Calvin Trent of the Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit appears to be deeply confused about medical marijuana ("Pot, Pain and Politics," Metro Times, April 7). He says his reason for opposing the medical marijuana initiative is that "we're against smoking," but surely an expert on drug abuse knows that marijuana need not be smoked to be used as medicine. Simple devices called vaporizers give patients the fast action and dose control they need (and which are major advantages of smoking as opposed to oral ingestion of either marijuana or Marinol) while eliminating nearly all of the irritants in the smoke. [continues 94 words]
Advocates, Foes Gird for Detroit Voice on Medical Marijuana Marijuana has a history of safe use around the world, with no cases of fatal overdose. Tim Beck challenges anyone to explain "how, exactly, a cancer patient using marijuana is a danger to the republic, a danger to civilization in the City of Detroit." Beck chairs the Detroit Coalition for Compassionate Care (DCCC), the organization sponsoring the Detroit Medical Marijuana Initiative. Detroit voters will decide the initiative's fate in August. If passed, the initiative would amend the City Code to allow residents with letters from their doctors to possess and use marijuana. The initiative does not address the issues of marijuana production, distribution or methods of ingestion. [continues 1438 words]
Ontario Marijuana Regulations A Mind-Bending Morass. "As far as I can see it," said Canadian defense attorney Brian McAllister, "we're embarking on the summer of unregulated pot in Ontario." He reached that conclusion last month after his case involving a teenager possessing a small amount of marijuana was dismissed by Superior Court Justice Steven Rogin, who ruled that there is currently no legal basis in Ontario for prosecuting those accused of possessing small amounts of marijuana. Rogin based his decision on a 2000 Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that provincial laws against marijuana possession were invalid because they failed to make provisions for medical marijuana use. However, to prevent mass clam-baking throughout the province, the court suspended its ruling for 12 months, allowing Parliament time to correct the oversight. But Ottawa didn't act; as a result, courts are now dismissing small possession cases. [continues 859 words]
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has flexed its 'zero tolerance' muscles in an effort to protect Americans from THC - the psychoactive component of marijuana - by halting a truckload of sterile, and, for all intents and purposes, THC-free hemp seeds on their way to a birdseed manufacturer in Baltimore. Seventeen tons of seed have been sitting in a metro Detroit warehouse since the shipment from Canada was seized in early August. Meanwhile, the Canadian and United States hemp industries are left to wonder what impact this action will have on their business. [continues 537 words]
