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Police say nothing will change if a controversial medical marijuana measure passes in Tuesday's election, since marijuana use remains illegal under state and federal laws.
But that won't stop people such as Melissa Hohauser-Thatcher from voting yes. The 38-year-old fund-raiser for Detroit's Loyola High School has a friend who suffered from colon cancer and smoked pot to deal with nausea after chemotherapy.
"I absolutely agree with it," said Hohauser-Thatcher, who also sits on the Ferndale school board. "I've read a lot of information about it, and for certain conditions -- everything from glaucoma to menstrual cramps -- it works."
Ferndale voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide on the measure that would remove all criminal penalties under local law for marijuana used by patients with the recommendation and supervision of a state-licensed physician.
Current penalties for marijuana possession range from up to 93 days in jail under city ordinance or one year in jail under state law.
Supporters of the ballot measure say sick people should have the right to use whatever medicine they and their doctors deem fit, including pot.
Police and critics say the measure is nothing more than a symbolic "political stunt." Marijuana is illegal under state and federal law, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that those smoking pot for medical reasons in the 10 states where it's allowed could still be prosecuted under federal law.
The Ferndale measure is "bad law, bad policy," said Ferndale Police Capt. Timothy Collins, who has been on the force for 27 years and can't recall an instance when someone was arrested for smoking pot for medical reasons.
"It they want to change this, change it the proper way," he said. "Go to the federal government and tell them, 'This is what the people want.' To go at from this angle ... it's nothing more than a political stunt."
Ferndale's measure comes roughly a year after voters in Detroit and Ann Arbor approved legalizing medical marijuana use. Supporters say marijuana has been shown to be an effective treatment for several illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and the side effects of chemotherapy.
Donal O'Leary III, chair of the Ferndale Coalition for Compassionate Care, which got the measure on the ballot, said he was motivated by the measures in Ann Arbor and Detroit and decided to tackle the issue in his hometown. Even if the measure has no bearing on state or federal laws when it comes to marijuana, O'Leary said it still sends a loud message.
"If Proposal D passes -- and I'm very hopeful that it will -- I think it's a pretty clear sign that citizens of Ferndale don't want their tax dollars used to persecute sick people using marijuana as a medicine under the guidance of their doctor," he said.
Source: Detroit News (MI)
Copyright: 2005, The Detroit News
Contact: letters@detnews.com
Website: Detroit Local News - Michigan News - Breaking News - detroitnews.com
But that won't stop people such as Melissa Hohauser-Thatcher from voting yes. The 38-year-old fund-raiser for Detroit's Loyola High School has a friend who suffered from colon cancer and smoked pot to deal with nausea after chemotherapy.
"I absolutely agree with it," said Hohauser-Thatcher, who also sits on the Ferndale school board. "I've read a lot of information about it, and for certain conditions -- everything from glaucoma to menstrual cramps -- it works."
Ferndale voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide on the measure that would remove all criminal penalties under local law for marijuana used by patients with the recommendation and supervision of a state-licensed physician.
Current penalties for marijuana possession range from up to 93 days in jail under city ordinance or one year in jail under state law.
Supporters of the ballot measure say sick people should have the right to use whatever medicine they and their doctors deem fit, including pot.
Police and critics say the measure is nothing more than a symbolic "political stunt." Marijuana is illegal under state and federal law, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that those smoking pot for medical reasons in the 10 states where it's allowed could still be prosecuted under federal law.
The Ferndale measure is "bad law, bad policy," said Ferndale Police Capt. Timothy Collins, who has been on the force for 27 years and can't recall an instance when someone was arrested for smoking pot for medical reasons.
"It they want to change this, change it the proper way," he said. "Go to the federal government and tell them, 'This is what the people want.' To go at from this angle ... it's nothing more than a political stunt."
Ferndale's measure comes roughly a year after voters in Detroit and Ann Arbor approved legalizing medical marijuana use. Supporters say marijuana has been shown to be an effective treatment for several illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and the side effects of chemotherapy.
Donal O'Leary III, chair of the Ferndale Coalition for Compassionate Care, which got the measure on the ballot, said he was motivated by the measures in Ann Arbor and Detroit and decided to tackle the issue in his hometown. Even if the measure has no bearing on state or federal laws when it comes to marijuana, O'Leary said it still sends a loud message.
"If Proposal D passes -- and I'm very hopeful that it will -- I think it's a pretty clear sign that citizens of Ferndale don't want their tax dollars used to persecute sick people using marijuana as a medicine under the guidance of their doctor," he said.
Source: Detroit News (MI)
Copyright: 2005, The Detroit News
Contact: letters@detnews.com
Website: Detroit Local News - Michigan News - Breaking News - detroitnews.com
