Gabriel, Larry 1/1/1997 - 31/12/2024
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81 US MI: Column: Putting DEA On The DefensiveWed, 08 Aug 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:140 Added:08/08/2012

Court Case Puts Marijuana Prohibition on the Stand

This might be the big one for medical marijuana and marijuana legalization advocates. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., has agreed to hear Americans for Safe Access vs. Drug Enforcement Administration, which challenges the federal classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug.

The Schedule I classification is one of the biggest arguments against medical marijuana nationwide because Schedule I drugs are defined as having no accepted medical use. Marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, LSD and GHB (the so-called date rape drug) are all classified as Schedule I substances. Marijuana was placed in that classification of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 on the advice of Assistant Secretary of Health Roger O. Egeberg. In 1972, President Nixon's National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse reported "there is little proven danger of physical or psychological harm from the experimental or intermittent use of the natural preparations of cannabis," but it didn't make any difference. Ignoring the wisdom of his commission, Nixon kept pot on Schedule I and created the War on Drugs to get at political opponents and bolster his stance as the law-and-order guy.

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82 US MI: Column: The Dispensary TourWed, 25 Jul 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:184 Added:07/30/2012

These Michigan Dispensaries Are Nondescript, Businesslike and Law-Abiding

Maybe there are marijuana dispensaries where clouds of smoke drift through the air behind beaded curtains as loud music pounds from speakers, dancing girls gyrate and heavy lidded smokers nod while reclining on overstuffed pillows.

Those kinds of places may exist, but I didn't see anything like that when I visited the People's Choice medical marijuana dispensary in Ann Arbor and the Trans Love Compassion Collective in Detroit. They are among the approximately 80 facilities currently operating in Michigan after last year's Court of Appeals decision in a Mount Clemens case prompted many of the nearly 400 outlets then in Michigan to shut down. (Some see a state Supreme Court readiness to hear an appeal of the appeals decision as an indication that the high court has a kinder disposition regarding dispensaries.)

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83 US MI: Column: Hep On HempWed, 11 Jul 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:145 Added:07/13/2012

Why Industrial-Grade Hemp Should Be a Vital Part of Our Economy

The United States government has cried wolf about cannabis so many times that its credibility on the subject must be at an all-time low. Nowhere is that more apparent than when it comes to hemp.

Hemp is a strain of cannabis sativa, but is sort of the nerdish, boring, industrious cousin of the plants people use for medicine, and to just get stoned. Hemp doesn't get you high at all, but it is useful in many other ways as textiles, paper, food, fuel and much more. A Jan. 19 paper from the Congressional Research Service titled Hemp as an Agricultural Product estimates that the global market for hemp includes some 25,000 products.

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84 US MI: Column: On A RollWed, 27 Jun 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:147 Added:06/28/2012

Working Against the War on Drugs - All Across America

Last week marked the 41st anniversary of President Nixon's declaration of the War on Drugs - a policy so bad that not only has it failed, it has helped create thriving international crime syndicates. So it was very encouraging to hear about the upcoming Caravan for Peace, which will seek an end to prohibitionist policies in Mexico and the United States, and draw attention to related violence on both sides of the border.

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85 US MI: Column: How Would City Vote?Wed, 30 May 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:140 Added:05/30/2012

Would Detroiters vote to, practically speaking, legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults on private property?

That choice may be on the November ballot if the Committee for a Safer Detroit (CSD) gets a favorable ruling from the Michigan Supreme Court. CSD's case against the Detroit Election Commission stems from a 2010 petition initiative to put the question on that year's ballot. The Detroit Election Commission refused to put the question on the ballot claiming that the proposal conflicts with state law and therefore couldn't be on the ballot. The CSD sued the city in Circuit Court and the judge ruled in favor of the city. CSD then appealed the decision and the state Court of Appeals ruled against the city 2-1 saying it wasn't up to the commission to decide if the proposal is against state law. Now the city has appealed to the state Supreme Court.

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86 US MI: Column: Marijuana Mea CulpaWed, 16 May 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:152 Added:05/17/2012

Last Week, We Got Some Stuff Wrong - but Here's The Straight Dope

In my last column I stepped in a pile of doo-doo regarding the implications of the April 17 state Court of Appeals decision in People vs. Koon. I said that a strict interpretation of the ruling meant that any medical marijuana patient could not legally drive.

That is not true.

Quite a few medical marijuana activists took me to task about that, most pointedly attorney John Targowski of Kalamazoo. There are several potholes and nuances here that I didn't take into account. In addition, I didn't know about a key 2010 state Supreme Court decision.

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87 US MI: Column: Court Ruling Hasn't Cleared The AirWed, 02 May 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:263 Added:05/04/2012

Controversy Over Interpretation of Ruling on Medical Marijuana and Driving

Update: Since this column was published on May 2, it has generated a heated debate among people with more than a casual knowledge of medical marijuana law and how it is applied in our legal system. The prevalent opinion is that my statement that medical marijuana patients cannot legally drive is wrong.

Attorney John Targowski pointed out that, before June 8, 2010, THC-COOH, the metabolite derived when the human body processes THC, was considered a Schedule 1 drug. However, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in People v. Feezel that THC-COOH is only a byproduct of how your body processes THC and is not psychoactive, "Thus, anyone can drive with any amount of THC-COOH, patients or not" and not be legally impaired.

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88 US MI: Column: Drug War's Dangerous Side EffectsWed, 21 Mar 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:149 Added:03/24/2012

Did Cop's Use of Informant Lead to Her Death?

This is an ugly story.

It's tragic and damning of the War on Drugs. The story seems like the plot of a television detective series such as The Closer or Law and Order but it is sadly a true tale of law and disorder. Michelle "Shelley" Hilliard went missing in the early hours of Oct. 23. Nearly three weeks later, her burned, dismembered body was found near I-94 on Detroit's east side. Once the body was identified, the killing was at first considered a hate crime because Hilliard was transgendered and there had been a recent trend of attacks against gays where burning was involved.

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89 US MI: Column: Detroit Ballot Fight: Pot As Political FootballWed, 22 Feb 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:149 Added:02/23/2012

After Court of Appeals Loss, City Tries Again to Keep the Question From Voters

Marijuana is a political football in any Michigan municipality, but in Detroit the ball is getting more slippery of late.

Take the Court of Appeals decision on the Coalition for a Safer Detroit (CSD) vs. the Detroit Election Commission case a couple of weeks ago. A three-judge panel ruled two-to-one in favor of CSD. That means the city Election Commission has to put the question of legalizing possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana on private property for adults in Detroit on the ballot of the next regularly scheduled election. If successful, this initiative would essentially legalize individual marijuana use in Detroit - although I'm guessing opponents will find some convoluted way of squirming around implementing it if it's passed.

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90 US MI: Column: Getting CardedWed, 08 Feb 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:158 Added:02/08/2012

Fuming Over How Many Months It Takes for the State to Issue Medical Marijuana Cards

The heady atmosphere of the early days of medical marijuana in Michigan seems to have dissipated. Back then, there was a celebratory atmosphere as dispensaries were popping across the state and money from ganjapreneurs in Colorado and California flowed in as they expanded into the newest market to welcome their wares. But Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette was less welcoming and led the charge against medical marijuana, particularly dispensaries, which have been raided and shut down in numerous areas of the state. Individual patients and caregivers have been prosecuted and found guilty when they believed they were in compliance with the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

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91 US MI: Taking On Pols At The PollsWed, 11 Jan 2012
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:148 Added:01/11/2012

A State Vote on Legalization May Not Win, but Could at Least Start an Important Dialogue

The No. 1 story about marijuana in Michigan in 2011 was the wrath anti-drug warrior Attorney General Bill Schuette unleashed on medical marijuana facilities and users. Schuette used his bully pulpit and legal resources to intimidate dispensaries, people who work at dispensaries, people who grow marijuana and medical marijuana patients - working with friendly county prosecutors (particularly in Oakland County), federal authorities and state legislators to try to put the medical marijuana genie back in the bottle.

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92 US MI: Column: War on the War on DrugsWed, 28 Dec 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:153 Added:12/28/2011

After $1 Triilion Dollars Wasted on Failed Policies, This Whole Medicinal Weed Thing Really Makes Sense

When I started writing this column a little more than a year ago, I thought medical marijuana was a thinly veiled cover for folks who wanted to legalize the substance. Not that I opposed the notion, nor did I doubt that marijuana has medical value - I've seen it stop nausea in people who couldn't keep any food down and I've seen people who were wasting away get an appetite. But I saw the overall marijuana drama as something of an amusing middle-class cause that really didn't mean much in the big picture. I also saw an explosion of marijuana-related storefronts around town and thought there was money to be made.

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93 US MI: Column: Gingrich Flip-Flops On PotWed, 14 Dec 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:141 Added:12/14/2011

State Governors Unite and the Closing of Big Daddy's Punishes Patients

Newt Gingrich is flying high in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination. So what does the erstwhile speaker of the House have to say about marijuana?

As Gingrich seems to have an opinion about everything, it's not hard to find his pontifications on pot. Just a few weeks ago, he said that medical marijuana is a "joke" and that government should pursue the War on Drugs more aggressively. He also supports the death penalty for "high level" dealers.

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94 US MI: Column: Schuette Fires Another Salvo Against MMJWed, 16 Nov 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:149 Added:11/16/2011

And Kalamazoo Voters, in Chater Amendment Question, Holding Firm

To legalize marijuana in Michigan or to decriminalize it, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the state to suffer the indignity and second-class citizenship of decriminalization, or to take up arms and fight for full legalization.

The fight over medical marijuana in Michigan is truly Shakespearian, with opposing sides both believing they are right, a menacing federal government hanging in the shadows and ground skirmishes in the foreground.

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95 US MI: Top Cop Changes His MindWed, 02 Nov 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:155 Added:11/03/2011

It's a surprise to hear that Dr. Isaiah "Ike" McKinnon, Detroit's former top cop, believes that marijuana should be legalized and is speaking out on the issue.

"I've never taken a public position on this, but I think it's time to do so," McKinnon says. "We have to stand up for things we believe are right. ... My position is, let's look at this realistically and honestly. Too much law enforcement money and resources are being used on this. There are better things to spend our money on."

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96 US MI: Column: Darth SchuetteWed, 07 Sep 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:147 Added:09/08/2011

Attorney General Bill Schuette Leads His Stormtroopers Against Medical Marijuana

If this were Star Wars, what has happened with medical marijuana in Michigan recently would be analogous to The Empire Strikes Back - wherein Darth Vader, played by state Attorney General Bill Schuette, with the state Court of Appeals collectively playing the evil emperor in the background, has led his stormtroopers in an offensive that has his opponents on the run.

On Aug. 23, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against Compassionate Apothecary, LLC, of Mount Pleasant, saying that patient-to-patient sales of medical marijuana were not legal. Judge Joel P. Hoekstra wrote this about the voter-approved Michigan Medical Marihuana Act: "[T]he 'medical use' of marihuana, as defined by the MMMA, does not include patient-to-patient 'sales' of marihuana, and no other provision of the MMMA can be read to permit such sales."

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97 US MI: Column: Schuette Gets CheesyWed, 24 Aug 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:152 Added:08/24/2011

AG Would Define Law So Narrowly You'd Need a Foot in the Grave To Qualify

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette came out swinging against medical marijuana a couple of weeks ago when he held a press conference to announce what could well be called his "Swiss cheese offensive." Surrounded by a group of legislators, law enforcement officers and health care professionals, Schuette said that the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act had been "hijacked" by drug dealers and profiteers, and that the law has "as many holes as Swiss cheese."

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98 US MI: Joining The FightWed, 10 Aug 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:130 Added:08/15/2011

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed a resolution calling for an end to the War on Drugs in no uncertain terms a couple of weeks ago during its national convention in Los Angeles.

"These flawed drug policies that have been mostly enforced in African American communities must be stopped and replaced with evidenced-based practices that address the root causes of drug use and abuse in America," the resolution read.

In one move, the NAACP stepped into the fray of one of the most contentious issues affecting communities of color at a time when many question the relevance of the 102-year-old civil rights organization. The resolution cites evidence showing that African-Americans are 13 times more likely to go to jail for the same drug-related offense than their white counterparts.

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99 US MI: Column: Moms Against The Drug WarWed, 27 Jul 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:149 Added:07/30/2011

Opposing How Prohibition Divides Families and Hurts Kids

Robin Schneider remembers Christmases as a young child: sitting in a visitation cell at a federal prison in Indiana, chatting with a father she saw only two or three times a year. The visit was short. The drive with her mother and two brothers was long. Her father had been busted and imprisoned on a marijuana conspiracy charge when she was 3 years old.

"I had a really tragic childhood because my father was incarcerated on a marijuana-related charge," say Schneider. "It destroyed my childhood. It ruined my brother's life and ruined my mother's life. Taking away a parent who has committed no violent crimes, putting him in jail, is a disservice for American families, having to spend Christmases in a visitation cell instead of around a Christmas tree."

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100 US MI: Higher Ed's PerspectiveWed, 13 Jul 2011
Source:Metro Times (Detroit, MI) Author:Gabriel, Larry Area:Michigan Lines:122 Added:07/13/2011

The Dean of Pot Growing Comes to Town

Ed Rosenthal has been the longest and strongest voice talking about how to grow marijuana over the past 30 years through his "Ask Ed" column in High Times and Cannabis Culture magazines. On top of that he has written and published more than a dozen books on the subject, with more than 2 million copies sold worldwide. What's he got to say for himself after decades of growing, writing and teaching about marijuana?

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