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November 06, 2008
Michigan looks to codify newly passed medical cannabis law
Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Detroit News looks into how Michigan authorities are forced to implement a law many officials personally opposed. Patients and their supporters will need to be extra vigilant to make sure that these officials do not attempt to weaken the law and ignore the will of the people of Michigan, who apparently are much wiser than the foklks they elected to lead them. This shows that even in victory, the fight continues, as many in California, where medical cannabis has now been legal for 12 years, can attest.
Source: Detroit Free Press click here
November 6, 2008
Michigan looks to codify pot, stem-cell lawsSome had opposed Props 1 and 2
BY MEGHA SATYANARAYANA
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERTuesday's passage of new medical marijuana and embryonic stem-cell laws could pose interesting legal quandaries as the state tries to codify them in upcoming months.
The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, formerly Proposal 1, would legalize growth and possession of small quantities of marijuana for people with chronic and terminal illnesses to use for pain and nausea relief.
The act will be written into law 10 days after the Board of Canvassers approves the November election results, at the latest by Nov. 24, according to Secretary of State officials. The Michigan Department of Community Health will then have 120 days to design the program, which includes identification cards and state oversight.
"We're setting ourselves up for an interesting dynamic," said Peter Hammer, a health law professor at Wayne State University. "It's hard to get the state to regulate something it doesn't want to."
Hammer said policing MDCH -- whose director opposed the proposal -- to ensure the law is properly enforced could be difficult.
Unofficial results show every Michigan county voted in favor of medical marijuana, giving it a 63%-37% victory. It will be about May 1 before any legal attempt to use the drug happens, said Dianne Byrum, a spokeswoman for the proposal's backers, Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care.
(snip) Continues: click here.
Posted by Gary at November 6, 2008 09:43 AM
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