Legal Patients Deserve Clear, Fair Interpretation of Rules to Avoid Unintentionally Running Afoul of the Law Bills to legalize marijuana dispensaries and products that serve the state's medical marijuana patients have been lingering in the Legislature. They should be a priority for lawmakers this year. The bills would provide clarity and protection for the state's 96,000 legal medical marijuana patients. Michigan's 2008 Medical Marijuana Act legalized use of the drug for medical patients by a large margin, with 63 percent of voters approving. But despite the law - and growing tolerance statewide for even broader marijuana use - Michigan ambiguously regulates the industry. [continues 453 words]
Tommy Chong, half of the vintage comedy duo Cheech and Chong, made a series of appearances over the weekend for a big weekend anchored by the 44th Ann Arbor Hash Bash. On Friday there was a breakfast at an Ann Arbor-area hotel, along with about 50 invited guests. I managed to get in with someone who had a plus-one invite - her husband was out of town, so I got in. I figured it would be interesting to hear what Chong had to say and maybe I'd get a few laughs. [continues 892 words]
It looks like voting on recreational marijuana is nearly a done deal in Michigan for the 2016 elections, unless the state Legislature gets in on the act and passes a legalization bill even sooner. The Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative Committee (MCCLRIC) has announced its intention to circulate petitions to put recreational legalization on the ballot next year. Another group, the Michigan Responsibility Council (MRC), has reportedly been preparing its own petition for a different system of legalization. And state Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, has plans to reintroduce legalization legislation this session. [continues 836 words]
LANSING (AP) - A statewide marijuana legalization ballot initiative is planned for 2016 that aims to allow residents to cultivate their own plants and allow other uses of the drug. The Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative Committee says Thursday it plans a petition drive. The committee's chairman Jeffrey Hank says in a statement "the time is right" to create "a responsible tax and regulation system for adult use age 21 and over, and permits the farming of hemp for Michigan agriculture, food and industry." [continues 55 words]
A statewide marijuana legalization ballot initiative is planned for 2016 that aims to allow residents to cultivate their own plants and allow other uses of the drug. The Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative Committee says Thursday it plans a petition drive. The committee's chairman Jeffrey Hank says in a statement "the time is right" to create "a responsible tax and regulation system for adult use age 21 and over, and permits the farming of hemp for Michigan agriculture, food and industry." [continues 55 words]
Alan and Christi Marshall own 10 English Bulldogs so it seems like a natural extension that the company they own along with Phil Sable would take on that moniker. Bulldog Provisioning Center even sports a picture of a rather tough-looking bulldog on its logo. But Pullo, the dog wandering the premises the day I visited, was more cuddly than threatening as he waddled about the provisioning center seeking a little affection. Pullo rubbed against the legs of a patient who bent over to scratch his neck on a slow afternoon - apparently they've become pals. [continues 837 words]
Recreational marijuana use was legalized in Washington, D.C., and Alaska this year. D.C.'s legalization has prompted some congressional Republicans to try to undermine the city's reforms. However, the experience of states that have already legalized, and economic theory, both indicate that legalization creates more benefits than costs. Recreational use and possession of marijuana up to 2 ounces is now legal in Washington, D.C., for individuals 21 and older (1 ounce in Alaska). Although the sale of marijuana is still illegal in D.C., gifts of up to 1 ounce are permitted. Marijuana must be consumed on private property and individuals are allowed to home grow up to six marijuana plants in both D.C. and Alaska. Alaska plans to allow marijuana retailer licensing beginning in 2016, but D.C. has not announced any plans to legalize the sale of marijuana. [continues 503 words]
If marijuana is a gateway drug what is baby aspirin? If marijuana was truly being treated like a medicine, where are the privacy protections that come with all drugs? Do you need a state sponsored card to eat your anti depressants? Your sleeping pills? Daniel Hackett, Marysville [end]
Steve Siebold's point is well taken ("Time To Legalize Marijuana," Feb. 28), however, the problem isn't the war on drugs but rather the war on a relatively safe God-given plant... More specifically a war against the "spirit of truth." Stan White, Dillon, Colorado [end]
The debate over the side effects of marijuana vs. alcohol, along with the lingering question of whether or not marijuana should be legal, has been long running and probably won't end anytime soon. But according to new research published in the journal Scientific Reports, that looked at things people take to get high or drunk, weed is the least fatal. And guess what the deadliest was? Alcohol. Not only was weed the least lethal, it was roughly 114 times less deadly than booze, according to the authors. Put science aside, and most anyone who has smoked pot will tell you it has a softer effect than alcohol. If alcohol and marijuana were animals, alcohol would be an anaconda and pot would be a housecat. Yet pot will land you in jail but you can drink alcohol in the White House. [continues 341 words]
It looks like longtime state activists will mount an effort to put the question of legalizing marijuana for recreational use by adults on the 2016 ballot. They're being pushed by the appearance of a new organization, the Michigan Responsibility Council (MRC), with ties to the state Republican Party, that has its own plans to tax and regulate the plant. Either group will have to fight to get it on the ballot and probably faces a tougher fight to garner enough votes to pass it. The idea of a split electorate having to choose between plans does not bode well for either side. [continues 883 words]
Lansing - Two prominent Oakland County Republican political operatives are behind a new advocacy group that is exploring a 2016 ballot initiative legalizing marijuana use if the Legislature won't reform the existing medicinal cannabis law. Suzie Mitchell, a Republican political fundraiser, and GOP consultant Paul Welday have formed the Michigan Responsibility Council with other unidentified members to advocate for a state-regulated distribution of medical marijuana. Mitchell, who is chairing the group, said they want lawmakers to create a system of "regulation with taxation" of medical marijuana to ensure it is safe and accessible to people in all corners of the state. [continues 187 words]
Lansing - Four state lawmakers are reviving bills to legalize an array of medical marijuana products and dispensaries where they'd be sold after last year's effort was shot down by last-minute criticism from law enforcement and health groups. Republican Rep. Mike Callton of Nashville, main sponsor of one of the bills, argues Michigan needs clear laws and regulations allowing "provisioning centers" where patients legally get marijuana in various forms suited to their needs. Last year's bills died during the two-week lame-duck legislative session in December as opponents said police and public health agencies hadn't been allowed to weigh in and saw problems with what was proposed. The sponsors promise to remedy any shortcomings this time around. [continues 1030 words]
Lansing (AP) - Confusion surrounding the legality of marijuana dispensaries and non-smokable forms of the drug are prompting lawmakers to propose changes related to Michigan's voter-approved law that legalized marijuana for medical use. Bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday would allow for "provisioning centers," businesses where patients with a state-issued medical marijuana card could buy surplus marijuana that suppliers produce for other patients. Advocates say the bill is needed because the state Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that qualified patients and caregivers cannot transfer marijuana to another patient or anyone else, and dispensaries that facilitate such transactions can be shut down as a public nuisance. Some municipalities have let the dispensaries continue to operate while others have not. [continues 509 words]
Couple, Who Were Not Charged, Say Detroit Police Lacked Warrant A Warren couple whose medical marijuana operation was raided by the Detroit Police Department's narcotics unit have filed a civil lawsuit against the officers, including one who killed himself after being investigated for corruption by the FBI and Internal Affairs. The complaint was filed Wednesday in federal court by Timothy and Hatema Davis and names the city of Detroit as well as Lt. Charles Flanagan, former head of the DPD's narcotics unit, Detective James Napier and officers "Novak" and "John Doe." [continues 609 words]
DeMarius "DJ" Tidwells is a not unusual 18-year-old Detroiter. He is a senior at Covenant House Academy on the west side and expects to graduate this June. He's wondering about his future - thinking about college or possibly starting his own business. His interests haven't settled on any one thing, but he talks about possibly starting a transportation company, or a landscaping company, or getting into law enforcement, or opening a marijuana dispensary. "I believe that it's a good career, the money is legal, and you're also helping out people for a medical reason," DJ says. [continues 851 words]
Peter Trzos submits proposals to city government A Keego Harbor resident is working to change the city's charter with two new ballot proposals. One involves setting limits for how long a city council member can serve on the council and the other decriminalizes marijuana. The man behind the proposals, Peter Trzos, 33, said his goal in coming up with the proposals is two-fold. "I want to get good laws passed and to get a name for myself as a positive activist," he said. [continues 442 words]
The Howell City Council will consider a medical marijuana ordinance Monday that allows, but regulates, "provisioning" and growing centers and sets use standards for licensed caregivers operating out of residences. It doesn't affect home use by individual patients with state registration cards. The council meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the Paul Bennett Recreation Center, 925 W. Grand River Ave. Though approval isn't guaranteed, a local attorney specializing in medical marijuana issues praised the city for tackling the subject. [continues 273 words]
Several residents are suggesting that, instead of raising the sales tax to pay to fix Michigan roads, to instead start taxing marijuana. A poll shows that 64 percent of Michigan voters would vote yes on instating a marijuana sales tax, 28 percent would vote no, and 8 percent are undecided, according to Fox 2. But Gov. Snyder said he doesn't think this is the solution. Snyder's idea, to raise the sales tax, isn't gaining as much support though. Polls show that 49 percent would vote no and 43 percent would vote yes, reports Fox 2. [end]
"This is not going away, every community organization that I'm aware of in this city is looking for the same thing, and it's to not have Detroit become the Wild West city in the state of Michigan for medical marijuana," says Jim Ward, president of the Green Acres radio patrol (GWCRP), a community watch group. Ward has been attending meetings with other Detroiters concerned with what they see as the over-proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. Maybe, just as the creation of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act was, this is a case of citizens stepping in where the state has failed to perform. [continues 858 words]
Number of Patients, Caregivers Continues to Fall Defense attorneys said the reality is that clarifying the law has been left to the courts with many defendants on hold for several years. Many have been busted for opening dispensaries that prosecutors and law enforcement said aren't allowed under the law. The number of caregivers and patients continues to drop as Michigan's highest court weighs in on long-pending criminal cases involving the state's medical marijuana program approved by voters in 2008. [continues 996 words]
Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court spent Thursday morning listening to oral arguments in three medical marijuana cases that began in Oakland County. Up first was the case of Richard Hartwick, who was accused of illegally growing and possessing marijuana in September 2011 in Pontiac. "There's no evidence he sold to anyone else," Hartwick's attorney, Fred Miller, told the court. "There's no evidence he was doing anything wrong." Hartwick, who has a medical marijuana card, believes that he is immune due to his status as a cardholder. [continues 344 words]
A Detroit city councilman, worried about an influx of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, wants state lawmakers to help give local governments the tools to regulate them. Since medical marijuana was legalized by voters in 2008, dispensaries have opened up in Detroit at an alarming rate, according to Councilman James Tate. Tate estimates there are 180 dispensaries in 149 square miles of the city, describing it as an "oversaturation." Detroit is "in limbo in terms of our ability to enforce the law" due to the "gray area that doesn't allow for dispensaries to really exist," Tate said. [continues 408 words]
Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court spent Thursday morning listening to oral arguments in three medical marijuana cases that began in Oakland County. Up first was the case of Richard Hartwick, who was accused of illegally growing and possessing marijuana in September 2011 in Pontiac. "There's no evidence he sold to anyone else," Hartwick's attorney, Fred Miller, told the court. "There's no evidence he was doing anything wrong." Hartwick, who has a medical marijuana card, believes that he is immune due to his status as a cardholder. [continues 340 words]
Things are heating up in Detroit regarding the proliferation of medical marijuana storefronts in the city. Some citizens are alarmed at the number they see popping up in their neighborhoods. "It is a hornet's nest of a topic," says City Councilmember James Tate, who represents District 1 on the west side. Due to citizen comments at meetings in his district, Tate is willing to brave the hornets in order to try to regulate a nascent industry that no one seems to have a handle on. No one else on council seems to be addressing it. There was legislation on the table in Lansing last year (HB 4271) that would have allowed local municipalities to decide for themselves, but that was left to die when the session ended. [continues 1121 words]
Three medical marijuana cases from Oakland County are set for oral argument in front of the Michigan Supreme Court this week. Cases involving Cynthia Ann Mazur, Robert Tuttle and Richard Lee Hartwick are scheduled to be heard Thursday. Hartwick's case is scheduled first, followed by Tuttle and Mazur. Court convenes at 9:30 a.m. in Lansing. Hartwick, who has a registry identification card, was accused of illegally growing and possessing marijuana in September 2011. He believes that possession of the card provided immunity from prosecution, according to a summary of the case on the Michigan Supreme Court website. [continues 454 words]
Penny Ashley knew her son had a heroin addiction problem and did everything in her power to get help for him, but it still proved to be not enough. She along with other family members and friends are grieving the loss of Jacob Charles Ashley of Southgate, who died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, at the age of 21. Born in St. Marys, Ohio, on Oct. 26, 1993, he moved to Wyandotte in 2004. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and then went on to Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn where he participated in Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training. The ASSET program is a 24-month, six-semester associate's degree training program that provides students with skills to succeed in the automotive industry. He graduated from the program and was working in the body shop at Southgate Ford. [continues 480 words]
It had to happen sooner or later as marijuana legalization makes its way across the planet. As the plant gets commoditized, some of the world's great stoners will lend their names to products associated with it. There is probably no stoner more well-known than reggae superstar Bob Marley. He was shown smoking a big spliff on the cover of his Catch a Fire album in 1973, long before almost anyone was willing to be publicly identified with marijuana. Marley's family has entered into an agreement with Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm in the marijuana market, to develop Marley Natural products. The brand will market heirloom Jamaican strains such as the legendary Lambs Bread, as well as lotions, creams, and other accessories. [continues 1094 words]
The City of Rochester recently passed a medical marijuana ordinance to regulate the activity in the city of nearly 4 square miles. City Council unanimously adopted the measure at its Dec. 15 meeting after roughly three months of drafting. The measure designates industrial areas on the south side of the city for any potential licensed medical marijuana growing operations. "We're required to provide a place for the legal use of medical marijuana," City Manager Jaymes Vettraino said. "We've been diligent to make sure it's the right place and the right use for our community." The ordinance was modeled after other communities' efforts to regulate medicinal marijuana, such as nearby Auburn Hills and a handful of other municipalities, Vettraino added. [continues 120 words]
It's the 100th anniversary of Drug Prohibition and the drug black market courtesies of the Harrison Act of 1914. Bring those hard drugs back into a doctor's care and let's save around $75 billion to $95 billion for enforcement and incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders. Drug prohibition's purpose should be to save lives. It's turned into something else, the War on Drugs. As with any war on its own people, it can't be won. Let's stop burning witches (addicts) and save their lives through a doctor's care. [continues 100 words]
How long-term marijuana use effects the human brain is a pivotal question before any legalization can occur nationally. Although alcohol remains legal despite the massive evidence on the dangers associated with long-term use, the fight to make marijuana available, both for its medical properties (especially important in selectively killing cancer cells) and for non-medical/recreational use, is hinged on claims made about marijuana's effects on the individual user. The University of Texas recently published research on the long-term effects of marijuana. This research helps dispel the dying myth that marijuana use lowers the IQ and actually provides even more evidence about marijuana's potential role in fighting Alzheimer's disease. [continues 75 words]
Lansing - Officials representing law enforcement and health workers urged Wednesday that lawmakers not pass bills that would permit medical marijuana dispensaries and "edible" forms of cannabis during the lame-duck session. The legislation, which has passed the House and is among many bills pending on the Senate floor, contains too many risks to be adequately addressed during the two days remaining before the Legislature adjourns for the year, they argued at a press conference. "We're concerned they're rushing this through in lame duck when it should be vetted more thoroughly," said Terrence Jungel, executive director of the Michigan Sheriff 's Association. [continues 310 words]
Looking back on 2014, it was a tremendous year for marijuana activists with two more states legalizing, California lowering penalties for low level crime, New York City decriminalizing possession of small amounts, eight cities in Michigan legalizing, Guam voting for medical use, and generally the public opinion numbers kept moving in the right direction. Washington, D.C., legalized, but since the city is a federal district Congress has to approve. However, hardline anti-marijuana Republicans are making that look iffy at the moment. [continues 1129 words]
Test the Legislature first Legislators sometimes make fun of a law by calling it "a solution in search of a problem." More often than not, these are proposals fueled by ideological bias rather than the facts, such as the "voter ID" bills intended to battle "voter fraud" - an almost nonexistent problem. (But if it should happen to stop even a small percentage7 of voters who support the Democratic Party, so much the better for the GOP.) Same goes with the idea of drug-testing welfare recipients, which Lansing's lame-duck session approved last week. You remember welfare recipients, of course. They're those single mothers driving around next year's Cadillacs and pooping out another baby every 10 months to fill up with Faygo on their Bridge cards. Or at least that's what many opposed to welfare would have you believe. Welfare costs money, dammit. And that money should be going to tax breaks for our job creators, or something like that. Any measure that can be dreamed up that might harass welfare recipients, in this context, is worth considering. Even if it costs more money to do so. And even if the problem it purports to solve doesn't appear to exist! [continues 567 words]
Two bills to watch Big things are afoot for medical marijuana in Michigan right now. At least that's what most activists who have their eyes on Lansing believe. House Bills 4271 and 5104 are widely expected to be passed during the lame duck session before Dec. 18. I'm not a big fan of lame duck legislation in recent years when such things as a Right-to Work bill and anti-abortion legislation have been pushed through. These bills are, however, welcome for the majority of medical marijuana patients. [continues 1118 words]
How Many of Our Brothers and Sisters Will Get Busted for Pot This Holiday Season? I remember a Thanksgiving, nearly 20 years ago. At the time I lived in a very low-income neighborhood. Most white people would call it a "bad" neighborhood. Back then, it was almost entirely black and Hispanic people living there. I loved that neighborhood. It was filled with families, good music, and delicious food. The neighbors were always friendly to me. Even the drug dealers were nice. They sold marijuana back then, nickel and dime bags ($5 or $10 sizes). [continues 494 words]
Both Sides Look to Hand Off Responsibility The Controlled Substances Act, which set up the drug schedules in the early 1970s, explicitly places drug scheduling authority in the hands of the attorney general, and even instructs him or her to "remove any drug or other substance fromthe schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule." The crowning inconsistency of the federal drug control system has always been the classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance under federal law, which makes it among the Worst of the Worst drugs as far as the DEA is concerned - literally as bad as heroin, and worse than cocaine! Drug reform advocates have pushed the DEA to change its position for years, citing decades of research on the relative harmlessness of weed compared with other drugs - including alcohol -- but the agency hasn't budged, even as public opinion has rapidly evolved. [continues 410 words]
In the underground world of heroin, there is a legend of an African root called iboga, or ibogaine, that can cure addiction. Those in the depths of heroin use, often as a last resort, seek out the root, which can be dangerous to use. Some go to Mexico or to Europe to take it, as it is illegal here in the United States. It can be an expensive trip for the user, and often one made in a moment of final desperation. [continues 2893 words]
Both Sides Look to Hand Off Responsibility The Controlled Substances Act, which set up the drug schedules in the early 1970s, explicitly places drug scheduling authority in the hands of the attorney general, and even instructs him or her to "remove any drug or other substance from the schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule." The crowning inconsistency of the federal drug control system has always been the classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance under federal law, which makes it among the Worst of the Worst drugs as far as the DEA is concerned - literally as bad as heroin, and worse than cocaine! Drug reform advocates have pushed the DEA to change its position for years, citing decades of research on the relative harmlessness of weed compared with other drugs - including alcohol -- but the agency hasn't budged, even as public opinion has rapidly evolved. [continues 411 words]
Crunching the Numbers in Marijuana's March to Legalization Let's play a little numbers game today. This is not the kind of numbers they played in an illegal lottery that flourished for decades before states started taking over the gambling business. Back in the 1940s, my uncle was a numbers runner who walked down alleys collecting nickel and dime bets in an illegal lottery that flourished for decades in poor neighborhoods. He couldn't write down the numbers that people wagered on because that was evidence if the police caught him. He had to memorize each number, who bet it, and the amount wagered. It was a tricky and intricate situation where a good memory came in handy. [continues 1225 words]
We interviewed Jude Angelini, aka "Rude Jude," for our Face Time column in this issue. One thing that struck us about Angelini was his honesty about drugs. People who use drugs are often not publicly honest about it. They bullshit, they make excuses, they carry shame, or they talk about being "clean" - which insinuates that when they did drugs, they were dirty. But are drug users really dirty? After all, you can be brilliant and still use drugs - just look at Philip Seymour Hoffman. Or Heath Ledger. Or Robin Williams. Or ... fill in the blank. [continues 665 words]
Mt. Pleasant residents have overwhelmingly voted in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. With a vote of 62-percent to 38-percent, the mid-Michigan city residents voted Tuesday to amend the city ordinance so that nothing in the city's code would apply to the use, possession or transfer of "small amounts" of marijuana on private property by those 21 and over. Mt. Pleasant's ordinance defines "small amounts" as less than one ounce. "This is a significant statement in Michigan politics," Ian Elliott said. [continues 271 words]
How to Get Involved in the Marijuana Business Without Getting Your Hands Dirty The tide of change in marijuana is pretty much in evidence across the country - even the most anti-drug states are going for CBD-only or hemp farming laws - and all kinds of businesses are involved in the booming marketplace. A recent national economic analysis on nerdwallet.com estimates that Michigan would gain $122 million a year in taxes on legal recreational marijuana. That's just the taxes; the overall market in the United States was estimated at $14 billion. [continues 1131 words]
Marijuana decriminalization proposals are on the ballot in three south Oakland County communities on Nov. 4 and pro-pot organizers have yet to lose such an election. Election Day in Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Berkley will show whether the activists' winning streak will continue in Oakland County and elsewhere. "The poll numbers are somuch in our favor all we have to do is put the issue on the ballot," said Tim Beck, a retired health insurance executive and co-founder of the Safer Michigan Coalition, a statewide marijuana legalization group. "The closest election we've had was in Oak Park in August when we won (with) 53 percent. In Michigan, polls show 65 percent of people support decriminalization." [continues 471 words]
In a breakthrough decision for those who say marijuana is medicine and not a dangerous drug, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday that workers who are state-approved users of medical marijuana should get unemployment compensation if fired solely for testing positive for drugs. "It's a very favorable decision for the civil rights of employees in Michigan," said Matt Abel, a Detroit lawyer and senior partner of Cannabis Counsel, a law firm that focuses on marijuana cases. But Rich Studley, president of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said the ruling -- and the use of medical marijuana in general -- present "a real dilemma" for employers. [continues 432 words]
Despite the fact that medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia and is legal recreationally in Colorado and Washington state, the stigma of marijuana use sticks to patients and users like the tar and feathers of bygone days. It sticks despite the fact that medical patients clearly benefit from it. It sticks despite the fact that nearly 90 percent of Americans support medical marijuana, and support for recreational marijuana is nearing 60 percent in recent polls. [continues 1140 words]
Many years ago, I heard a story that the CIA purposefully allowed the funneling of crack cocaine into Los Angeles and other inner cities across the country in order to fund a war in Nicaragua. It was told to me on the street. I didn't read it. As a young woman living in the Bronx, I heard the story again and again, as matter-of-fact as the sun rises each morning in the east. The CIA, everyone said, knew where the crack was, who it came from, and despite the War on Drugs, the flow was never impeded, rather the lowest level of addict or poorest and most desperate of the pushers were the ones targeted for incarceration. [continues 915 words]
If you can't beat 'em at the ballot box, do it with administrative and quasi-legal shenanigans. That seems to be the way East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks and Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum have managed to keep a vote on legalizing marijuana off the East Lansing ballot this fall. "In 11 other cities the same thing will be voted on," says attorney Jeffrey Hank, chair of the Coalition for a Safer East Lansing, which ran the petition initiative. "They're playing games with democracy. We are pissed off." [continues 1122 words]
Chief Steve Pego of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe declared war on substance abuse to an at-capacity audience at the Celebration of Healing, Recovery and Hope event last week at the Eagle's Nest Tribal Gym on the reservation. In a historic move, Steve Pego signed a birch bark document of community standards declaring war, something he said the tribe hasn't done since 1763, during the Sept. 24 community meeting. Steve Pego said troubling increases in car and home break-ins on the reservation in combination with a rise in heroin abuse led to tribal leaders meeting to discuss how to come together as a tribe to fight substance abuse. [continues 1152 words]
"Michigan State Police bust marijuana growing operation" reads the headline in the Freep. "Marijuana smell on Michigan kindergartener leads cops to dad's homegrown pot" announces another. And from The Washington Post's editorial board recently: "D.C. voters should reject the rush to legalize marijuana." Every day stories like these bombard our nation, and we are sick of it. Tired. How long does this insane prohibition need to continue? "... reject the rush to legalize"? The RUSH? How long do publications considered reputable need to continue to spew falsehoods as facts? (Such as the Post's claim that since legalizing and regulating marijuana, Colorado has seen "increased use by youth." It hasn't.) [continues 509 words]
Inside Michigan
