OFFICERS FIGHT LEGALIZED POT

The use of marijuana for medical purposes is a bad idea in Macomb
County, according to top law enforcement officials who joined
Wednesday to denounce Proposition 1.

The proposal would make Michigan the 13th state to legalize marijuana
as a medical treatment if approved by voters on Tuesday.

Saying Proposition 1 is unregulated and dangerous, Eastpointe Police
Chief Michael Lauretti, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, Macomb
County Prosecutor Eric Smith and Kathy Rager, executive director of
the Macomb Community Assessment Referral & Education Center, joined
with Court of Appeals Judge Bill Schuette to urge people to vote against it.

Schuette said he is barnstorming across Michigan urging people to
vote "no" on Proposition 1 because too many "yes" votes would lead to
the opening of pot shops and smoking clubs.

"There are more pot shops in California than Starbucks coffee shops,"
Schuette said. "Do we want that here in Michigan?"

Schuette said a group of wealthy millionaires from New York,
Washington, D.C., and California are spending millions of dollars
advertising in Michigan to promote Proposition 1. He believes their
motivation is the eventual total legalization of marijuana.

"They want to promote their kind of California and New York lifestyle
here in Michigan and our families don't want it," Schuette said.

Schuette said Proposition 1 would allow people to grow up to 12
marijuana plants for medical reasons, which would produce 57,000
marijuana joints.

Hackel said there is nothing in the proposal to monitor the use of marijuana.

"This law is a move to legalize marijuana," Hackel said. "There are
medicines out there for all health issues and marijuana certainly
isn't one of them."

Addressing the objection that alcohol and tobacco are just as bad as marijuana,

Hackel said alcohol and tobacco are legal for parents, but bad for kids.

He added the proposal could make marijuana use out of control if approved.

"It has no place in Michigan," Hackel said. "I can't believe any
parent would vote for it."

Smith agreed, saying marijuana use among young people has diminished
drastically in the last 30 years and this proposal would counteract
the reduction.

He said states where marijuana was approved for medical reasons are
experiencing a dramatic increase in marijuana use by teenagers.

"I'm amazed at how poorly the proposal is written," Lauretti said.
"There is not one good element in this law."