cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Law To Kick in April 4





Medical Marijuana Law To Kick in April 4
Posted by CN Staff on February 19, 2009 at 06:19:34 PT
By Joe Vaillancourt, Capital News Service
Source: County Press
Lansing, MI -- Your arm hurts pretty bad. And since the Proposal 1 ballot initiative passed in the November elections, you're thinking this might be the chance to get legally prescribed marijuana to ease your pain. Think again.Marijuana remains far from legal, and loopholes in the new law may create problems down the road, law enforcement and health officials said.
The initiative, which allows physicians to recommend marijuana permits for patients with specific diseases, takes effect April 4, said Department of Community Health (DCH) Director Janet Olszewski."The law called for us to draft administrative rules that would give clear guidance for how we were implementing the program," she said. "We have revised the rules and we are moving them through the final implementation process."She said the department will issue registration cards to eligible patients or their caregivers to grow or possess marijuana. It will also provide guidance to physicians about their role."They will not be prescribing medical marijuana. They will be certifying an individual as having a condition for using it," she said.Melanie Brim, director of the department's Bureau of Health Professions, emphasized the initiative does not make marijuana legal."What the bill does is give patients with specific debilitating medical conditions the ability to apply for a registration card, which allows them to possess a certain number of ounces or plants," Brim said. "It is not a prescription. It is still illegal in Michigan to sell it. It is still a federal crime to distribute marijuana."What the ballot initiative does not do is provide an avenue by which you acquire marijuana. For consumers, that is still a major issue."The DCH lists eligible debilitating conditions such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, glaucoma, hepatitis C, Crohn's disease, and chronic or severe pain.The initiative does not say where an eligible patient could obtain marijuana."The problem is that the ballot initiative had a gap in it," said Michigan State Medical Society public relations director Dave Fox. "It doesn't say how to get seeds or ready-to-use marijuana."Fox also said a patient in severe pain will not want to obtain seeds and wait for them to grow.Because marijuana is recommended by physicians but still illegal, law enforcement officers are in a bind over penalties for users who are arrested.Crawford County Sheriff Kirk Wakefield said he expects problems to arise."What the legislation thought was necessary is now creating a lot of problems. It is not user-friendly for law enforcement," Wakefield said. "If they're driving and under the influence of marijuana, they're going to jail."Unlike with alcohol, there is no way to instantly tell how much or how potent marijuana someone has smoked, he said.Wakefield said urine or blood tests may show positive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) results from previous use P yet another loophole. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that gives one the feeling of being "high."Steven Thompson, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Michigan chapter in Eastpointe, said urine and blood testing are not accurate procedures for determining impaired driving."It should be based on a person's driving performance, not if they have THC in their system," he said. "If someone fails to pass a field sobriety test, then yes, arrest them."Although marijuana laws have loosened around the country, it is still classified by the federal government as a Schedule I controlled substance along with heroin and ecstasy.Under federal law, Schedule I substances are deemed to have a high potential for abuse, are not accepted for medical use in the United States and have a general lack of accepted safety by medical institutions.Source: County Press, The (Lapeer, MI)Author: Joe Vaillancourt, Capital News ServicePublished: Wednesday, February 18, 2009Copyright: 2009 The County PressContact: editor countypress.comWebsite: http://www.countypress.com/Related Articles: Details of Medical Marijuna Law Still Hazyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24453.shtmlPublic Questions Proposed Rules on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24405.shtml
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Comment #17 posted by museman on February 19, 2009 at 17:32:52 PT
Hope
Well, that was the story I heard, kind of close to the source, but I can't verify it.That was one of the deciding factors of the intutive covenant of all serious acid rippers, called the 'acid-test' because the test was in ones character and nature -not just whether or not you could handle your medicine, but how well you could handle those who weren't handling theirs. That is why we developed the concept of 'ground control' -the practice of making sure that at least one person stayed 'grounded' -without partaking- so that even if the most experienced get into trouble, there was at least one voice to bring them back to 'ground.' That practice got overrun sometime in the 80s.
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 17:29:04 PT
Same with someone drinking and 
having a gun. Alcohol and deadly weapons should be kept very, very separate. Same with LSD, and probably other stuff, too, apparently.
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 17:22:51 PT
Indeed...
One must respect the power of the special brownie.Oh my gosh, about that kool-aid story! Someone freaking out is bad enough, but freaking with a deadly weapon? No way.
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Comment #14 posted by museman on February 19, 2009 at 17:15:32 PT
Hope
Well,Brownies are another matter entirely. And dosing an unsuspecting person with good brownies is like dosing them with LSD against their knowledge or will; its not a good thing to do. They should also definitely be kept away from children, who would just naturally eat too much.I'm not surprised the cop thought he was going to die. That realization is the beginning of wisdom.Its a lot smoother to regulate your dosage with smoke, whether its cleaned up with a vaporizer or not.But if you're really hurting, can't go anywhere anyway, and just want to relax, and maybe go to sleep, a couple of good Ghi-Butter Brownies will do the trick.Reminds me of the tale of "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" (some here might recognize that). One of the stories is of two cops at the Grateful Dead concert who drank the punch without knowing what was in it. One cop got really mellow, took off half his uniform, and started dancing with a couple of girls, having a great time. The other one though, freaked out, got paranoid, pulled out his gun and was acting like he was going to shoot anything that moved. The cop was disarmed and escorted to an ambulance that took him to the hospital to get a shot of B-1. I assume the other one was given a whole new perspective on things.I agree, no one should drive, or operate heavy machinery under the influence of brownies.FREE BROWNIES FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 15:55:09 PT
That's a good one.
"It is called Mental Floss, It helps prevent truth decay!"
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 15:52:24 PT
Fight_for_Freedom
:0)I don't think I can bear to hear it again. I cringed for everyone involved. It was sad. Extraordinarily ignorant and sad. Sounds like maybe a waste of some decent cannabis, too. There are people that might have benefited from that cannabis. There are medical patients in Montana that could benefit from it probably. I always think like that about confiscations and such. As I remember, come to think of it... he basically bullied/robbed/stole it from somebody else ... so maybe there was something karmic involved.
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 15:41:53 PT
Used to
you could have dead flowers sent to people.At least you didn't have to worry about assault charges with fancily delivered dead flowers. Of course, I'm sure that there are those who would construe them as threats. So...Maybe just a telegram that says, "I have real issues with your attitude and behavior.":0(
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Comment #10 posted by fight_4_freedom on February 19, 2009 at 15:40:57 PT
Yes Hope
That happened right here in Michigan. Dearborn I believe.It is an absolute classic.Here it is for your enjoyment.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siNtDWttcqI
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 15:36:58 PT
explanation...
last comment should be directed to Museman. Sorry.
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 15:35:56 PT
Oddly enough...
A couple of years or so ago a cop did do that somewhere and freaked and called 911 that he thought he and his wife might be dying from pot brownies. Send help!"Know what happens to a cop when he actually gets high for the first time (without alcohol and speed)? Not just 'under the influence' of cannabinols, but high."It was pretty pitiful.
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Comment #7 posted by runruff on February 19, 2009 at 15:32:48 PT
Thanks Don.........
...but I've been thinking about another product which should be mandatory use by politicians and LEO's. It is called Mental Floss, It helps prevent truth decay!
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Comment #6 posted by dongenero on February 19, 2009 at 14:09:53 PT
runruff
Slap-a-gram would make you famous. You'd be on every talk show in about 3 weeks.I love that idea, and there are many deserving politicians and authorities these days.Slap-a-gram should be in the stimulus package. Slap-a-grams on behalf of the taxpayers.Probably get you sued though. But hey, then take it to the Supreme Court. There are a few slaps to be handed out there too.
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Comment #5 posted by dongenero on February 19, 2009 at 14:04:41 PT
problems?
It doesn't sound like loopholes are a problem so much as the law enforcement and health officials are a problem.
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Comment #4 posted by museman on February 19, 2009 at 13:07:17 PT
do tell
"Unlike with alcohol, there is no way to instantly tell how much or how potent marijuana someone has smoked, he said"Gee, I wonder why?Maybe its because the 'impairment' is just another myth in a long list of 'em.Any person so high that they are actually too 'impaired' to drive, (and thats pretttty high) -unless combined with something like alcohol, are usually AWARE and CONSCIOUS of their condition, and don't even go there. But of course since most of these copperheads are only familiar with THEIR 'drug of choice;' alcohol, they wouldn't know that.Know what happens to a cop when he actually gets high for the first time (without alcohol and speed)? Not just 'under the influence' of cannabinols, but high.Well, lets just say that all these guys need to sit back, put on their favorite music, -leave out the beer- and toke up to find out!If they did, I might have to revise my general opinion of their 'copness.' But the beer's gonna win with most of them. Those remaining brain cells are impatient to follow their dead fellows into never-never land.Send a Slap-o-Gram, please.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on February 19, 2009 at 10:32:33 PT
:0) Comment 1
Slap-O-Gram? That's funny, Runruff.
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Comment #2 posted by GeoChemist on February 19, 2009 at 07:42:40 PT:
I love drug
scheduling. Since when is it alright for a law enfocrement agency to impersonate physicians? If I were to impersonate law enforcement, (granted I'd have to suffer major head trauma to lower my I.Q. to qualify as a member of law enforcement) I would be arrested. BTW tobacco fits the definition of a schedule I substance to the T.
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on February 19, 2009 at 06:44:50 PT
Find a need and fill it!
"What the legislation thought was necessary is now creating a lot of problems. It is not user-friendly for law enforcement," Wakefield said.This is the prevailing attitude among law enforcement. By "not user friendly for law enforcement" he meant, losing marijuana as our main boogeyman will kill fed funds and and take away our excuse to asset forfeiture [rob] people. Cops are there to protect the sick and dying as well as rich and powerful!I wanted to start a company called the "Slap-O-Gram" where your could have a slap delivered like a Sing-O-Gram only my wife talked me out of it. I would deliver a Slap-O-Gram to Sheriff Wakefield. He really needs a wake-up call!
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