NOW THAT VOTE IS IN, HOW WILL MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM WORK?

Now that a 63 percent majority of the Michigan voting public has
given the green light to the green leaves of medical marijuana, the
question is: how will the program work?

Forget the misleading images of California-like "potshops" that were
pictured on the website opposing the bill.

"The law says you can possess marijuana, you can grow marijuana, but
doesn't tell you how you can acquire the drug legally," said James
McCurtis, spokesperson for Michigan Department of Mental Health,
which will administer the medical marijuana program.

If obtaining the drug is still a puzzling dilemma for those who
qualify, it's a purposeful one: to avoid the criticism levied at the
public sale of medical marijuana in California dispensaries. Patients
can also light up in dispensaries there, but Michigan's law prohibits
the drug from being used publicly.

Dianne Byrum, spokeswoman for the support group Michigan Coalition
for Compassionate Care and a Michigan state legislator for 10 years,
disputes concerns about the law's vague language expressed in an Ann
Arbor News editorial against Proposal 1 on October 24.

"Michigan's law is very limited, well structured, well written, and
mirrors the law in the 11 states that approved medical marijuana
after California," said Byrum.

Those states are Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

It will take until approximately May 1 after numerous public hearings
to see exactly how the Michigan law gets implemented, but much is known now.

The major effect of the medical marijuana law will be to put a
registry ID card in the hand of medical marijuana users or their
caregivers, which will make them immune from arrest. To get their
card, patients will first need to visit their doctor.

"These are seriously ill patients, getting chemotherapy, or with HIV,
AIDS or multiple sclerosis," said Byrum.

For those too nauseous from chemotherapy to keep down pills or food,
it is easy to see how a drug that is smoked and builds the appetite
(Cheech and Chong might call it "getting the munchies") could be a lifesaver.

"A doctor can't write a prescription for marijuana. What are you
going to do; take it to Walgreen's? All he can do is write a
recommendation, and the patient takes that certified document and
sends it to us to accept or deny," said McCurtis.

"Once the department receives it, it will have five days to approve
or deny the application. If approved, the user gets a card, and also
gets entered into the state database of approved users," said McCurtis.

Caregivers for the infirm can also receive a card, and a caregiver
can have cards for a maximum of five people.

Registered users will be permitted to grow up to 12 marijuana plants
and possess not more than 2.5 ounces.

Concerns that sick patients will go to work under the influence of
the drug are covered in the law as well.

"Nothing in the law will require that an employer accommodate an
employee under the influence," said Byrum.

Patient registration fees will cover the program's financial burden
on the Michigan Department of Community Health. In other states,
those fees are $50-$75 per individual. The fee for Michigan patients
is being determined in the next few months.

For patients already using marijuana, the cost of registration will
likely be a small price to pay to eliminate the fear of arrest.