THERE'S NO "HAZE" HANGING AROUND MICHIGAN'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

In response to your Dec. 31 editorial, "Citywide moratorium on medical
marijuana would stand between patients and the will of the people,"
you have nailed it on most points. This effort was ill-advised and far
less than truthful from the onset.

However, I disagree with your position that the medical marijuana law
is "overly vague." The law accomplished exactly what it was designed
to do: provide legal protection and an accepted, viable option for a
person who can benefit from the medical use of marijuana. By default,
it also isolates those same patients from the larger debate over
complete marijuana legalization.

The law was drafted as carefully and comprehensively as could be,
given the fact that federal laws prohibiting marijuana use and
possession do not currently allow for states to provide distribution
mechanisms for marijuana, even for medical purposes.

There is no "haze clinging to the medical marijuana law" that needs to
be cleared. It's a very good law, and well-written, given all factors
that had to be considered. Respecting current federal prohibitions and
what was necessary to avoid the wrath of federal authorities -- as
demonstrated in some of the other 12 states allowing medical marijuana
- -- should make it abundantly clear why Michigan's law avoids any
commercial distribution mechanisms for marijuana or seeds. For that
alone we should commend, rather than constantly ridicule, those who
crafted our law.

Interestingly, it's been city leaders themselves from across the state
expressing the greatest amount of interest in a "dispensary" model for
medical marijuana distribution, recognizing the potential revenue they
may reap for city coffers. However, any large-scale commercialization
of medical marijuana would require the support of a full
three-quarters of both houses of the Legislature, or another costly
ballot initiative to accomplish. Neither is likely in the foreseeable
future. So unless something changes, we have the best available
scenario for protecting our patients, all things considered.

David Light, Saginaw Township