PROPOSAL 1 COULD LEGALIZE MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

In the approaching election, Michigan voters will finally have the
chance to cast their vote for or against the state legalization of
medical marijuana.

Nearly half of a million voters signed petitions distributed by the
Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care, last year, to get the
medical marijuana on the ballot, a far greater number than the
304,000 signatures needed. The proposal will be listed as Proposal 1
on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Proposal 1 would allow doctors to treat ill patients with marijuana,
an illegal drug that has been used medicinally to cure ailments
around the world for thousands of years. Under the proposal,
marijuana would be administered to registered patients with
debilitating medical conditions. HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, cancer,
glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and other medical
conditions that cause severe chronic pain, nausea, muscle spasms
and/or seizures, are among those listed on the proposal.

Marijuana has not always been illegal; it was commonly used
medicinally in the United States until 1937, when a change in the way
the drug was taxed slowed down its use. It was made illegal in 1970,
when it was declared to be a Schedule 1 type substance by the U.S.
Controlled Substances Act. The act states that a Schedule 1 type drug
has no current accepted medical use in the United States, and has a
high potential for abuse.

"Prohibition has mishandled the problem of drug abuse in our society,
and the War on Drugs has forced patients with Cancer and Multiple
Sclerosis to suffer the consequences. It is now time to take care of
our sick and dying and get them off the front lines of this
battlefield," said Chris Chiles Executive Director and National Board
Member of University of Michigan's Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

Many medical physicians and scholars believe that marijuana can
significantly help patients. Studies have shown that the drug can
alleviate pain, control spasms, and induce hunger in those who are
not able gain an appetite because of the use of certain medications.

In a June 2002, San Francisco Chronicle article: "Stop the Federal
War on Medical Marijuana" Andrew Weil, MD, Director of Integrative
Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine said "As a
physician, I am frustrated that I cannot prescribe marijuana for
patients who might benefit from it. At the very least I would like to
be able to refer them to a safe, reliable, quality-controlled source."

David K. Fox, Director of Public Relations at the Michigan State
Medical Society disagrees; he does not believe that marijuana is a
safe, reliable, quality-controlled source. He said he believes there
are a lot of unintended consequences in the medical marijuana
proposals. He also said he fears smoking as a delivery system will
have negative side effects on patients, and that quality-control is
hard to achieve when no standard dosage can be established.

The Michigan State Medical Society, a state branch of the American
Medical Association, which represents 16,000 doctors, is one group
among a long list of law enforcement and medical groups that oppose Proposal 1.

"The use of marijuana for medical purposes is a decision between
patients and doctors and not one that the government should get
involved with," Chiles said.

The people and the government are at odds over this issue. "If
doctor's believe that medical marijuana is in the best interest of a
suffering patient, then I am for it, the government should not
step-in-between the doctor and the patients wishes" said senior Sara
E. Goldsmith, seeking a BS in Legal Assisting at Eastern Michigan.
Her feelings are similar with many others.

Voter polling over the last 30 years shows the trend of 70 percent of
American's said they think medical marijuana should be allowed,
showing a great divide between citizens and government.

If Proposal 1 wins Michigan will be the 13th state to legalize
medical marijuana, joining Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and
Washington.