Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2008
Source: Macomb Daily, The (MI)
Copyright: 2008 The Macomb Daily
Contact:  http://www.macombdaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2253
Author: Gordon Wilczynski, Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Cited: Proposal 1 http://stoparrestingpatients.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Bill+Schuette
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

OFFICERS FIGHT LEGALIZED POT

The use of marijuana for medical purposes is a bad idea in Macomb 
County, according to top law enforcement officials who joined 
Wednesday to denounce Proposition 1.

The proposal would make Michigan the 13th state to legalize marijuana 
as a medical treatment if approved by voters on Tuesday.

Saying Proposition 1 is unregulated and dangerous, Eastpointe Police 
Chief Michael Lauretti, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, Macomb 
County Prosecutor Eric Smith and Kathy Rager, executive director of 
the Macomb Community Assessment Referral & Education Center, joined 
with Court of Appeals Judge Bill Schuette to urge people to vote against it.

Schuette said he is barnstorming across Michigan urging people to 
vote "no" on Proposition 1 because too many "yes" votes would lead to 
the opening of pot shops and smoking clubs.

"There are more pot shops in California than Starbucks coffee shops," 
Schuette said. "Do we want that here in Michigan?"

Schuette said a group of wealthy millionaires from New York, 
Washington, D.C., and California are spending millions of dollars 
advertising in Michigan to promote Proposition 1. He believes their 
motivation is the eventual total legalization of marijuana.

"They want to promote their kind of California and New York lifestyle 
here in Michigan and our families don't want it," Schuette said.

Schuette said Proposition 1 would allow people to grow up to 12 
marijuana plants for medical reasons, which would produce 57,000 
marijuana joints.

Hackel said there is nothing in the proposal to monitor the use of marijuana.

"This law is a move to legalize marijuana," Hackel said. "There are 
medicines out there for all health issues and marijuana certainly 
isn't one of them."

Addressing the objection that alcohol and tobacco are just as bad as marijuana,

Hackel said alcohol and tobacco are legal for parents, but bad for kids.

He added the proposal could make marijuana use out of control if approved.

"It has no place in Michigan," Hackel said. "I can't believe any 
parent would vote for it."

Smith agreed, saying marijuana use among young people has diminished 
drastically in the last 30 years and this proposal would counteract 
the reduction.

He said states where marijuana was approved for medical reasons are 
experiencing a dramatic increase in marijuana use by teenagers.

"I'm amazed at how poorly the proposal is written," Lauretti said. 
"There is not one good element in this law." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake