ELECTION 2008 - MEDICAL POT ISSUE CALLED 'PLOY,' 'GOOD IDEA'

Finding someone in Leelanau County who will admit publicly that they
plan to vote "yes" on Proposal 1 in November is not an easy task.

The proposal calls for a legislative initiative to permit the use and
cultivation of marijuana for specified medical conditions. The ballot
proposal was put forward by a group called the Michigan Coalition for
Compassionate Care, which asserts that a new law will strictly limit
legal marijuana use to "registered patients" whose doctors have
prescribed the drug for conditions approved by the state Department
of Community Health.

But a provision of the law may "permit registered and unregistered
patients and primary caregivers to assert medical reasons for using
marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana."

According to Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Oltersdorf, that final
provision of the proposal is what sums it all up in his mind.

"This proposal is nothing more than a ploy by those with an agenda to
decriminalize marijuana altogether," the sheriff said. "If this were
a legitimate proposal to offer a new medicine, the pharmaceutical
companies would have put it forward - but that's not who's pushing this."

The sheriff said he believes that if voters approve the proposal, "it
will be a nightmare for law enforcement."

Oltersdorf said that, if approved, the proposal will hamper the
ability of police and prosecutors to go after those who use the drug
for recreational purposes - the vast majority of illegal users.

Warren Raftshol of Suttons Bay Township disagreed, and said he will
be voting "yes" on Proposal 1.

Raftshol is running as a write-in candidate for Sheriff against
Oltersdorf in November. Although he has acknowledged that his chances
of defeating the incumbent are slim, Raftshol said he's looking at
the election as a way to encourage public discussion on a variety of
topics, including Proposal 1.

"I think the proposal for the medical use of marijuana is a good idea
and it could be very beneficial for some patients," Raftshol said.
"It's not something we should rule out; and I will definitely be
voting 'yes' on this proposal in November," he said.

Calls to the northwest Michigan chapter of the National Organization
for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) were not returned.

An anti-tobacco activist and registered nurse, Lisa Danto of Suttons
Bay, said she is against the medical marijuana use proposal. She
noted that a pharmaceutical company already produces a pill called
Marinol that contains the active ingredient in marijuana - and the
pill delivers the drug without requiring patients to smoke it.

"Smoking anything is bad for you," Danto said. "I think that any
benefits that might come from using marijuana in this way are far
outweighed by the problems," she said.

Suttons Bay attorney Dean Robb, who has defended people accused of
marijuana possession and use in the past, said he will be voting
"yes" on the proposal.

"I think the whole effort to treat drug use as a criminal matter
rather than a mental health matter has been an enormous waste of time
and money," Robb said.

"As for the medical use of marijuana," Robb added, "I can tell you
that when my own father had stomach cancer and underwent surgery, he
was miserable until one of my kids - I can't remember which one -
gave him some marijuana brownies. My dad said he felt great and had
the best night of sleep he'd had in a long time. I only feel guilty
that we never told him it was because he was high on marijuana."

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OFFICIAL BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR PROPOSAL 1

The following is the official ballot language for Proposal 1:

A LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE TO PERMIT THE USE AND CULTIVATION OF
MARIJUANA FOR SPECIFIED MEDICAL CONDITIONS

The proposed law would:

Permit physician approved use of marijuana by registered patients
with debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV,
AIDS, hepatitis C, MS and other conditions as may be approved by the
Department of Community Health.

Permit registered individuals to grow limited amounts of marijuana
for qualifying patients in an enclosed, locked facility.

Require Department of Community Health to establish an identification
card system for patients qualified to use marijuana and individuals
qualified to grow marijuana.

Permit registered and unregistered patients and primary caregivers to
assert medical reasons for using marijuana as a defense to any
prosecution involving marijuana.

Should this proposal be adopted?

Yes ___

No ___