cannabisnews.com: Troy Opposes Easing Pot Law Troy Opposes Easing Pot Law Posted by FoM on December 05, 2000 at 13:51:38 PT By Joel Kurth, The Detroit News Source: Detroit News Oakland County quietly is becoming home to a grass-roots resistance movement to thwart the national tide of marijuana reform from flowering in Michigan. Although an effort failed earlier this year to force a statewide referendum to loosen pot laws, anti-drug activists remain vigilant and are marshaling forces for what both sides predict will be an inevitable clash. Reefer reformers are eying Michigan for a chance to extend a movement that has decriminalized pot in nine liberal-leaning states. Opponents want to preserve this state's tough drug laws, enhance public safety and protect children. "Michigan has gotten quite high on the radar screen," said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "If we can pass progressive initiatives in Michigan, it's going to be easier for us to go into Washington D.C. and convince lawmakers this is a mainstream issue, not some freaky San Francisco thing. Michigan is going to be a big battleground." Anti-drug groups led by the Troy Community Coalition recently persuaded government officials in Oakland County, Detroit and Troy to pass resolutions opposing "any effort" to decriminalize marijuana -- including medical use -- or limit drug forfeiture laws. State drug fighters also recently formed a network of community coalitions that lets them send a coherent message and coordinate activities, said Darnell Jackson, Michigan's drug czar. The activity follows November ballot successes in Colorado and Nevada, where voters approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The movement has gained momentum since California voters allowed cooperatives to buy cannabis to treat ailments in 1996. Since then, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon and Washington voters have passed similar measures. The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to weigh the legality of California's law. After the string of successes by pot proponents, law-and-order proponents vow to stop the movement from gaining root in Michigan. "A good offense is the best defense," said Maryann Solberg, executive director of the Troy Community Coalition. "We are about community health. Legalizing marijuana does not enhance community health. We have enough problems with legal drugs -- alcohol and tobacco -- without adding another." Fiery Methods: Lauded by law enforcement, the Troy Community Coalition's methods sometimes are controversial. Financed partly through state, county and federal grants, the coalition in May hosted a two-day conference in Lansing about the perils of pot. Solberg said the conference was an education seminar, but marijuana reformer Gregory Schmid said the effort was a publicly funded political rally against decriminalization and the proposed ballot initiative to loosen pot laws. "They're breaking the law," said Schmid, a Saginaw defense attorney who led the referendum attempt. "It's a crime to use public funds to defeat a ballot initiative and they did." Solberg called the accusation "crazy." A complaint to the Secretary of State went nowhere, and Schmid's group failed to muster enough signatures to get a pot question on November's ballot. Backers vow to try again. The proposed initiative goes further than any successful referendum elsewhere. It would permit not only the medical use of marijuana, but allow those 21 or older to have 3 ounces of pot or three plants. It also would divert funds from drug property forfeitures to prevention of drug abuse, rather than law enforcement. Possession is now a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail for the first offense, while it's two-year felony for the second offense. "I don't smoke marijuana and I don't think people should, but people shouldn't go to jail for it," Schmid said. "I just can't handle the hypocrisy of it all. Most of the so-called drug warriors have smoked pot. If someone is under 55 and claims they haven't smoked, I ask them to sign an affidavit to that effect." Medical Arguments: Advocates on both sides of the divide point to supportive medical studies to bolster their arguments. Proponents say it can greatly ease pain of victims of AIDS, arthritis and cancer, among others. Foes say marijuana leads to respiratory disease, other drugs and even psychosis. A 1999 report by the national Institute of Medicine recommended further trials and research into the medical benefits of marijuana. Jackson called arguments about pot's medical value a sham, since a pill form of the drug's main chemical, THC, has been on the market as a prescription drug since 1980. A Budding Debate: Voters in nine states since 1996 have eased marijuana laws, primarily to allow the prohibited drug's use as a medicine. Research is underway to determine the medical benefits of cannabis. Here's a look at the claims from both sides of the issue: * Pot proponents say the drug relieves nausea caused by chemotherapy, stops weight loss during treatment for AIDS or cancer, eases symptoms of glaucoma, reduces pain from multiple sclerosis, post-menstrual syndrome, insomnia, attention deficit disorder and arthritis. * Pot foes say marijuana is a gateway to other drugs, increases the risk of pneumonia in AIDS patients, may cause bronchitis and cancer, erases memory, harms motor skills and induces delusions, hallucinations, depression, psychosis and schizophrenia. Note: Michigan a battleground for medicinal marijuana use.You can reach Joel Kurth at (313) 222-2192 or jkurth detnews.comSource: Detroit News (MI) Author: Joel Kurth, The Detroit NewsPublished: December 3, 2000Copyright: 2000, The Detroit News Contact: letters detnews.com Website: http://www.detnews.com/ Feedback: http://data.detnews.com:8081/feedback/ Related Article & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/U. Michigan Rally Supports Marijuana Legalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7584.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on December 06, 2000 at 09:44:07 PT Skitzofrantic >>"A good offense is the best defense," said Maryann Solberg, executive director of the Troy Community Coalition. "And we're as offensive as it gets!" "Marijuana causes insanity... in non-smokers." -- Tim Leary http://www.pot-tv.net/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Smokeless in Seattle on December 06, 2000 at 04:07:29 PT The city of yesterday - today! The usual crap-sh*t "gateway" stuff. Just like the temperance movement that sparked the prohibition amendment. It's all about 'feel-good' politics, something the Clinton administration has been 'high' on since day one. "Hey", they said, "let's go after the tobacco companies" - and so they did, reaping billions of dollars in legal claims for the states, as well as spurring cigarette tax increases everywhere, robbing tobacco farmers of income (and then not allowing them to grow hemp LOL). Seen as a "public health" measure, it is merely political grandstanding; I mean, come on, anyone who doesn't know smoking is unhealthy has to have been hiding under a rock for 35 years.And the latest perpetration of this feel-good pandering is this denial of the harmlessness of MJ. So, to paraphrase a very senile ex-president, when this administration blows smoke, do what Bill Clinton did: Don't Inhale.SiS [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ripper on December 05, 2000 at 18:10:00 PT Thomas Jefferson "If people let government decide which foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state asare the souls of those who live under tyranny." Thomas Jefferson. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dave in Florida on December 05, 2000 at 15:16:38 PT "Marijuana... induces delusions" I must be having one right now, I can't believe this woman could still believe these things. Ahhh, she must be wearing horse blinders.Jackson called arguments about pot's medical value a sham, since a pill form of the drug's main chemical, THC, has been on the market as a prescription drug since 1980. So, if it has no medical value then why did they make a pill? Apparently the drug makers think there is somthing there! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by aocp on December 05, 2000 at 14:49:38 PT: i live around detroit and the fact that this comes from troy is no big surprise. They call themselves "the city of tomorrow ... today!" My bro was coming on an hour drive to visit me, got pulled over by some troy cop on a dirty license plate and the cop searched his car w/out consent. Other acquaintences of mine have confirmed similar treatment. Disgusting. Anyways...>"We are about community health. Legalizing marijuana does not enhance community health. We have enough problems with legal drugs -- alcohol and tobacco -- without adding another."And yet again, we have a winner in the "Missing the Blatantly Obvious" contest! For those who didn't get it the first time, i'll say it again: if prohibition is the answer, then why aren't we treating the two biggest problems as illicits? What in the world makes the two biggest addictive, deadly recreational substances we have so different that we MARKET them to consenting adults rather than prohibiting their possession, sale, and use? I REALLY want to know! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: