Pubdate: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 Source: Blade, The (Toledo, OH) Copyright: 2008 The Blade Contact: http://www.toledoblade.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/48 Cited: Proposal 1 http://stoparrestingpatients.org/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal) MEDICAL MARIJUANA UP NORTH STATE Rep. Fulton Sheen, a Republican from the western part of Michigan, is a reliably conservative vote on most issues, from opposition to abortion to support for the National Rifle Association. Originally, he predictably regarded the idea of legalizing marijuana use for certain suffering patients as a bad one. But that was before he saw it ease the symptoms of his dying brother. "When I saw the relief it gave him, it changed my mind," he said. As a result, he will vote yes on Nov. 4 for state Proposal One. His position is the sensible one. Proposal One will not, as opponents have sometimes falsely argued, turn Michigan into a drug supermarket, with "pot shops" on every corner. What it does do is permit doctors to prescribe marijuana use for patients with glaucoma, HIV-AIDS, cancer, and certain other conditions, provided they are first approved by the Department of Community Health. While the state would not get in the business of supplying marijuana, those approved could grow limited amounts of the drug "in an enclosed and locked facility." Qualified patients would be required to get a special ID card. Opponents concede that marijuana can have beneficial effects in some cases, notably glaucoma, but claim that any benefit can be obtained by taking the drug in pill form, something that most sufferers hotly dispute. The fact is that smoking the drug clearly does help lessen the suffering of some patients. Over the last decade or so, medical science has been commendably moving toward a philosophy of doing all it can to alleviate pain and suffering, especially for the terminally or chronically ill; that's what the hospice movement is all about. Proposal One would be a logical next step. Those who claim it would lead to increased drug use overlook the obvious; that marijuana use is, though illegal, highly common in our society. This proposal would merely give sufferers the ability to stay within the law. One added plus is that it is merely a ballot initiative, not a constitutional amendment, and could, if needed, be modified or even repealed later by a vote of the legislature. We urge Michigan voters to vote YES on Proposal One. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake