Pubdate: Wed, 25 Sep 2013
Source: Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Copyright: 2013 C.E.G.W./Times-Shamrock
Contact:  http://www.metrotimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1381
Author: Larry Gabriel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

HELLO, CANNABIS LOVERS

Michigan Marijuana Law Reform

In the five years since Michigan voters said "yes" to medical
marijuana, a lot of things have changed. Michigan was the 13th state
to legalize medical use of cannabis, and now there are 18, in addition
to Washington state and Colorado, where it is legal for recreational
use. Medical uses for marijuana are gaining acceptance among medical
professionals and the National Institute of Health has acknowledged
that it may be useful in cancer therapies.

Polls show about 85 percent of Americans support medical marijuana,
and a little more than 50 percent support legalization of recreational
use with taxes and regulation similar to alcohol and tobacco.

Recently, Deputy Attorney General James Cole revealed the Justice
Department has no plans to challenge state legalization laws as long
as they have "robust regulations" to keep it away from minors and
prevent it from going to states where it is not legal.

In Michigan, several of our largest cities have adopted regulations
that decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana or roll
back law enforcement directives regarding marijuana offenses. (See
"Tour of Michigan" on page 22.)

However, many things have stayed the same. The latest numbers
available show that, nationwide in 2012, there were about 750,000
marijuana arrests, with 87 percent of those for simple possession.

In Michigan, it has been an uphill battle, most crucially because the
courts have ruled the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act does not condone
dispensaries or transfers of medication between patients -- even if no
money changes hands. So patients are left with the sometimes-onerous
task of growing it themselves, or getting a caregiver to grow it for
them. Either way, it is a precarious manner of maintaining a steady
supply of medication.

There is a provisioning center bill (HB4271) in the state legislature,
and a statewide decriminalization bill (HB4623), but they are both
languishing in committee and many activists expect they will die there.

Perhaps most alarming has been the attitude of politicians, law
enforcement and state officials who continue their attempts to
circumvent the law and vilify cannabis users. For instance, the state
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had to be forced to
convene a panel that would review applications to add qualifying
conditions for medical marijuana. So far, not one condition has been
added to the registry.

The lowest blow came just two weeks ago when a referee at the state
Child Protective Services office removed baby Bree from her home
because her mother is a medical marijuana caregiver (see "Higher
Ground," page 70). The reasoning was that someone with a gun could
break in to steal the marijuana and thus endanger the child. By that
reasoning, anybody who has anything of value shouldn't have children
in their homes because someone might break in with guns. Of course,
the folks who do that most often in marijuana cases are the police.
And generally, they don't just take the marijuana and leave.

Marijuana activists across the state, and around the world, still have
a long way to go. The good news is that we are actually talking about
it, and public opinion is with the movement. That conversation
couldn't have taken place even a generation ago. We continue that
conversation with "The Chronicle Issue," taking a look at what the
legal terrain is across the state, especially some of the women who