Exam for Eight Charged Under Medical Marijuana Law to Resume Jan. 19 Waterford Township - Eight co-defendants accused of running afoul of Michigan's medical marijuana law will have to wait a bit longer to find out if they will be ordered to stand trial. After a full day of testimony Friday in Waterford's 51st District Court, Judge Richard Kuhn Jr. adjourned a preliminary exam for the defendants, who were arrested after an August raid at several locations in Waterford. The hearing will resume Jan. 19. [continues 242 words]
Enforcement of State Law Leaves Cities, Defendants Confused Several showdowns over Michigan's medical marijuana law are slated for courtrooms across the state this year as users and law enforcement officials clash over the drug's legality. Oakland County prosecutors have until Friday to file legal arguments stating why nine people arrested in a medical marijuana raid should be tried on felony drug charges in a Ferndale court. In a Wayne County courtroom Jan. 21, attorneys for Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills will ask to have a lawsuit against their cities moved to Oakland County, where prosecutors and law enforcement have declared medical marijuana dispensaries illegal. [continues 760 words]
Nolan Finley has finally opined sensibly concerning marijuana in Michigan. Like many others, I've been on the side of complete legalization all along but supported the medical use of this natural herb because it just makes sense. No doubt, people will abuse our new law. It's to be expected. Many others will realize the numerous benefits it can provide. Either way, marijuana is undeserving of the negativity surrounding its image, as are those adults who choose to use it for any purpose. To further waste scant state resources attempting to combat something so insignificant as pot is a tremendous disservice. The time to legalize and regulate marijuana is now. We should focus our resources on what truly will turn our cities, our state, and our country around. David Light, Saginaw [end]
Sue the cities and make them conform to the law as passed ("Pot clarity," Dec. 3). There is nothing wrong with the Michigan medical marijuana law as passed by public vote and referendum. The doctor writes a prescription for the patient. The registered pharmacy fills the prescription (in this case the medical marijuana provider). The fact that the state decided a patient had to register and receive an identification card with a picture is wrong since it takes up to two months to get one. (A license isn't good enough?) Private opinion of the law is tolerated, but not the misuse of public office going against Michigan law as enacted. Paul A Heller, Washington Township [end]
The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2009, there were 858,405 marijuana arrests in the U.S., almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end result of this culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use. The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization is a long overdue step in the right direction. Robert Sharpe, Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. [end]
Undercover Cop Testifies at Hearing Phony ID Approved by Prosecutor, Sheriff's Offices Ferndale - A phony Michigan medical marijuana identity card used by an undercover narcotics officer to make purchases came under attack Friday by a group of defense lawyers representing nine employees of a Ferndale dispensary. Derek Myers, an undercover detective for the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, testified during a probable cause hearing about six visits he made to Clinical Relief in Ferndale in July and August. Myers acknowledged he made the phony card, told the staff at Clinical Relief he had back pain and made several purchases of marijuana. During one visit, he said he sold marijuana to the staff for $140. For the sale, he was given a receipt. [continues 271 words]
Ferndale- A probable cause hearing began Wednesday for nine Oakland County residents charged in a case in which local law enforcement is challenging the state's law that allows distribution of medical marijuana. The accused were associated with Clinical Relief, a Ferndale marijuana dispensary, and were arrested Aug. 25. An alleged warehouse in Macomb County and two clinics in Waterford Township also were raided, leading to other arrests. All of the Ferndale defendants are free on bond, and 43rd District Judge Joseph Longo did not decide Wednesday whether to bind them over for trial in Oakland County Circuit Court. The hearing continues Friday. [continues 250 words]
Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in need, but adult recreational use should be regulated. Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children ("Judge calls for clarity in medical pot law," Sept. 16). Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. [continues 70 words]
Pontiac -- A controversial Halloween weekend pot party at the Silverdome has been canceled, the city said Tuesday. Pontiac Mayor Leon Jukowski said promoters of a three-day International Cannabis Convention at the 80,000-plus seat facility have called off the event after discussions with city and law enforcement officials. "I think it's (cancellation) a good thing," Jukowski said. "All the feedback I got on this (from residents) was negative. And considering drug problems we already have in Pontiac, I thought it was somewhat disrespectful to even consider having it here. [continues 353 words]
In 2008, Michigan voters were asked to approve a measure that would legalize marijuana for "medicinal purposes." A large majority said, "Like, sure, dude." What could go wrong? Plenty. It usually does when laws are passed under fraudulent pretenses - such as the pretense that the supporters of "medical marijuana" are interested in anything apart from the desire to get stoned without running afoul of the cops. But they played the so-called compassion angle to the hilt, and enough people actually believed that the purpose of this law was to relieve the pain of cancer patients or those with so-called chronic back pain. So the same voters who showed up at the polls that day to help send Barack Obama to the White House figured they might as well give the thumbs-up to this too. They were already in a politically-induced stupor. Might as well try one of the chemically-induced variety as well. [continues 395 words]
Lawmakers Urged to Act Against Backdrop of Recent Clinic Raids A Michigan Court of Appeals judge urged lawmakers Wednesday to clarify the state's medical marijuana law, saying the "inartfully drafted" measure has resulted in confusion and arrests. Judge Peter O'Connell issued his call Wednesday in a 30-page opinion on an Oakland County case in which the court upheld marijuana possession charges against two Madison Heights residents. The judge said the law is so confusing that users "who proceed without due caution" could "lose both their property and their liberty." [continues 984 words]
Both Oakland Sheriff Michael Bouchard and a board member for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association are asking state lawmakers for a clarification of state marijuana law. Confusion among users and differing approaches by cities and law enforcers indicate the need for clarity in the law. The issue came to the fore in recent days with a raid by the Oakland Sheriff's Department on marijuana dispensaries in Waterford Township and Ferndale. Sheriff's investigators say store owners were selling marijuana to people without proper medical authorization and serving as sites for people to sell marijuana to each other. The officers also made raids on individual homes. [continues 383 words]
Fewer schoolchildren in Metro Detroit will have officers in their classrooms this fall to warn them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The latest police department to drop or pare participation in Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Warren is reassigning officers to road patrols. Shelby Township cut DARE for similar reasons but reached a deal last month with Utica Community Schools to preserve a scaled-down version of the course. The police-led classroom series has been dropped from dozens of Michigan departments in recent years. Lincoln Park and Woodhaven police nixed the program years ago. Sterling Heights said the fate of its drug awareness course is uncertain. [continues 713 words]
Charges Stem From Arrests at Three Medical Marijuana Facilities The legal face-off over Michigan's medical marijuana law continued Friday as 16 people arrested during raids of three medical marijuana facilities were arraigned in court. It took more than an hour to read charges against each of 16 suspects who were arraigned in two Oakland County courtrooms on felony charges including conspiracy to deliver marijuana and delivery of marijuana. Raids were conducted this week at Everybody's Cafe and Herbal Remedies in Waterford Township and Clinical Relief in Ferndale by the Oakland County narcotics enforcement team. [continues 458 words]
Oakland CO. Authorities Arrest 15 After Two Raids in Ferndale, Waterford Pontiac -- Authorities raided two medical marijuana businesses and arrested 15 people for allegedly making illegal sales, in a crackdown announced Thursday by Oakland County officials. The arrests followed an undercover investigation that found marijuana being sold illegally, often without buyers showing state-issued medical marijuana cards, officials said. The cards are distributed to people whose doctors have prescribed marijuana for pain relief. Raids Wednesday night targeted Clinical Relief, a Ferndale clinic, and Everybody's Cafe, a Waterford Township restaurant that runs an after-hours "compassion club" behind closed doors. Arrests and drug seizures also occurred at Metro Detroit homes and a Macomb County warehouse, officials said. [continues 957 words]
The authors of the July 16 column "Legalizing marijuana remains a bad idea" wrongly attack Tim Beck for trying to legalize marijuana. I and tens of thousands of other Michiganians believe that Tim Beck is a hero for his work getting the decriminalization of marijuana on the ballot in Detroit. Beck also deserves a lot of the credit for the passage of Proposal 1 to protect patients from the barbaric laws that were used to attack people using marijuana for medical purposes. Bob Wood, Unionville, Mich. [end]
Bill Schuette's made a career out of holding public office. As for the sheriff and prosecutor, they know how well their bread is buttered with marijuana prohibition. David Light, Saginaw [end]
So a retired judge, a prosecutor, and a sheriff conclude that the real purpose of the medical marijuana movement was not about compassion for those in chronic pain, but part of a secret campaign to legalize not only marijuana but other far more dangerous drugs. But they lump together those who might smoke a marijuana cigarette with those using heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol, to name but a few substances that are abused with far more devastating consequences. I do not advocate the legalization of drugs, not even marijuana. But as the judge, prosecutor and sheriff point out, law enforcement personnel are stretched thin and the economy continues to be weak. Perhaps we need to consider the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. Tom MacLeod, Clarkston [end]
Larry Stelma, Byron Konschuh and Bill Schuette seem to think that marijuana should remain illegal because alcohol causes widespread societal problems ("Legalizing marijuana remains a bad idea," July 16). Alcohol abuse is the primary culprit behind the domestic violence problems they vaguely attribute to "substance abuse." Not all drugs are created equal. Marijuana is by far the safest recreational drug, legal or otherwise. Robert Sharpe, Washington, D.C. [end]
As a lifelong advocate for repealing marijuana prohibition, I would like to express my gratitude to Judge Bill Schuette, Larry Stelma and Byron Konschuh for being so candid with voters about their views on this important issue in their Detroit News column "Legalizing marijuana remains a bad idea" (July 16). It is amusing, if disingenuous, for them to assert that I "admitted" in a recent television interview that my "goal is to legalize marijuana use in Detroit and, eventually, all of Michigan" since I have been absolutely clear on this point for many years. [continues 296 words]
If Larry Stelma, Byron Konschuh and Bill Schuette think that the violent offenders in our prison system committed violent acts because they were high on pot then they must be on something stronger than weed ("Legalizing marijuana remains a bad idea," July 16). They are the typical out-of-touch bureaucrats who mindlessly lump marijuana in with other hard drugs and are unable to truly break down the intricacies of the real issues of today. Gary Dura, Waterford [end]
Legalizing possession of marijuana on private property is less a question of the drug and more a question of how we treat people. Is alcohol good for individuals and families? No. But would allowing officers to arrest adults on their property for possessing small quantities of it do more harm than good? It's time to put an end to this prejudicial law. Andrew Rodney, Detroit [end]
In response to "Legalizing marijuana remains a bad idea" (July 16), it is unfortunate they can't even present legitimate statistics. They backed up their argument with generalized statistics about substance abuse. What about the other 70-plus percent of prisoners who weren't under the influence of drugs? There is nothing in marijuana if grown in its purest form that could cause any sudden acts of violence. There are much more harmful drugs out there. How can you allow people to drink alcohol, which has more potential for abuse, and then arrest them for cannabis? Even if legalized, like anything else in life, using it is an option. People have the power to choose. Heather Sekerak, Allendale [end]
The criminalization of the use of cannabis has been proven to be based on the assumption it is a so-called gateway drug. To have a sheriff, prosecutor and former judge voice their opposition to the present legislation of the medical purposes for marijuana is really talking about taking away people's livelihood and source of income ("Legalizing marijuana remains a bad idea," July 16). Paul A. Heller, Washington [end]
Girlfriend gave heroin to overdose victim; lawyer is being prosecuted for paying for it Ann Arbor -- Tracy Corson introduced a friend to heroin. Two weeks later, after both shared the drug, the friend died of an overdose. Corson was charged under a new state law that says a person who "delivers" an illegal drug that results in death could be held criminally responsible. But prosecutors didn't stop there. They also charged her boyfriend, Ron Plunkett, a prominent Brighton lawyer. His offense: paying for the heroin. [continues 1065 words]
Detroit -- A push to legalize marijuana appears to be ready for a decision by voters after petitions were certified by the Detroit Elections Commission, backers say. Last month, the Coalition for a Safer Detroit filed petitions with City Clerk Janice Winfrey seeking to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana for personal use. Backers said petitions that would put the initiative before voters in November were certified May 19. "They met the proper number (of signatures) and we met all the legal standards," said Tim Beck, a registered medical marijuana user who filed the petitions. [continues 244 words]
All-But-American Man Deported After Trip to Mexico Stupidity is not a crime. But stupidity is a deportable offense. Case in point: Charlie Castillo was born in Canada, the son of Maltese immigrants. The family came to Detroit when he was 1 year old and since then Castillo has spent his entire life in the metro area. Castillo, 54, was as American as they come. He spent 33 years working in the factories of General Motors. He bought a little house in the suburbs and raised three children there. He also was convicted a decade ago for growing two pot plants in his yard and possessing a quarter-pound of pot in his house. Both felonies. [continues 844 words]
Regarding syndicated columnist George Will's Nov. 30th column ("Be wary of Rocky Mountain high"): The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use. [continues 87 words]
The business of medical marijuana is rapidly evolving in Michigan, with Royal Oak preparing to pass the state's first zoning law to cluster professional growers and the opening in Southfield of a trade school teaching plant cultivation. On Tuesday, Royal Oak city leaders are expected to debate a proposed zoning ordinance requiring all licensed medical marijuana caregivers to grow pot in a dispensary in the city's general business district, which encompasses the retail and commercial strip along Woodward Avenue. [continues 621 words]
Hamburg Township --Ryann Anderson's young life as a drug addict ended not on a squalid urban street, but in a rented house in a rural Livingston County hamlet better known for quiet lakes than quick highs. It wasn't an isolated tragedy. Just three months after the 25-year-old former cheerleader was found dead last November in the run-down house on Sheldon Road, police were called to the same address under similar circumstances. Paul Anthony Chester, 55, died the same way: alone, in his room, of a heroin overdose. [continues 761 words]
The popular TV series "Weeds" is about a widowed suburban mother who deals pot to preserve her family's cushy California dream. Not a few Californians would like to see the theme writ large for their state. California has legalized medical marijuana, its cannabis crop is valued at $17 billion a year, and people there smoke pot openly. But the state can't collect a penny of revenues from the enormous enterprise. As California faced budget Armageddon, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for "a debate" on the potential of tapping marijuana as a source of tax revenues. That's all he can do, because federal law still criminalizes marijuana use. [continues 524 words]
Detroit -- Jeff Brink bitterly recalls taking massive amounts of painkillers for 10 years to deal with back pain stemming from a work injury. The 45-year-old St. Joseph resident said the morphine pump attached to his body and high doses of other painkillers three times daily left him feeling generally incoherent most of the time. Then, in March, he stopped taking the painkillers and started using marijuana. While still in pain, he is able to manage it without feeling as if he is not in control of his body, he said Saturday while attending the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association 2009 Expo in southwest Detroit. [continues 466 words]
Everyone knows Walter Cronkite was "the most trusted man in America" and someone whose rare expressions of personal opinion -- such as on the Vietnam War -- could powerfully influence the views of middle America. But fewer are aware of a passion of his that he came to relatively late in life -- ending the nation's disastrous war on drugs. I first learned of Walter Cronkite's interest in the drug war back in 1995, when a producer for "The Cronkite Report" -- an occasional series on the Discovery Channel -- called to ask for my help on a documentary that he and Cronkite were doing on the drug war. The one hour report that resulted provided a devastating critique of the nation's drug policies. [continues 561 words]
Madison Heights -- Declaring Michigan's medical marijuana act the "worst piece of legislation" he has ever seen, an Oakland County judge on Wednesday dismissed felony drug charges against a couple who say they grew pot for medical reasons. Torey Clark and Bob Redden jubilantly walked out of the Madison Heights courtroom of 43rd District Court Judge Robert Turner . The judge had heard testimony from the physician who qualified the couple to use medical marijuana under the state's new law. Clark and Redden were charged with growing marijuana after Madison Heights police raided their home March 30 -- days before the medical pot law took effect -- and found 21 plants. With prior drug convictions, they faced up to 14 years in prison. [continues 191 words]
Plant Hallucinogens Fill Niche Left By Lack Of Laws Against Them Don Ausman began 2009 focused on a bright future. The 22-year-old Michigan State University student from Northville planned to head to New Orleans for spring break to help build homes and serve residents. After earning his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies this spring, he hoped to travel to Japan to teach English. "He was fired up. ... He was in a great mood," said his stepfather, Jim Wauldron. "He had so many plans." [continues 930 words]
Madison Heights -- An attorney for a Madison Heights woman who is physician-certified to use medical marijuana plans to ask a judge today to dismiss felony drug charges against her. Torey Alison Clark, along with her co-defendant, Robert Redden, is scheduled to appear in Madison Heights 43rd District Court in a case being widely watched by legal observers and community leaders who are trying to understand the parameters of Michigan's new medical marijuana law. Clark and Redden, who live together, say they are physician-certified to grow and use medical marijuana, yet 21 marijuana plants were seized from their home March 30. Madison Heights Police used a battering ram to knock down their front door. [continues 261 words]
Royal Oak Weighs Letting Growers Set Up in Business District Royal Oak -- Woodward Avenue has been a magnet for car enthusiasts and shoppers for decades, but the boulevard soon may earn a new reputation as Michigan's first pot zone. Royal Oak's leaders are contemplating a zoning ordinance that would require medical marijuana growers to set up shop in the city's general business district, which encompasses the retail and commercial business strip along the byway. The proposal, to be discussed Tuesday by the city's Plan Commission, targets growers who are state registered caregivers of medical marijuana patients. It would not apply to qualified patients who are physician-certified to grow the drug. [continues 291 words]
Granholm Administration or Attorney General Cox Need to Clarify Medical Marijuana Policy It's been more than six months since Michigan voters approved the use of medical marijuana for the chronically ill, yet confusion abounds. Police officials continue to treat as criminals Michiganians who believe themselves patients. This must change. It's time for the administration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm to draft regulations to clarify the state's medical marijuana provision once and for all. Michigan voters approved medical marijuana use in November so that the chronically ill could have access to treatments that alleviate pain and nausea. But the process for obtaining pot remains a headache. [continues 98 words]
Couple Who Say They Have Permission to Use Plants for Illnesses Are Charged With Felonies Madison Heights --A legal test of Michigan's new medical marijuana law is brewing in Oakland County, where a man and woman vow to fight felony charges of manufacturing plants in their home. Robert Lee Redden and Torey Allison Clark appeared before a Madison Heights magistrate Tuesday afternoon to be arraigned on charges that could send them to prison for up to 14 years and cost them up to $1 million. [continues 507 words]
Syndicated columnist Clarence Page ("End marijuana raids, begin new sanity," March 15 online column) has it exactly right. The decision by the Obama administration to end Drug Enforcement Administration raids aimed at undermining state medical marijuana laws is a good start, but it's only a first step. Federal policy on medical marijuana simply ignores the growing mass of scientific evidence that it can safely and effectively treat certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss and other symptoms that cause great suffering to patients battling cancer and other illnesses. [continues 100 words]
The drug war has done little other than turn the land of the free into the world's biggest jailer (Nolan Finley's April 9 column, "Save white flag in the drug war"). If harsh penalties deterred illegal drug use, the elusive goal of a "drug-free" America would have been achieved decades ago. Instead of adding to what is already the highest incarceration rate in the world, we should be funding cost-effective drug treatment. The drug war is a cure worse than the disease. Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. [end]
MADISON HEIGHTS -- An arrest warrant has been issued for a Madison Heights man who claims he has a legal right to possess 21 medical marijuana plants in his home. Robert L. Redden is named in a warrant charging him with manufacturing 20 to 200 marijuana plants. Redden is also charged with being a repeat offender for having a prior marijuana conviction in March 2006. Madison Heights police used a battering ram to break down Redden's front door March 30 to investigate a tip about someone growing marijuana in the home. [continues 166 words]
For all of the keen intellect that President Barack Obama showed in his recent online town-hall meeting, he didn't seem to know much about reefer economics. When asked whether legalizing marijuana might be a stimulus for the economy and job creation, he played the question for laughs. "I don't know what this says about the online audience," he quipped as his studio audience chuckled and groaned. "But ... this was a fairly popular question. We want to make sure that it was answered," he said. [continues 648 words]
The shocking spectacle of a respected Wayne County judge, a crackerjack prosecutor and two veteran cops standing as defendants in a courtroom confirms the war on drugs is lost. Former Assistant Prosecutor Karen Plants is accused of wanting a conviction so badly in a narcotics case that she corrupted two Inkster officers and compromised retired Judge Mary Waterstone. All were career warriors in a hopeless conflict. The possible slide of good guys to the wrong side of the law epitomizes the drug war's failure. [continues 373 words]
Crowd Gathers in Lansing on First Day to Apply for Legal Use Lansing -- They laughed and hugged, posed for group photos and celebrated that they were finally going to be allowed to legally use marijuana to treat their medical problems. No one wore a bigger smile when dropping off an application Monday to join the Michigan Medical Marijuana Registry than Renee Wolfe, a 48-year-old mother of four sons who has been illegally using pot for 30 years. "Marijuana allows me to eat, allows me to live a fairly normal life," said Wolfe, an Ann Arbor resident who used a wheelchair to roll into the Michigan Department of Community Health building to apply. She has battled multiple sclerosis since 1979. [continues 289 words]
State to Soon Outline a Program Explaining Patients' Rights Madison Heights --Bob Redden says he thought he was doing the right thing when he went to a medical clinic in Southfield to get paperwork to qualify for medical marijuana. Redden, 59, said he suffers from bone disease and two deteriorating hips, and was told medical marijuana would ease his pain. But on Monday, when Madison Heights police smashed open the front door of his house with a battering ram and seized 21 marijuana plants from a back room, Redden wondered what he had done wrong. [continues 330 words]
Up to 50,000 May Qualify for Legal Smoking Lynn Allen is busy squirreling away marijuana seeds - at $5 a shot - as he prepares to take advantage of a new state law that will allow seriously or terminally ill patients to legally smoke pot to ease their pain and suffering. The 52-year-old married father of two from Williamston is confined to a wheelchair and unable to work because of a lack of stamina. He is one of an estimated 50,000 Michigan residents who may qualify for medical marijuana use once the state begins accepting applications on Saturday. [continues 939 words]
Helping Patients Get Approved May Be Lucrative Southfield -- A new medical clinic here specializes in helping patients qualify with the state to treat their health problems with medical marijuana. The nonprofit The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation opened the clinic, its first in Michigan, in December. That's the same month a voter-approved law went into effect legalizing medical marijuana to ease the pain of certain illnesses specified by the state, such as cancer, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease and HIV/AIDS. [continues 810 words]
Bernie, you are about to face a living hell. How I do I know? In 1985, I was sentenced to 15 years to life under New York's draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws for a first-time nonviolent drug crime. So I know all too well what your life is going to be like. Madoff, who agreed to a plea deal, is about to spend the rest of his life behind bars for stealing an estimated $65 billon from thousands of people. [continues 568 words]
Regarding Froma Harrop's thoughtful Dec. 7 column ("Drug prohibition keeps failing")" There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket legalization. Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has been shown to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users. The success of the Swiss heroin maintenance program has inspired pilot programs in Canada, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized crime of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations addiction. [continues 102 words]
