cannabisnews.com: A2 Voters Pass Initiative To Legalize MMJ





A2 Voters Pass Initiative To Legalize MMJ
Posted by CN Staff on November 03, 2004 at 13:12:02 PT
By Leslie Rott, Daily Staff Reporter
Source: Michigan Daily 
Ann Arbor residents passed a ballot proposal, to allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, yesterday. Proposal C will waive fines for medical marijuana patients and their caregivers who receive the recommendation of a physician or other qualified health professional to use marijuana for medical treatment.The proposal also changes the current law in Ann Arbor to lower the fine for the third and all subsequent marijuana offenses for non medical users to $100. These fines include possession, control, use, giving away or selling of marijuana.
Although medical marijuana users would avoid fines under the law, the police are not required to return any marijuana that they may seize from patients.Gov. Jennifer Granholm has spoken out against the use of medical marijuana, warning it will still be illegal to use, possess or sell marijuana under state and federal law.In response to the passing of Proposal C, Dan Solano, a retired Detroit police officer and medical marijuana user, said the vote sends a positive message to the state Legislature.He also said he feels the vote is symbolic.“It does symbolize that the public is behind amending the laws so patients will have safe access to cannabis,” he said.Scio Township Trustee Charles Ream, who has been promoting the proposal, said, “Initially, (the proposal) will help only a small number of people, and then it will grow to be quite a large amount once people realize how many ailments (cannabis) helps.”Rich Birkett, who lost a bid for a City Council seat in Ann Arbor’s 3rd ward, wrote the proposal. “There are quite a few people who use medical marijuana in Ann Arbor,” Birkett said.Jan Paliza, a 50-year-old Ann Arbor resident, is one of those people. At age 14, a car on Ford Road in Ypsilanti hit her, and in 1998, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but doctors still debate whether the diagnosis is correct. “Since my car accident, I have felt like a doctor’s guinea pig,” Paliza said, adding that her life is a constant struggle.“When I take (traditional) medications, I have to deal with the side effects.” But Paliza said when she has access to marijuana, she feels better. “I am a better person, in better spirits, when I smoke a joint.”Although Proposal C has not specified conditions in which it would be legal for patients to use marijuana, in general medical marijuana has been shown effective in treating pain and nausea caused by AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and many other disorders.Psychiatry Prof. Kirk Bower described the pros and cons of medical marijuana use. “The major pro is to provide relief of symptoms for patients who do not respond to conventional treatments,” he said.Bower added that a major drawback of smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes is that it carries its own risks of cancer and other lung problems.The Food and Drug Administration has also expressed doubt and disdain toward the legalization of medical marijuana, suggesting further research is needed before legalization for therapeutic uses can be recommendedMedical marijuana is already legal in nine states including California, Colorado and Vermont. In August, Detroit passed a law legalizing medical marijuana in the city.But on Nov. 29, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not patients have a right to use cannabis in treating their illnesses when recommended to do so by a medical professional. The court’s decision could overrule Ann Arbor’s new law.Complete Title: A2 Voters Pass Initiative To Legalize Medical MarijuanaSource: Michigan Daily (MI Edu)Author: Leslie Rott, Daily Staff ReporterPublished: November 03, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Michigan DailyContact: daily.letters umich.eduWebsite: http://www.michigandaily.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Ann Arbor MMJ Initiativehttp://www.aammi.org/Michigan NORML http://www.minorml.org/Medical Marijuana Gets 74% Approvalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19760.shtmlPot Goes To The Polls http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19586.shtmlMedicinal Pot Use On A2 Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19534.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by kaptinemo on November 04, 2004 at 16:00:28 PT:
"Think of it as evolution in action."
The defining concept of a favorite SF novel of mine, written by Niven and Pournelle (blessed be their names!) who pointed out roughly what the Kubby's were saying. IMHO, when a new culture begins to arise from the old, the old is often insanely jealous of it, and tries to inject a portion of its' diseased self into the newborn, infecting it. I'm afraid this has happened to the present form of the US, in that a 'sleeper cell' of something awful, injected in the distant past, laying dormant for years, has arisen to afflict the present.Yet...unlike other civilizations, the new one has an advantage of almost instant mass communications...and knows how those communications can still be throttled or coerced. We know the sight, smell and mannerisms of the old culture, and have almost instinctively, individually and in groups, turned our backs on it.The 'Net is rapidly becoming very much like the volitional nervous system of the planet. Even language posses no real barrier, as adequate translation means freely exist. I have conversed with reformers from Brazil, Australia, Germany and Sweden (you think reformers here have problems, talk to a Sveriger about what they go through!). We literally are everywhere. Using these wonderfully weird boxes to talk with people we'll probably never meet in person, yet they become like family. Needless to say, this idea scares the yellow smelly stuff ouf those whose means of power derives from Dominator culture's maxim of 'divide and conquer'. That...and prohibition.But cannabists? I wish I could take you all to Vancouver or Amsterdam. In A-dam, I met so many, many people from nations who had traditionally regarded each other as enemies - who were passing hookah hoses to each other, giving each other basic language lessons, and getting along famously. Much the same for V-dam (Gawd, I miss the place!)I have no doubt that there are some real low-lifes in the Cannabium, but I have yet to meet more than one. Everyone else embodied/embodies the Golden Rule in their dealings with others. And that's why I believe the hatred of the antis seems to be covering a deep fear. (I've never known a hatred that wasn't covering one.) We are a continual rebuke to them, in that we live what they pay lip service to. That, and what we represent is something that ultimately cannot be controlled, no matter how hard they try. We refuse to follow their programming. We question, because of the lies we have been told for so long, and that is another rebuke. We communicate where they do not, with those whom we are told to shun. We are truly an international culture. Perhaps the first true planetary one.For almost 70 years the cannabis culture has resisted their attempts, has continued to survive, and despite repeated and escalating attack, is still breathing...and reproducing. And spreading. It can't be killed. It's growth can be halted in one area, but - oops! - inevitably finds a way around obstacles. The more stresses placed on it, the tougher it gets. "Evolution in action." Yea, verily and forsooth, sisters and brothers. The future will belong to us...so long as the Dominators don't blow it to Hell first. 
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Comment #11 posted by ekim on November 04, 2004 at 10:03:18 PT
alleged conflict 
The Ann Arbor News is giving much attention to the alleged conflict of
Proposal C with state law. If any of the critics of Proposal C, including
the Ann Arbor News, would bother reading the actual language of the
proposal, they might realize there is nothing wrong with Proposal C that
didn't already exist with the pre-Proposal C version of Ann Arbor's
marijuana law. In fact, depending on how you interpret Proposal C, there may
be nothing wrong with it at all. The part of pre-Proposal C law in question
has to do with limiting Ann Arbor police's and the city attorney's
discretion to prosecute marijuana offenses under other laws. Proposal C
language is similar to the pre-Prop C language in that it limits the Ann
Arbor police's and city attorney's discretion to prosecute medical marijuana
patients, period. Had "cultivation" not been added to list of offenses,
which was intentionally made different from "manufacture" used in state law,
Proposal C's language would be identical to the list of offenses prohibited
by Ann Arbor's law. It could be argued that the new subsection only applies
to prosecutions under city law. Cultivation was not added to the list of
prohibited offenses under city law, because organizers didn't want to be
criticized for trying to expand Ann Arbor's law to include cultivation for
non-medical purposes. It could also be argued that the new subsection
applies to the "facts" of use, possession, sale, giving away, or
cultivation, and, does not "harmonize" with state law that prohibits
"delivery", "distribution" and "manufacture". A judge would probably rule
the new subsection will still apply to prosecutions under city law. Proposal
C also provides for an affirmative defense and fine waivers, which are not
in question and are totally legal under state law. So, its unlikely a judge
would rule all of Proposal C invalid, and its unlikely the disputed
subsection will be ruled invalid for prosecutions under city law. Ann
Arbor's pre-Proposal C law wasn't challenged before now for non-medical
uses, why would the City now decide to test Proposal C by prosecuting
medical marijuana patients?-Rich Birkett
http://www.thehia.org
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Comment #10 posted by Sam Adams on November 03, 2004 at 22:00:34 PT
Kubby
What a great piece! Praise Jah! I was thinking this morning - how many brilliant human cultures and societies have imploded through threats from within? Germany in the 20's, for instance. Russia when Stalin took over. We're not the only ones to be saddled with a terrible government. This too shall pass, eventually.I didn't see that much difference between Kerry and Bush on cannabis policy. What really frightens me is the environment. The only thing holding the "fossil people" back from environmental armaggedeon was the Democrats in the Senate, and now the Republican swine (sorry) have taken over that as well! So much for wilderness, clean air and water, and any chance of stopping the greenhouse effect.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 03, 2004 at 21:46:29 PT
BGreen
I just signed up for his e-mail list. We aren't going to go away or give up or quit. We will deal with this just like we have dealt with every crisis that has come our way since we all started hanging out here on CNews. The lighthouse is still shining. 
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Comment #8 posted by afterburner on November 03, 2004 at 21:37:48 PT
Ann Arbor, Beacon of the Heartland
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, morally bankrupt and on her way out.Food and Drug Administration, scientifically bankrupt: Vioxx. Great letter, Steve Kubby! 
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Comment #7 posted by BGreen on November 03, 2004 at 21:17:00 PT
What Are We Going To Do?
That's the question my wife asked.I responded 'In the words of Gloria Gaynor'... "What the heck happened to my career?" LOL (My wife knows better than to expect a serious answer when a joke will get a laugh.)No, seriously, "I Will Survive." We Will Survive. We MUST Survive.Take a look at the mosaic portrait of bush on MichaelMoore.com made using the pictures of the dead soldiers resulting from bush's lies.How many more mosaic portraits will be made over the next four years and will any of those pictures of the dead be our friends and family?The Reverend Bud Green
Bush Mosaic Using Pictures Of The Fallen
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on November 03, 2004 at 20:42:13 PT
goneposthole 
I know if I was John Kerry I would be relieved after fighting the powers that be. They would have found a way to hurt him emotionally like they looked for things with Clinton. War is ok with republicans and isn't immoral but oh my all the things they think are immoral can blow a persons mind or at least mine it does. For a 60 year old man he did a great job.
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on November 03, 2004 at 20:35:09 PT
you can't always get what you want
Somebody said it before many times.Maybe John Kerry realized if he concedes, he's off the hook.I'm more inclined to believe that John Kerry is more relieved than disappointed that he didn't get elected.In times like these, the presidency of the United States is one thankless job. Lucky for John Kerry that he didn't get the job.  
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 03, 2004 at 20:00:05 PT
Siege
You're welcome.
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Comment #3 posted by Siege on November 03, 2004 at 19:41:37 PT
FoM
Thanks for that it is a wake up call for a new day.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 03, 2004 at 18:30:11 PT
Encouraging Words from Steve Kubby
NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS...By Steve KubbyThere appears to be a rather widespread perception that the re-election of George W. Bush is somehow a bad thing. After all, how can someone who is reviled by half of the country and most of the world, be re-elected on "moral issues"? The answer should be evident, it is because two very different cultures with very different issues about morality and the sanctity of life have collided head on.One thing is for sure. The world is a safer place now that GW Bush has been elected, because it will hasten the destruction of a obsolete fossil culture that is unsustainable. Who better than GW Bush to lead the bloated corporate remains of oil-hungry industrial America into oblivion?Those of us whose fortunes and passions are with the emerging new civilization of computers, networking and individual freedom, will joyfully prevail over the fossil people with their obsolete culture and bankrupt future.George W Bush won because he used FEAR to sell and consolidate his following. We on the other hand, rely upon the Great Spirit each and every time it fills our lungs and dances through our neurons showing us a world based on hemp and truth and freedom and real justice for all. That is the future which is in our grasp. That is the civilization that is emerging from the muck of the fossil people with their fossil culture and their fossil wars.My good friend Valerie Corral writes that she is ashamed to be an American. But are any of us, once we've been liberated by our own psychedelic visions, ever comfortable again with the idea of being so limited and myopic as to describe ourselves as belonging to a piece of dirt on this planet? No, we have been awakened and transformed by a spirit that is real an knowable to each of us. Each and every time that we spark up and inhale, we leave behind the fossil people and their fossil wars and we join a group that knows and recognizes each other by sight, regards of culture and regardless of language.My friends, the election of G W Bush is no cause for despair, because we know that karma doesn't allow you to get away with anything. G W Bush and those who follow him, will speed the destruction of a culture that is so lost, so morally corrupt, that they now blindly worship the very power that will be their undoing.What will we be doing in the meantime? Well, the first responsibility for all of us is to get over this election and start having some fun again. You know, you really can't do good unless you feel good. And right now would be a good time for those us who have fought so bravely for so long to take a moment and recognize that our victory has never been closer at hand.Those of you who know Michele and me know that we've been kicked around plenty by the rotting carcass we call our government and yet somehow we not only survive, we prosper. That is our job right now, all of us, to get over this election and get back to our mission and our commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.Sure you can dismiss our optimism, but consider this, no matter how many times the government has tried to harm us, we've always bounced back, because we've learned, it's not what they do, it's what we do that counts. Sure they control the police and the courts, but we provide the ideas upon which the rest of fossil society depends, from entertainment, to computers, to an new vision for the future, based upon renewable hemp and healing cannabis.Truly, if there is one thing that we've learned in all of these years struggling against ignorance and cruelty, it's that so long as you never give up, so long as you never surrender, you absolutely, positively cannot lose.The fossil people have selected GW Bush to lead them into oblivion. Our greatest victory and salvation still lies ahead in our future. Three cheers and pass the bowl! 
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on November 03, 2004 at 18:26:37 PT
Soares
First off, way to go Ann Arbor!!! On an unrelated note, the election of David Soares could be one of the best things that happened on Tuesday! Democrat David Soares Completes Stunning Upset in “New York State’s Most Important Election”:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/pressroom/pressrelease/pr110304.cfmElection Day 2004 - Rockefeller Reform in Albany:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/11_04_04rockefeller.cfmFrom the above link..."Soares' victory -- first in the primary and now in the general election -- proves that a political candidate can run and win on a platform that emphasizes sensible drug law reform," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. "The drug war bandwagon has run out of gas in New York. Political momentum now clearly favors reform."Yes, the drug war bandwagon has certainly run out of gas, and not just in New York! Now is the time to fight harder than ever!!! The way out is the way in...CIA Neocon in Charge Looking to Bury 9/11 Truths:
http://www.politrix.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1466Trade Towers Rescue Hero Files 9/11 RICO Suit:
http://www.prisonplanet.tv/Pages/301004_suit_911.html9/11 Truth LA:
http://www.911truthla.us/ABC News: "On Election Eve, 9/11 Doubters Surface":
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041101142248872RE-OPEN 9/11:
http://reopen911.org/Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil:
http://www.septembereleventh.org/alerts/ruppert.php
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