We Can't Put The Genie Back In The Bong

[Michael Komorn]

We can't put the genie back in the bong 11 28 10

 

 

Nolan Finley

We can't put the genie back in the bong

 

This was as predictable as the sunrise — Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana, and two years later, no one can seem to decide who's a patient and who's a pothead.

More than 60,000 residents have applied for medical marijuana certificates, the ticket to being able to use pot legally, and even grow small amounts at home; roughly half have received them. Wow, that's a lot of suffering in our state.

Perhaps when voters passed the proposal in 2008 they envisioned cancer and glaucoma patients toking in the restricted confines of hospitals and clinics, and getting sanitized pot in carefully measured doses from licensed pharmacies.

That's not exactly how it's worked out. Therapeutic pot is being marketed about the same way as the everyday let's-get-high-for-the-hell-of-it pot. It's being grown in basements under hot lights and pushed to patients through head shops and person-to-person deals that have the law enforcement community struggling to figure out what's legal and what isn't.

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The answer seems to depend on where you live. Oakland County, for example, is busy putting the pot stores out of business and cracking down on the home growers; Ann Arbor has 23 medical marijuana stores that go unmolested by authorities.

And it's not just cops and judges who are confused. Employers have fired medical marijuana patients for failing drug tests, even though the law prohibits that, and landlords have evicted users for violating no-dope clauses in their leases.

You don't have to be struggling with the effects of chemotherapy to qualify for a certificate. The medical marijuana industry has physicians lined up to certify patients with mysterious pains, anxiety and other ailments often visible only to the sufferer. The law isn't very specific on the diseases covered. Chronic headaches can get you approved, and who doesn't have headaches these days?

Kids roam downtown events passing out cards with 800-numbers and websites where you can get certificates. This isn't what voters envisioned, but it's what they've got now, and putting the genie back in the bong is impossible.

Critics of medical marijuana have called it the first step toward legalizing all pot use. They're right. And it should be.

It's absurd for Michigan to still be arresting and jailing pot growers and users whose only real crime is that they were too stupid to apply for a medical marijuana certificate.

Give it up. Stop wasting taxpayer money in a futile fight to keep marijuana away from the people who want to use it. If current trends continue, most pot users will soon have a license to smoke anyway.

Better to focus our efforts on bringing the marijuana growers out of their basements and onto the tax rolls. Michigan could use the estimated $32 million in annual tax revenue it would generate, and the untold savings in law enforcement and Corrections costs.

Nolan Finley is editorial page editor of The News. Reach him at nfinley@detnews.com. Read more at detnews.com/finley and watch him at 8:30 p.m. Fridays on “Am I Right?” on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56.

 

 

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101128/OPINION03/11280305/We-can’t-put-the-genie-back-in-the-bong#ixzz16ZgnpVli

 

Michael A. Komorn

Attorney and Counselor

Law Office of Michael A. Komorn

3000 Town Center, Suite, 1800

Southfield, MI 48075

800-656-3557 (Toll Free)

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Email: michael@komornlaw.com

Website: www.komornlaw.com

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NEW CALL IN NUMBER: (347) 326-9626

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w/ Attorney Michael Komorn

 

The most relevant radio talk show for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Community. PERIOD.

 

If you have a medical marihuana question or comment, please email them to me, or leave them on the forum for the MMMA, and I will try to answer them live on the air.

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/planetgreentrees

PLANET GREENTREES Call-in Number: (347) 326-9626

Call-in Number: (347) 326-9626

[bobandtorey]

Thanks for the read am still thinking about Joe and the story he told us on your radio show and would like to go to the court day for support if you would post the day and time i will be their

[peanutbutter]

The only way to guarantee that no suffering person will go to court for marijuana is to completely legalize it.

[freemannabis]

"Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana, and two years later ..."

 

Two years later, the nazi-minded control freak, biased bigots of the gated world still can't stand the thought of even one soul of "We The People" obtaining ANY semblance of REAL FREEDOM.

 

FREE The CURE!

 

SHARE The HEALING

[peanutbutter]

This person has everything wrong except for their conclusion.

 

The majority of people that voted yes on prop #1 made the decision to vote that way simply because of the word "marijuana."

Most of the people voting yes viewed ANY change in marijuana law as a good thing.

 

The minority of people voting yes on prop #1 voted that way thinking only about medicine.

 

Combined, they achieved that 63% yes vote.

[freemannabis]

"The medical marijuana industry has physicians lined up to certify patients with mysterious pains, anxiety and other ailments often visible only to the sufferer."

 

Oh, really?!

 

Need I say more?

 

FREE The TREE

 

HARVEST The HEALING

[greenbuddha]

"and landlords have evicted users for violating no-dope clauses in their leases."

 

Yes, we should 'legalize' it before MORE cancer patients are booted out of their homes.

 

The money we spend on the 'Drug War' could rebuild our schools, bridges and highways and supply the sick and elderly with the medications they need without having to fear how they will pay rent and feed themselves after they pay the 'big pharmaceutical' companies for their medications.

 

One more 'real estate' bust or a similar economic collapse might just do it. Then the money we 'waste' on Drug Wars will HAVE to be 're-prioritized' to meet REAL needs.

[semicaregiver]

THIS IS A MAJOR WIN!

 

Nolan Finley is not some random blogger. He is the "editorial editor" the most conservative newspaper in the state and he has been elected by the liberal media as the most conservative news person in Michigan...

 

http://liberalmedianot.blogspot.com/2007/10/detroit-news-editor-chosen-as-most.html

[+420Atheist]

I sent Mr. Finley an email thanking him for the article and letting him know his conclusions were spot on. I did correct a couple of his points like that you can get MMJ in MI for anxiety. But in general even though the tone was not real positive in the beginning of his article we have to give him credit and fully support those conclusions. Here is a guy who obviously is not real pro MMJ but can be opened minded enough to see a logical positive outcome for everyone in MI.

[bobandtorey]

I sent Mr. Finley an email thanking him for the article and letting him know his conclusions were spot on. I did correct a couple of his points like that you can get MMJ in MI for anxiety. But in general even though the tone was not real positive in the beginning of his article we have to give him credit and fully support those conclusions. Here is a guy who obviously is not real pro MMJ but can be opened minded enough to see a logical positive outcome for everyone in MI.

 

that you can get MMJ in MI for anxiety

are you sure about that i never knew that you could now don't get me wrong here i think it's great but am just not sure you can get it just for that

[Croppled1]

Last Updated: November 28. 2010 1:00AM .Nolan Finley

 

We can't put the genie back in the bong

 

 

This was as predictable as the sunrise — Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana, and two years later, no one can seem to decide who's a patient and who's a pothead.

 

More than 60,000 residents have applied for medical marijuana certificates, the ticket to being able to use pot legally, and even grow small amounts at home; roughly half have received them. Wow, that's a lot of suffering in our state.

 

Perhaps when voters passed the proposal in 2008 they envisioned cancer and glaucoma patients toking in the restricted confines of hospitals and clinics, and getting sanitized pot in carefully measured doses from licensed pharmacies.

 

That's not exactly how it's worked out. Therapeutic pot is being marketed about the same way as the everyday let's-get-high-for-the-hell-of-it pot. It's being grown in basements under hot lights and pushed to patients through head shops and person-to-person deals that have the law enforcement community struggling to figure out what's legal and what isn't.

 

 

The answer seems to depend on where you live. Oakland County, for example, is busy putting the pot stores out of business and cracking down on the home growers; Ann Arbor has 23 medical marijuana stores that go unmolested by authorities.

 

And it's not just cops and judges who are confused. Employers have fired medical marijuana patients for failing drug tests, even though the law prohibits that, and landlords have evicted users for violating no-dope clauses in their leases.

 

You don't have to be struggling with the effects of chemotherapy to qualify for a certificate. The medical marijuana industry has physicians lined up to certify patients with mysterious pains, anxiety and other ailments often visible only to the sufferer. The law isn't very specific on the diseases covered. Chronic headaches can get you approved, and who doesn't have headaches these days?

 

Kids roam downtown events passing out cards with 800-numbers and websites where you can get certificates. This isn't what voters envisioned, but it's what they've got now, and putting the genie back in the bong is impossible.

 

Critics of medical marijuana have called it the first step toward legalizing all pot use. They're right. And it should be.

 

It's absurd for Michigan to still be arresting and jailing pot growers and users whose only real crime is that they were too stupid to apply for a medical marijuana certificate.

 

Give it up. Stop wasting taxpayer money in a futile fight to keep marijuana away from the people who want to use it. If current trends continue, most pot users will soon have a license to smoke anyway.

 

Better to focus our efforts on bringing the marijuana growers out of their basements and onto the tax rolls. Michigan could use the estimated $32 million in annual tax revenue it would generate, and the untold savings in law enforcement and Corrections costs.

 

Nolan Finley is editorial page editor of The News. Reach him at nfinley@detnews.com. Read more at detnews.com/finley and watch him at 8:30 p.m. Fridays on “Am I Right?” on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56.

 

 

 

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101128/OPINION03/11280305/We-can’t-put-the-genie-back-in-the-bong#ixzz16dijpwFG

[dutch&Dutchess]

WOW. Weird. The writer is obviously very ignorant and even foolish but he goes with the conservative notion of hands off government. It is like the writer may be an idiot but he is no hypocrite. It is almost refreshing to see it in print and in the Detroit News too!

[+420Atheist]

that you can get MMJ in MI for anxiety

are you sure about that i never knew that you could now don't get me wrong here i think it's great but am just not sure you can get it just for that

 

Sorry I should have been more clear in my post. The author said you can get it for anxiety. In my email I told him he was wrong about being able to get MMJ in MI for anxiety. You can in CA from my understanding but not in MI.

[BubbleBerryKush]

"Perhaps when voters passed the proposal in 2008 they envisioned cancer and glaucoma patients toking in the restricted confines of hospitals and clinics, and getting sanitized pot in carefully measured doses from licensed pharmacies.

 

well what people expect and what they end up with are usually two vastly different things.....ie. every politician in the world......all anyone had to do was look at the cali model and see that things would not end up as he described. Which I think most patients would have it how it is now rather than the way he describes.....

[peanutbutter]

"Perhaps when voters passed the proposal in 2008 they envisioned cancer and glaucoma patients toking in the restricted confines of hospitals and clinics, and getting sanitized pot in carefully measured doses from licensed pharmacies.st patients

 

Sorry .. some drug nazis decided you can't use it in hospitals.

 

Would have been nice ..

[mizerman]

Sorry .. some drug nazis decided you can't use it in hospitals.

 

Would have been nice ..

Sure would be.

 

I would much prefer calling my pain management physician in the morning about prescribing me some cannabis vs. going to the hospital for a pain relieving injection.

 

As a disabled patient I think it is a crock of "slimy green goose turds" that I even have to renew my card with the State of Michigan when my medical condition will NEVER change unless I can have a complete spinal cord/vertebrae/disc transplant (with MediCare paying for it) and I just don't see that happening in my lifetime.

 

Well said PeanutButter - sorry for my rant - it's been a terrible day pain-wise.

 

 

Mizerman

[peanutbutter]

Sure would be.

 

I would much prefer calling my pain management physician in the morning about prescribing me some cannabis vs. going to the hospital for a pain relieving injection.

 

As a disabled patient I think it is a crock of "slimy green goose turds" that I even have to renew my card with the State of Michigan when my medical condition will NEVER change unless I can have a complete spinal cord/vertebrae/disc transplant (with MediCare paying for it) and I just don't see that happening in my lifetime.

 

Well said PeanutButter - sorry for my rant - it's been a terrible day pain-wise.

 

 

Mizerman

 

took me a couple of minuets to figure out what you rant you were talking about.

 

FYI just talked to a MS patient. Saw the MRI report. the lesions in her spinal cord are now gone. Spinal cord is now normal sized.

 

Hang in there .. there might be help in the near future.

[bobandtorey]

Sorry I should have been more clear in my post. The author said you can get it for anxiety. In my email I told him he was wrong about being able to get MMJ in MI for anxiety. You can in CA from my understanding but not in MI.

 

Thanks it would be great if we could get it added it would help a lot of people here

[mizerman]

took me a couple of minuets to figure out what you rant you were talking about.

 

FYI just talked to a MS patient. Saw the MRI report. the lesions in her spinal cord are now gone. Spinal cord is now normal sized.

 

Hang in there .. there might be help in the near future.

 

Sorry, all day yesterday was an incredibly bad day pain wise. Moving my head to the left actually caused electric-like shocks...

 

Thankfully, I am better today.

 

With any luck, I might try and make it down to hang with you cool cats this evening.

 

 

Mizerman

[bobandtorey]

Sorry, all day yesterday was an incredibly bad day pain wise. Moving my head to the left actually caused electric-like shocks...

 

Thankfully, I am better today.

 

With any luck, I might try and make it down to hang with you cool cats this evening.

 

 

Mizerman

 

all i can say is you will have FUN today is another case inn Oakland county am going to at 1pm it's a jury trail if any one wants to go

[+Silverblue]

Hi all sorry I haven't been around, too much illness, and stress is making it worse. Have a good holiday season and all the days after. We need eachother now more than ever. I'll do what I can but I need to heal from all this stress as best I can and be prepared for what's coming. Remember, no one gets their way all the time, it just doesn't happen, which means, even our opponents won't get everything they want. Be careful, stay alert to the issues, be active, try to relax, unwind, take time for yourself, laugh and have fun, take care of yourself and try to heal, the bad news will still be there when you return, unfortunately, but remember the victories, and find the good news, too.

 

Sb