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State Needs Stricter Regulations on Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on February 12, 2010 at 05:28:05 PT
Editorial
Source: Daily Tribune
Michigan -- There is legislation in a state Senate committee that would prohibit patients authorized to use marijuana for medical purposes from growing their own supply.Some fear the proposal could develop into the first move to change a state law approved by voters in November 2008. If this is true, that really wouldn't be that bad of an idea. However, proponents say it's not an attempt to undo the law, but their measures would tighten control over how the drug is distributed.
The haphazard distribution of marijuana was one of the concerns we expressed when opposing the law a couple of years ago. Having the addictive substance fall into the wrong hands, particularly the hands of young people, is a valid fear.Under the new proposal, the state would license up to 10 marijuana-growing facilities rather than letting thousands of authorized patients or caregivers grow their own. Marijuana would then be distributed through pharmacists after patients get a prescription from a doctor.Critics say that's an unworkable proposal that would make getting marijuana more difficult for patients who use it to relieve pain and other symptoms. They say that since federal law doesn't authorize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, doctors wouldn't write the prescriptions and pharmacies wouldn't fill them.We're not buying their argument.First, if a person has a legitimate illness that marijuana could help, then why not make it a prescription drug? Obviously, any painkiller drugs are dangerous if placed in the wrong hands. The prescription method seems reasonable to help, at least, cut down on marijuana being used illegally. There's no guarantee, and other dangerous prescription drugs are often used illegally. But at least there is some modicum of control.Because of the federal law, many doctors may not write the prescriptions and many pharmacies may not fill them, but that was a point well publicized during the campaign to win voter approval for medical marijuana.Sponsors said the recent bills are preliminary proposals aimed at sparking discussion about how to better manage the program.Discussion is never a bad idea, particularly in dealing with dangerous substances such as marijuana. We know many people over the past 60 years have argued that marijuana is not dangerous. But that's what they said about cigarettes in the 1950s, too.As it stands, people who want to use marijuana for medical reasons must get a doctor to certify that they would benefit from it. More than 7,000 patients and 3,000 caregivers already are registered under the state program. They are allowed to grow up to 12 marijuana plants per patient.We certainly don't want to increase the pain and suffering of people who swear that marijuana will help them. But we're still not convinced that marijuana is the only painkiller that works.Unfortunately, with medical marijuana now legal, it could easily fall into the hands of those who want it for non-medical purposes. So making it a bit harder to obtain really is a good idea.If we have to live with medical marijuana, maybe taxing it and putting the revenue toward Medicaid, Medicare or schools is in order.As the old saying goes, when you get lemons, try making lemonade.Source: Daily Tribune, The (Royal Oak, MI)Published: Friday, February 12, 2010Copyright: 2010 The Daily TribuneContact: editor dailytribune.comWebsite: http://www.dailytribune.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/c9adMdcWCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by ekim on February 14, 2010 at 09:20:08 PT
Doctor to open pot clinic in Kalamazoo
http://www.mlive.com/kalamazoo/
Doctor to open pot clinic in Kalamazoo to help patients 7:00 AM Dr. David Crocker has never given a recommendation for a patient to use medical marijuana to treat a debilitating condition. 
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Comment #9 posted by juztbudz on February 13, 2010 at 12:02:50 PT:
This governmental interferrence
has been attempted in Canada, at a small town called Flin Flan. The government tried raising the cannabis that would be used by medical users, failed utterly. The patients were given garbage weed, couldn't have gotten a fly high, let alone a cancer patient, or an MS sufferer. The government program eventually was declared unconstitutional and was scrapped, losing a whole lot of money in the interim. Please do not allow the senator, who has family ties to several greenhouses in Western Michigan, to further feather his nest in this manner.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on February 13, 2010 at 07:55:22 PT
Vincent
I don't understand hate. I don't hate anyone. Obama is trying to bring change but the Republicans just say no to everything. I don't understand why they won't work with him for the sake of our country and it's stability.
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Comment #7 posted by Vincent on February 13, 2010 at 07:29:05 PT:
FoM
I understand your point about Canada. By the way, that accident in the Lugge competition was truly tragic, very sad.As for what I wrote in my last message: it's bad enough that the same Archie Bunkers of the Seventies are still crawling around, stirring up trouble. What really bothers me is that they have made some converts out of people in our generation, the Baby Boomers. Rush Limbaugh is only three years older than me. Michelle Malkin is YOUNGER than me! Yet she said that she is glad that Rep. Murtha is dead, due to his opposition to "Dubya's" war in Iraq, a war that she STILL supports!I see dark clouds on the horizon.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 13, 2010 at 05:07:02 PT
Vincent
I feel the same way as you do. I don't watch those people but it really is amazing the amount of hate towards our President and anything he cares about. I didn't realize how much hate people could have towards the people who live in the USA too. The opening ceremonies in Canada brought tears to my eyes. We aren't anything like Canada and that is sad.
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Comment #5 posted by Vincent on February 12, 2010 at 22:39:26 PT:
Things
Hello to everyone at Cannabis News. What do these names have in common? Jonah Goldberg. Sean Hannity. Glen Beck. Ann Coulter. Michelle Malkin. Michelle Bachman. Tom Coburn. Pat Robertson. RUSH LIMBAUGH. DICK CHENEY!!! SARAH PALIN???!!!I'll tell you what. I've been hearing their whining, day in and day out, for months now. And all they ever talk about is how much they hate President Obama, and how much they hate anybody who is different from them, particularly people that think as we do. I've never seen such naked prejudice, not even in the Archie Bunker days. And these people...the're not even ashamed to talk as they do in public!  It's kinda like the "author" of this article. Another fear monger crawling out from under a rock. So sure of himself that he's right and everybody else is wrong. Forty years after Woodstock and they still haven't learned a thing.And they never will. 
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Comment #4 posted by FiddleMan on February 12, 2010 at 13:03:28 PT
Hate Crimes...
This article is extremely poorly written, and is nothing more than Prohibitionist rhetoric written by a clueless individual who apparently hasn’t read a single article on Medical Cannabis. Author - You do NOT know what you are talking about!
Daily Tribune – you really should proofread articles submitted to you, so that articles such as this don’t give your paper an ignorant name!
It is no wonder that the author refused to have his/her name attached to this article!Cannabis should be Legal to ALL PEOPLE... Withholding Cannabis from sick people is IMMORAL. Withholding Cannabis from sick people needs to be considered a HATE CRIME! Legalize Cannabis Now!
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on February 12, 2010 at 11:57:37 PT
the Sen should be wondering why he did not know
about the different strains - 
if he is a just and carring human
he will then have to ask himself what else have i been 
lead to beleive that is not the truth --just wait untill the Sen. Learns about Hemp and the fact it is producing jobs and valueadded products in Canada.Oh i should say just wait untill the voters know the truth.  
http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/16008The Senator assumed all medical marijuana was the same and asked why did we need all that variety? At which point I replied, “Because we believe everyone has the right to provide for their own health care, to make their own health care choices.” Judging by the look on his face, I’m thinking this wasn’t what he had in mind when he wrote Proposal K but there you go.
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on February 12, 2010 at 06:04:25 PT
The giant puppet costume!
That is one of "Newman's Puppets" I believe. Newman takes his puppet show around to all of the worthy causes. Newman is a naturalized citizen from England. He once did a weekly radio show that followed my radio show on Sunday eves. I was all radical with radical music and talk and call ins. I had guest who were some of movers and shakers in the movement as call in guest.Newman who is a natural 6' 9" tall, read Winnie the Pooh stories following my show. 
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 12, 2010 at 05:36:27 PT
Union of MMJ Patients Obama Festivities 
Pictures: http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/union-of-medical-marijuana-patients-obama-festivities-freedom-gallery-226569/
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