Ag To Give Press Release

[Michael Komorn]

Tell me if I misread the report, but it would appear, he has taken the report which refers to drugs while driving, but in no way indicates a difference of which drugs. They acknowledge the category of drugs as being mj, cocaine, heroine, I do not see statistics that say Marijuana driving fatalities (anywhere). Don't you think we would have heard of specific instances. Could it be that the leading Law Enforcement has taken some artistic liberties with the actual statistics, and used this statistic (all drugs) to suggest it is some how related to the passage of the MMMA? I would be much more interested in actual statistics that tell us, how many mj driving fatalities. I remember a recent case with Judge Chamberlin,in Mt Pleasant, where he looked at the prosecutor and said who would you rather have driving down the road coming from the opposite direction a person who smoke mj or a drunk driver. An honest conversation needs to take place about this issue. To light the flame of fear (his main play) albeit obviously effective, and the use of these statistics for that purpose is very dishonest.

 

Gonna give this a lot of talk time tonight on Planet greentrees, please call in and lets try to make sense of this.

[Guest knucklehead bob]

How do we make sense of something some-one says that has no basis in fact ?

[Michael Komorn]

Flame of Fear/ Ignore the Truth

 

'Unfortunately, the concentrations of drugs other than alcohol that impair driving performance and significantly raise crash risk remain to be defined. Until such concentrations have been defined the FARS data on drugs will be difficult to interpret."

 

 

 

A new paper published in the July 2011 edition of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (Romano and Voas. Drug and alcohol involvement in four types of fatal crashes) may be of interest to some of you. The paper analyzes data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to assess the association of drugs and alcohol in fatally injured drivers in single-vehicle accidents involving four driver error factors (only three of which arguably manifest impaired psychomotor performance): speeding, failure to obey or yield, inattention, and failure to use a seat belt.

 

Data is collected from 20 states, all of which have more than 79% of fatally injured drivers with a known lab result (Table 1). Notably, though not mentioned by the authors, the data in this table indicates that despite the recent media and political spotlight on DUI drugs, that the number of fatal accident rates in the highlighted states has either declined or remain unchanged.

 

Alcohol, not surprisingly, “is the main single contributor to three of the four types of crashes under the study.” Interestingly, authors noted: “Counter to the commonly held belief, no synergistic reinforcing drugs-alcohol effect seems to occur. What seems to happen is, when alcohol is present, it is the main source of impairment.” They concluded, “This suggests that the current procedure in the criminal justice system of not pursuing potential drug offenders when an illegal BAC is available is appropriate.”

 

Following alcohol, stimulants were most likely found to be associated with or a contributor to the four types of crashes under study. Cannabinoids were most prevalent after alcohol and stimulants (not surprising, as Bedard et al’s previous analysis of FARS data -- Bedard et al. 2007. The impact of cannabis on driving. Canadian Journal of Public Health 98: 6-11. -- also noted a slightly elevated risk of accident associated with cannabis, though strangely the authors of this cite don’t cite Bedard in their paper and falsely allege that they are the first researchers to analyze the FARS data for an association between fatal crashes and drug use).

 

The presence of cannabinoids (defined by the authors as “marijuana, THC, and other cannabinoids” so I am assuming that inert metabolites were excluded) was associated with seat belt non-use (not an indicator of impaired psychomotor performance) and surprisingly, speeding (though the authors admit that this association only reached marginal significance. RE; this latter association, authors wrote, “We might speculate that the marijuana relationship to speeding is related to the characteristics of the users who may be more likely to be risk takers than to the acute effects of the drugs on the body.” (emphasis mine) In the study, many of the drivers in fatal accidents with low BACS were male (77%) and under age 34 (47%), which would positively correlate with a greater propensity to both engage in risky driving behavior and marijuana use.

 

To their credit, the authors drew their conclusions cautiously noting (page 575): “For alcohol, dosage is directly linked to impairment. ... Unfortunately, the concentrations of drugs other than alcohol that impair driving performance and significantly raise crash risk remain to be defined. Until such concentrations have been defined the FARS data on drugs will be difficult to interpret.

 

“Finally, it is important that analyzing only the presence of the drug in the body of a driver does not provide reliable information on the acute effects of the substance on the driver’s performance because the observed differences among the users of different classes of drugs may be a result of the characteristics of those who choose that particular drug rather than the effects of the drug i

[Kevin]

Not one single person I've talked with since the election even admits to voting for either Schuette or Snyder.

 

So how did they get elected? Someone voted for them, they're just ashamed to admit it now. I did not vote for them.

 

Both Snyder & Schuette have proven they are not going to respect the will of the voters.

 

They bring us more pain. They cause us more grief. The make us suffer more than we already are.

 

A patient cannot stand more pain & suffering. There may be or have already been suicides by patients because of the added suffering forced upon them by Snyder & Schuette. I don't think either of them care in the least about the health or well being of any of us. They need to spend a week in a wheelchair with MS or suffer constant nerve pain.

 

A pox & erectile dysfunction on all elected officials who disrespect the will of the voters.

[LansingAreaCaregiver]

Not one single person I've talked with since the election even admits to voting for either Schuette or Snyder.

 

So how did they get elected? Someone voted for them, they're just ashamed to admit it now. I did not vote for them.

 

Both Snyder & Schuette have proven they are not going to respect the will of the voters.

 

They bring us more pain. They cause us more grief. The make us suffer more than we already are.

 

A patient cannot stand more pain & suffering. There may be or have already been suicides by patients because of the added suffering forced upon them by Snyder & Schuette. I don't think either of them care in the least about the health or well being of any of us. They need to spend a week in a wheelchair with MS or suffer constant nerve pain.

 

A pox & erectile dysfunction on all elected officials who disrespect the will of the voters.

 

They killed Sal Agro this way.

[Guest Happy Guy]

Quote from the doctor(?) in the podcast;

 

ONLY medical cannabis requires a bonified doctor patient relationship

 

Hmmm. I wonder how many doctors agree with that gaff?

 

Also...

 

To say that medical cannabis is responsible for a trooper dying because he decided to join a high speed chase, make a driving mistake while choosing to not wear his seat belt, is so far out there..... God rest his soul and quit dragging his corpse around in the mud.

[Big J]

Again the only problem with the law is they are not following it.

[wingnut]

This was the straw that broke this 'camel's' back. I've sat anonymously on the sidelines for a long time afraid, like you, of retaliation/retribution. I just can't take it anymore, and sent off a letter to the Lansing State Journal for their Viewpoints column. We'll see if they actually publish it, but here is a copy in the meantime:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2008, voters overwhelming approved the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA) with 63% voting in favor of the measure. A group of politicians led by Sen. Rick Jones and Attorney General Bill Schuette have now proposed a package of bills under the guise of keeping law enforcement officers safe and clarifying “gray areas” in the statute.

 

The public needs to understand that these men have no interest in making the Medical Marihuana Act workable or safer, but rather are seeking to gut it until it is meaningless. Jones and Schuette were leading figures in the main opposition group to the 2008 ballot initiative. As they failed to stop the program at the polls, they are now using their official positions in an attempt to usurp the will of the voters.

 

Each of the proposed bills aims to restrict program access while doing nothing to protect the safety or privacy of patients, doctors, and caregivers. If they were truly interested in the will of the people and keeping communities safe, they would be focusing on shutting down “recommendation mills” (doctors who provide recommendation without any sort of exam or review of medical records) and on MDCH’s woeful incompetence in issuing cards.

 

Despite each applicant paying $100 when applying for the program ($25 if they receive disability,) there is currently a 4 month backlog on processing applications. Keep in mind that the application is a simple 2 to 3 page form, not a long process necessitating lengthy review. Imagine the outrage if it took that long to issue drivers licenses! When registry cards are finally issued, they are cheap, contain no photo, and look like something made by a home PC and printer. These easily forgeable cards and long delays in issuing them leave police in a dangerous situation without an easy way to identify who is and is not a legitimate medicinal marijuana patient. Speeding up the review process and adding anti-counterfeiting features to the registry cards is an easy fix. Requiring a doctor to perform an exam and review of medical records would help eliminate people trying to access the program fraudulently without placing an undue burden on patients and doctors.

 

Are there legitimate concerns with the MMMA? Absolutely! Questions over the legality, zoning and safety of dispensaries; ensuring law enforcement has an accurate method to verify a legal patient’s status without violating confidential health records; whether medical facilities can deny a person treatment because they use medicinal marijuana. However, the proposed package of bills does nothing to address them. Instead, they simply force those seeking relief through medicinal marijuana jump through more hoops.

 

A common sense approach that involves input from all affected parties including patients, caregivers, doctors and law enforcement to would be an appropriate response. Instead, what do we get? Sour grapes legislation from a group of people who vehemently opposed this initiative when it was put on the ballot. The voters have spoken. It is time to start respecting their wishes.

 

 

 

I could have gone on for a lot longer with more examples, but this was the best I could do in the 500 word limit.

 

 

 

:thumbsu:

[Nix]

This pic of Schuette that's been associated with this story just says it all.

 

 

http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/08/michigan_medical_marijuana_law.html

[legacy]

"The law has been hijacked by drug dealers who want to make money, line their pockets and make a huge profit" - Bill Schuette

 

Whats the matter Bill? Can't handle a little competition? I mean, the war on drugs and marijuana prohibition have been hijacked for YEARS by law enforcement agencies who want to make money, line their pockets and make a huge profit. Cops have used marijuana as a thin veil for theft via civil asset forfeiture for a long time now.

 

You're just angry that someone else is making money on a product that you guys had a monopoly over for the past several decades.

 

@LansingAreaCaregiver - I couldn't agree more!

 

In prohibition, only 2 people benefit: the black market dealers and cops.

[Phil78]

ya know, as silverblue said, we're voiceless, essentially. yes, we have a voice and a bunch of articulate folks. however, it never ends up being printed where it will have any bearing. it is always just a "oh, did they reply? oh, well."

 

just like marching on the capital. it hasn't had any affect. they don't care, it doesn't phase them. just with any other political issue, the politicians are going to do what they want under the guise of "we the people"

 

when we do get coverage in the news, it's just, "the crazy potheads stormed the capital in their pot t-shirts and hemp shorts, again. those crazy sons of b*****s. so, what's the weather going to be like tomorrow, greg?"

 

now they're (BS and his band of characters) going to focus on showing all the people that are getting cards for reasons other than what the law was put into place for. they're going to show how people are coming up with bs reasons and using the card mills to get cards, when they should not. they are going to focus on everything that is not what this law was supposed to be about. he is going to show how this has gotten out of hand, how people are making up bs reasons to get cards and are actually able to get them. he's going to say, "see, Michigan? you voted for this, but look what they've done!"

 

they are going to dismantle this thing, and we are without a voice (that is heard and taken seriously).

 

you want them to take you seriously? dress the part of their neighbor, their aunt or uncle, mom or dad, even their preacher! don't show up looking like stoners, make yourself presentable.

[wingnut]

When one finds oneself in the unenviable position of supporting and defending marijuana prohibition--particularly when it comes to denying cannabis as a medicinal herb as recommended by a physician--one is left to take a stand without the crutch of reason. Or compassion.

 

So the prohibitionist is left to employ sarcasm, snarkiness, stereotypes, half-truths, straw men, hysteria, propaganda, and all manner of bewilderment to replace reason.

 

The response to marijuana articles has certainly changed to a much more educated level, which is refreshing. There is just no way to be for prohibition anymore without being made a fool in comments.

[BubbleBerryKush]

Protests are the only thing that have made a difference in politics in the last hundred years. The, we can sit at home and medicate approach will not work. Show me once where that has worked. I can prove that protest have worked numerous times in history. Doing nothing and being a defeatist assures defeat. Thanks, BB

 

he is not saying dont do anything, he is saying that what we are doing would work better if we step up to their game. Like I said many many many moons ago, we need to find respectable professional people to be vocal as well. Because to them, we are all just "pot heads", look at what the news does "pot shop", "Michigan's POT law", we need their doctors, their piers (or the like) to speak out. Who are the biggest names in Michigan with MM cards? we need to find this out and get them to speak out.

 

If they want to try and sway popular opinion, its easiest to do with famous faces and well known names...

[+wolfgang]

and when is our press conference?? he beat us to the media we should have been out there exposing him,its not too late,let me know when I should tune in.....

[+wolfgang]

We are already rebutting in the comment section of the news. We always do. It is every single patients and caregivers responsibility to rebut everything these politicians say. Not just about medical marijuana, but everything they say about anything. We have to attack their credibility. The best way to rebut is directly by the people! We will be issuing a press release soon. No organization will win this war. It will be the people. Thanks, Joe

Im leaving responses to the print,Im still hoping the MMMA does a media interview.

[Phil78]

.................There is just no way to be for prohibition anymore without being made a fool in comments.

 

 

therein lies my frustration. BS does not have to brave the elements (though, hopefully it will be a nice day on the 7th), he automatically comes across to the people of michigan that have no vested interest in mmj as a standup guy looking only to do what is right for the people of michigan.

 

we, who support mmj and believe it should not be illegal in the first place, automatically are associated with crime, stoners, illegality and the dirt of society.

 

how is not frustrating that at the start of the day he is "right," and we are responsible for showing he is wrong, when we have no way of doing so? we get no coverage in the media that shows we are everyday people. the only coverage we get is showing the guy in dreads, the guy in the UPS (united pot smokers) t-shirt or tie-dyed outfit, and that typical video of a hand holding a joint, or some indistinguishable character smoking a joint? why would they show anything else? this is news, and they want to perpetuate stereotypes and biases.

 

if this were to go to vote again, there is no way it would pass. these card mills and people getting cards for BS reasons have totally sucked away any credibility we may have with little Mrs. Smith down the street who only voted for it because a) she didn't know what she was voting for, or b) she felt sorry for those suffering with cancer-type serious afflictions. even things like glaucoma, though a serious condition, is thought of like a joke to those brainwashed by the propaganda.

[burroughs]

If this were to go to vote again, there is no way it would pass. these card mills and people getting cards for BS reasons have totally sucked away any credibility we may have with little Mrs. Smith down the street who only voted for it because a) she didn't know what she was voting for, or b) she felt sorry for those suffering with cancer-type serious afflictions. even things like glaucoma, though a serious condition, is thought of like a joke to those brainwashed by the propaganda.

 

Hey guys...know I'm new here but wanted to throw in my 2 cents. I think that the problem is the card mills but this approach doesn't solve that. Maine has really got the approach down. Their new bill really nails the source by eliminating registration with the state, requiring caregivers to register, and setting up a structure for dispensaries. I definitely didn't feel comfortable approaching my primary physician due to varying concerns. I knew he was only open to one approach to treating my condition. I did send an email to Rep. Sanderson, a Republican, who wrote the bill in Maine and requested that she in particular contact Schuette or Jon Walsh.

 

From a media perspective I think there may be more support then thought. Pat Caputo has been discussing the topic tonight and has been in support of medical marijuana and has been questioning altering the amendment.

[Nix]

[burroughs]

welcome to the site, you raise a good point. maybe we should change our email strategy

 

Thanks I think our batch of lawmakers just can't look at the amendment correctly because they hate it so much. They blow the few instances of fraud into a case to limit implementation. Their end goal with this batch of legislation is to scare doctors from prescribing and intimidate patients from seeking the medicine in the first place. On the surface, I think any of us would be hard pressed to say we'd mind measures that prevent people from abusing but there's a better way to go about it. And...I think people agree with us. There is a great deal support for the amendment, its ability for treatment, and drug laws in general. Taking to the airwaves would be grand. I've had some limited e-mail contact with Stephen Henderson at the Freep and he is generally a pretty easy fellow to talk too. Would it be worthwhile to contact him and see if he might run a column on the Maine approach and what we should be doing in our State...?

[Poppa Puff]

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS380US380&q=schuette+medical+marijuana

 

Thank you BB great to just read the comments. .............Pops

[Phil78]

he is not saying dont do anything, he is saying that what we are doing would work better if we step up to their game. Like I said many many many moons ago, we need to find respectable professional people to be vocal as well. Because to them, we are all just "pot heads", look at what the news does "pot shop", "Michigan's POT law", we need their doctors, their piers (or the like) to speak out. Who are the biggest names in Michigan with MM cards? we need to find this out and get them to speak out.

 

If they want to try and sway popular opinion, its easiest to do with famous faces and well known names...

 

exactly what i was trying to say!

[Phil78]

I don't disagree with you folks one bit. The bottom line for a spokesperson is $15,000 for a day. Bottom tier, some reconigition, $5000 a day. None we've asked will do it for free. We are and have investigated every option. So far, I've only found my neck to put in the noose. Everything we do has to be funded. We work with every dime we have and borrow the rest. I am working on setting up a news conference. A press release is easy. Getting the wires to pick it up, is something else all together. The press is no longer the watch dog. They are a lap dog. We are hitting on all cylinders. But remember this. His press conference flopped today. Look at Google. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS380US380&q=schuette+medical+marijuana Nobody wanted to hear his crap. He has lost credibility and we did that. We have been following him around for months tagging all of his articles. Everyone now knows he is as nutty as squirell crap. So if we get all out of whack and oveareact to his PC, then we give him credibility.

 

 

but the thing is, it flopped "to us"

 

he is a d-bag "to us"

 

we as a community, do not represent the whole of michigan. OUR thoughts, opinions, etc., are influenced by our peers. 61% still are in favor, but what does that 61% represent? i've never gotten a call, people i know have never gotten a call asking how they felt. they can influence the vote by directing the questions at a certain time of the day, at certain areas of the state, etc.

 

to us, he is a d-bag. how about to those outside of our circle? he has a lot of followers, but guess who follows him the closest? US! his press conference could have been a flop, but if the crowd was made up mostly of friendlies, he could have handed out candy bars and they would have booed him. (not saying this was the case, just that many things influence perceptions)

 

i work in health care. mmj is essentially a joke. a joke to the doctors, to the healthcare workers, to the cops that come in to BS with the pretty nurses, etc. I'm very vocal of my opinion and stance. my view is not popular in my circle of peers, despite the evidence and amount of propaganda busters i can spew.

 

if the only people i knew and hung out with were friendlies, or even strictly mmj patients, i could get the feeling that "hey, we're going to win this thing! how could we not? everyone i know supports it!"

 

however, i know mostly people outside the circle of mmj, and it's not a friendly place.

 

THAT is why i should say we need to make ourselves look like your neighbor down the street. we need people to realize that yeah, real, everyday people use it to help pain and other conditions. that person you've known for 20 years uses mmj to help them cope with day to day life, so they don't have to take the organ-damaging drugs the doctors are prescribing, because they believe big pharma gives the best options.

 

these people don't know! they're ignorant! they are all living sheltered lives, whether they believe it, or not. there are so many people who go through life with pain no worse than a headache. they need to understand there is uncontrollable suffering, or suffering which is not controlled by 2 tylenol and a nap!

 

i'm not saying don't do anything, because if we don't, we will surely lose. but we need to do something get people to relate.

[CherryCrush]

At the end of that video, they say someone who runs a compassion club supports these bills?

[Guest Happy Guy]

At the end of that video, they say someone who runs a compassion club supports these bills?

They also say medical marijuana killed a trooper because he decided to join a high speed chase, make a driving error, and he died because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. They actually had the NERVE to bring that up.

 

They will say anything. They use statistics that you can google and see that bright state troopers understand are stilted and even say it in print. How do you think a smart cop, that knows what they are saying is BS, feels after listening to that garbage? He's on our side now if he wasn't already.

 

What struck me most about the podcast was the ignorance. From the doctor that said that ONLY medical marijuana requires a bonified doctor patient relationship to the sheriffs blinded by hate. They were all sheriffs there. Dinosaurs that are too full of hate to even learn. We can't teach them different. The more intelligent people that hear them, the more they lose support. People close to them, including judges, doctors, and even other law makers/enforcement, understand how ridiculous some of their opinions are.

 

We have people at the table with other state reps that understand the ignorance and do not share it. Make sure you understand that not everybody who matters when it comes to these bills are ignorant like those on the podcast. Appeal to the smarter ones with friendly logic. Schuette would be proud if he could make us all haters like he is. That is the ONLY way we lose. Stay smart and friendly, not everyone is our enemy.

[+Dizledot]

ya know, as silverblue said, we're voiceless, essentially. yes, we have a voice and a bunch of articulate folks. however, it never ends up being printed where it will have any bearing. it is always just a "oh, did they reply? oh, well."

 

just like marching on the capital. it hasn't had any affect. they don't care, it doesn't phase them. just with any other political issue, the politicians are going to do what they want under the guise of "we the people"

 

when we do get coverage in the news, it's just, "the crazy potheads stormed the capital in their pot t-shirts and hemp shorts, again. those crazy sons of b*****s. so, what's the weather going to be like tomorrow, greg?"

 

now they're (BS and his band of characters) going to focus on showing all the people that are getting cards for reasons other than what the law was put into place for. they're going to show how people are coming up with bs reasons and using the card mills to get cards, when they should not. they are going to focus on everything that is not what this law was supposed to be about. he is going to show how this has gotten out of hand, how people are making up bs reasons to get cards and are actually able to get them. he's going to say, "see, Michigan? you voted for this, but look what they've done!"

 

they are going to dismantle this thing, and we are without a voice (that is heard and taken seriously).

 

you want them to take you seriously? dress the part of their neighbor, their aunt or uncle, mom or dad, even their preacher! don't show up looking like stoners, make yourself presentable.

 

 

Just a thought, we use our voices to submit , ummm actually flood the news papers with editorials. Well written, no flaming but fact filled editorials. The online comments are good but we need to get in print. Don't forget our local papers too. They will require real names and a contact number to verify the author. Make sure to back up the comments with actual facts.