws that permit the use of marijuana as a pain reliever, if recommended by a physician.
Opponents of the Michigan measure, particularly law enforcement officials, say letting people grow and use marijuana is not only against the law, but could increase accessibility to teenagers and increase the number of people driving under the influence. Those are legitimate concerns.
Figures from the Drug Free Schools Coalition indicate that one marijuana plant can yield
28,000 joints in one year. More than 300,000 joints could be made from 12 plants. The potential for a lot more of the drug circulating in the state is real, especially when up to 50,000 residents could qualify for medical marijuana. That would be one-half of one percent of Michigan's population. That is the percentage of Oregon's population approved to use medical marijuana since that state passed legislation in 1998.
Law officials may be concerned about legal issues, but there are other issues, such as the quality and potency of individual crops. Medicine should be regulated for dosage and strength to make sure people are not over- or under-medicating. Furthermore, sick people should not have to manufacture their own medicine. If marijuana is going to be the used for medical purposes in Michigan, we should figure out a better way to produce and distribute it safely. A proposal introduced in Minnesota did not allow patients to grow their own marijuana. They had to buy it from a registered non-profit outlet.
Drugs such as morphine, steroids, Valium and others are illegal without a doctor's prescription, and their production and use are regulated by the government. Medical marijuana should get the same treatment.
The National Marijuana Policy Project provided the funds to get Proposal 1 on the ballot in Michigan. Helping sick people feel better is an admirable goal. But this measure doesn't have adequate safeguards that would keep medical marijuana in the hands of the intended users -- and out of the hands of those who shouldn't have it.
Editorial: Medical marijuana proposal needs more safeguards
by The Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board Sunday October 19, 2008, 9:00 AM
Should Michigan residents approve the medical marijuana proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot? We say NO. Not because we are unconvinced about the medical benefits the drug could provide some sick and dying people. There is a growing body of research and patient testimonials about marijuana's medical properties, despite federal drug laws that say it has no accepted medical use. Our concern is that there are not enough safeguards in the ballot proposal to ensure proper regulation and controlled distribution of personally grown pot.
Proposal 1 would allow people with debilitating medical conditions to grow and use marijuana to relieve pain and suffering -- if they have a doctor's approval. The Department of Community Health would set up a medical marijuana registry and issue ID cards to approved users and growers after receiving written confirmation from patients' doctors. Authorized users could grow up to a dozen plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces for personal use.
Medical marijuana has been used by cancer patients on chemotherapy to control severe nausea; to restore the appetites of AIDS patients and others with wasting diseases; and to improve muscle control for people with multiple sclerosis. Twelve states have laws that permit the use of marijuana as a pain reliever, if recommended by a physician.
Opponents of the Michigan measure, particularly law enforcement officials, say letting people grow and use marijuana is not only against the law, but could increase accessibility to teenagers and increase the number of people driving under the influence. Those are legitimate concerns.
Figures from the Drug Free Schools Coalition indicate that one marijuana plant can yield
28,000 joints in one year. More than 300,000 joints could be made from 12 plants. The potential for a lot more of the drug circulating in the state is real, especially when up to 50,000 residents could qualify for medical marijuana. That would be one-half of one percent of Michigan's population. That is the percentage of Oregon's population approved to use medical marijuana since that state passed legislation in 1998.
Law officials may be concerned about legal issues, but there are other issues, such as the quality and potency of individual crops. Medicine should be regulated for dosage and strength to make sure people are not over- or under-medicating. Furthermore, sick people should not have to manufacture their own medicine. If marijuana is going to be the used for medical purposes in Michigan, we should figure out a better way to produce and distribute it safely. A proposal introduced in Minnesota did not allow patients to grow their own marijuana. They had to buy it from a registered non-profit outlet.
Drugs such as morphine, steroids, Valium and others are illegal without a doctor's prescription, and their production and use are regulated by the government. Medical marijuana should get the same treatment.
The National Marijuana Policy Project provided the funds to get Proposal 1 on the ballot in Michigan. Helping sick people feel better is an admirable goal. But this measure doesn't have adequate safeguards that would keep medical marijuana in the hands of the intended users -- and out of the hands of those who shouldn't have it.
