Most Southwest Michigan lawmakers oppose medical marijuana – Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com
KALAMAZOO — For five years, state Sen. Tom George worked for Hospice of Greater Kalamazoo, sometimes prescribing a synthetic form of marijuana called Marinol to help ease a person’s pain or discomfort.

But George, an anesthesiologist, opposes a ballot proposal that seeks to legalize marijuana use in Michigan for those seriously ill.

State Rep. Fulton Sheen, a conservative Republican, opposed medical-marijuana use until he heard testimony from people who said they got relief from debilitating conditions by using the drug.

He now supports the initiative, which could appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Of southwestern Michigan’s 10 state lawmakers, seven said they oppose legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

“Marijuana is illegal for a reason,” [State Sen. Ron] Jelinek said. “Its legalization, even for medical reasons, would denigrate our society eventually. (Using marijuana) is akin to a self-induced mental illness.”

State Reps. Robert Jones, D-Kalamazoo, and Sheen, R-Plainwell, support the initiative. They said those seriously ill should have marijuana as a treatment option if it helps and is properly regulated.

“The right story needs to be told by the right people,” Jones said. “We can’t be afraid of this as a society. Marijuana is a legitimate treatment for those suffering from serious diseases.”

In the 1990s Sheen’s brother, who had contracted AIDS, was dying. In the final months of his life he smoked marijuana, which helped him to breathe and swallow easier, Sheen said.

“Although I didn’t agree with what he was doing at the time, it helped him,” Sheen said. “But now my mind has been changed.”

Leaders from the Senate and House have said they don’t expect legislative action on the proposal. Gov. Jennifer Granholm opposes it.

The proposal calls for registered medical users to keep the marijuana in a secure, locked location. Users who give or sell their marijuana to those who are not authorized to have it could be subject to stiff fines and possible jail time. Users also would have to register themselves with the state and carry a state-issued ID card indicating they are a registered medical user.

Even with such controls, some lawmakers question how effective enforcement and regulation will be, especially if the number of medical marijuana users increases.

“There are other options out there for very sick people (besides marijuana). By not supporting this, it’s not like we’re denying a dying patient relief,” said [State Rep. Jack] Hoogendyk, who recently announced he will challenge Democratic Sen. Carl Levin in the U.S. Senate.

This story illustrates why it is so important for you to call your elected officials. Those who have family who’ve used medical marijuana seem most supportive of the issue, followed by those who have been contacted by their constituents and those who have testified to the medical efficacy of cannabis. But as you can see, much more needs to be done to convince the reluctant legislators who still fear the “gateway” effect and other reefer madness.