Weeding out the issue
As Election Day nears, students, officials debate use of medical marijuana
By Kelly House (Last updated: 10/06/08 11:12pm)When Josh Sattler gets the munchies, he views it as a medicinal property of smoking marijuana, not a fattening side effect of getting high. The hospitality business junior has Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory ailment of the digestive system that causes ulcers in the bowels and can lead to drastic weight loss.
“Marijuana helps you eat,” he said. “When you have Crohn’s disease, you should be eating a lot of food because your body is not able to take in the nutrition that it needs.”
Sattler said smoking marijuana also eases the “crunching” abdominal pain associated with Crohn’s.
Now a state proposal is on the ballot that would protect individuals such as Sattler from being arrested for using the drug to alleviate their symptoms. Sattler said he plans to vote in favor of Proposal 1, which would legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes.
The initiative would allow adult patients with a doctor’s approval to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to 12 plants for personal use. The marijuana would have to be kept in a locked area.
Proponents of the initiative say it would offer relief for individuals suffering from diseases that don’t respond to other medications, whereas opponents say the proposal could have unintended consequences such as promoting recreational drug use.
Twelve other states, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, possess similar laws.
Dianne Byrum, spokeswoman for the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care, the group sponsoring the proposal, said medicinal marijuana would offer relief to thousands of Michigan residents who suffer from serious illnesses.
“It gives protection … from the fear of prosecution in jail for using medical marijuana,” she said. “These are people that have cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis.”
But opponents of the proposal say existing pharmaceuticals, such as the synthetic Marinol, contain the same therapeutic properties of marijuana without the negative side effects. The Michigan State Medical Society is among the proposal’s opponents.
“My personal plea would be that if anyone is in pain and not getting enough attention or satisfaction, to ask their physician about being referred to a pain specialist,” said David Fox, the society’s spokesman.
Fox said the society supports further research into marijuana’s effectiveness before clearing it for medical use. The fact that there are no standardized dosages and the drug is administered through smoking also are issues, he said.
“We’re so opposed to smoking in every other form that it would seem inconsistent to support smoking marijuana when it has a more harmful effect than cigarettes,” Fox said.
Other arguments against the proposal include the concern that it could lead to problems for law enforcement if recreational users get a hold of marijuana that was intended for medical use.
East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said he does not oppose medicinal marijuana, but he has concerns with allowing patients to grow their own plants.
“It’s going to be hard to enforce,” he said. “I think it should be done like any other prescription drug, where you go to the pharmacy.”
Backers of the proposal also would like the drug to be distributed by pharmacists, but federal law prohibits licensing it as a pharmaceutical, Byrum said.
Aside from the issue of patients growing the plants, Wibert said the medicinal marijuana would not affect the way his department deals with related offenses.
“Unless you have a serious illness, the law wouldn’t change,” he said.
A September poll by the Lansing-based Michigan Resource Group showed that 67 percent of respondents supported the initiative.
Byrum said she hopes that support translates into the proposal’s passage Nov. 4. If the proposal does pass, it would be up to each doctor in the Ingham County Health Department to decide whether to prescribe marijuana, Assistant Deputy Health Officer Marcus Cheatham said.
“We hire good doctors and we trust their judgment, so if there were good clinical indications … they would prescribe it,” he said.
Originally Published: 10/06/08 11:10pm
Jason Van Dyke
10/07/08 12:22amI actually a liberal on this issue because I think this whole fight against marijuana is a huge waste of government money. I am not pro-weed – I am against government waste. In any case, I have noticed some things about marijuana that I think could make it useful in society.
First and foremost, it has a very distinctive smell to the non-stoner. I find this important because legalized marijuana will make it easier to recognize and discriminate against society’s dregs through the use of our sense of smell.
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SoCal Spartan
10/07/08 12:28amHey, the government should grow it and sell it. Growing one-eight of an ounce of marijuana would possibly cost $0.03, flip that stuff for $60 with all the profit going to taxes. In my days I’ve known PLENTY of GOP peeps that smoked trees upon trees! You know the Socal and otherwise trust fund babies.
Furthermore the pet projects of the GOP, you know profit of prisons…that would be emptied greatly if you’d simply make it legal. Also there’s a strong chance for less problems with drugs, so legalize them all!
Jason Van Dyke, you obviously are not one of faith. So go into politics and screw everyone the most you can, I hope you enjoy the damnation you’ll face in your future years!
lol
10/07/08 2:00ameverybody should learn a lesson from Netherlands. Marijuana and prostitution are legalized but everything is well controlled and because of that the money is flowing into economy like crazy. This is why Europe is so much better than US.
Gary
10/07/08 3:41amMore harmful than cigarettes??? No one will die from smoking pot this year but over 500,000 people will die a horrible death from smoking cigarettes, the most addictive drug known to mankind! Not to mention alcohol which is also legal. Yet over 800,000 otherwise tax paying, law abiding, church going, family raising hard working American citizens will be arrested and have their lives totally messed up for smoking a beneficial herb!
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Bleed Green
10/07/08 6:47amWhen I was about 15, my grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Because of the radiation and chemo, she couldn’t eat, couldn’t sit still and was in constant pain. She actually asked ME, her teenage granddaughter, whether I could get her some of that marijuana she’d heard could help. At the time, I thought all drugs were only bad (plus my mom caught wind of her request and was pretty furious).
...Eventually, my mom got Grandma some weed through a friend.
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freidamae
10/07/08 7:34amJason, do you believe, Cannabis is a gateway drug? If so, You are mistaken, this belief is a Myth.
Fact; cannabis has been used for centuries to help addicts “kick” deadly and highly addictive drugs by easing the withdrawal symptoms. In fact science believes Cannabis can be used to kick even cigarettes and was used/Prescribed Pre-Prohibition, by doctors, to help patients kick opium, cocaine and other deadly drugs.
If you dont believe me, check out the NIDA report on addictive properties of drugs.
http://www.mamas.org/Images/HazardPotential.pdf
Jason Van Dyke
10/07/08 8:14amFreidamae – my post was meant to be sarcastic. I don’t know or care whether it is a gateway drug. I don’t use marijuana and those I know who do use it don’t bother anybody. Honestly, it’s not an issue I care about very much.
Kevin
10/07/08 9:22amEven Sarah Palin admitted to smoking weed once, she is a liar however because she said she didn’t enjoy it.
JVD
10/07/08 10:35amJason Van Dyke was expelled from Troy high school for trying to stab someone back in 1997
To Jason:
10/07/08 11:38amGet a job and stop trolling SNews articles like you’re still a student.
Pat
10/07/08 11:50amI knew Jason Van Dyke back in my undergrad. He was a moron then and he’s a moron now.
Frank
10/07/08 12:04pmThere are many ways to get the intoxicant withing Marijuana into your bloodstream. You can dissolve the cannabinoids, the active chemicals that make you ‘high,’ in oil or vaporize them. The former is the safest method, and longest-acting method which would help manage pain. Vaporization seems safer, but you’re still then breathing something into your lungs. The argument that Marinol is enough for these people is like saying Tylenol is good enough for someone who has broken their back. Marinol only has Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, one of many, many cannabinoids. Look at this website to see yet another benefit of cannabinoids
SoCal Spartan
10/07/08 12:31pmAdditionally there is the by product of hemp which can be used in LOTS of things!
Pennypacker
10/07/08 6:57pmI submitted my ballot today as I live on the west coast but still have my permanent address in Michigan. Living in California for the past three years I can tell you that legal pot is great. For those that need it, they can easily get it. For those that smoke for fun they’re not interested in the medicinal stuff. Contrary to what you have seen in Half Baked its dry with lots of seeds. Of course its liberal crazy land out here but I still think its a good idea and voted ‘yes’.
What!?!?
10/07/08 7:22pmPennypacker – Are you serious?! Either you don’t really live in Cali, or you’ve never encountered medicinal marijuana. It has NO seeds. Literally NONE. Nor is it dry, and myself and all of the other marijuana smokers that I know smoke the medicinal stuff exclusively. This is because it is SO VERY MUCH BETTER than anything on the black market. Are you repeating something that you heard someone say?
Medicinal marijuana has all but ended the illegal manufacture of marijuana in California. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get their weed legally, or from a friend that gets it legally.
Kelsey Maniez
10/07/08 7:50pmPlease join “Spartans for Medical Marijuana” on facebook.com to stay updated on events, meetings and share any personal stories regarding the issue. But remember the best way to show support for this humane and sympathetic issue is to vote Yes on Proposal 1 this November 4th!
DS
10/07/08 8:31pmHopefully this will pass. Marijuana without a doubt, helps people of many different illnesses have a greater quality of life. Join www.mcnorml.org we can make a difference!
Comrade Stoner
10/07/08 8:53pmPennypacker, are you serious? Medical cannabis is top grade, no seeds, and sticky icky baby, none of that brown bullshit, it’s fire yo.
Adam Krause
10/07/08 9:32pmKelsey Maniez, thank you for taking a stand for what is right. God Bless You.
Before you vote on this proposal, think of others who are suffering dearly and how they could benefit from this herb. Some people don’t have much time left.
So please allow your Brothers and Sisters in severe pain to use this medicine to make their lives better if they so choose, by voting “Yes on Proposal 1”.
Gary
10/08/08 5:13amJust how in Gods name does putting 1% of the American population in jail for marijuana offenses protect anyone? Over 40% of the jail population is there for non violent pot offences. Now THIS is criminal if anything is. What about their families that lost their main bread winner? The kids that now lost their parents and home and are ostracized in school for having “druggie” parents?
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Nate Dog
10/08/08 2:49pmHey Hey Heeeeeeeyyy……………………smoke weed everyday.
kate
10/14/08 10:32am“But opponents of the proposal say existing pharmaceuticals, such as the synthetic Marinol, contain the same therapeutic properties of marijuana without the negative side effects. The Michigan State Medical Society is among the proposal’s opponents.”
Um. What negative side effects?