A2 VOTERS PASS INITIATIVE TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Ann Arbor residents passed a ballot proposal, to allow the use of marijuana
for medicinal purposes, yesterday.

Proposal C will waive fines for medical marijuana patients and their
caregivers who receive the recommendation of a physician or other qualified
health professional to use marijuana for medical treatment.

The proposal also changes the current law in Ann Arbor to lower the fine
for the third and all subsequent marijuana offenses for non medical users
to $100. These fines include possession, control, use, giving away or
selling of marijuana.

Although medical marijuana users would avoid fines under the law, the
police are not required to return any marijuana that they may seize from
patients.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has spoken out against the use of medical marijuana,
warning it will still be illegal to use, possess or sell marijuana under
state and federal law.

In response to the passing of Proposal C, Dan Solano, a retired Detroit
police officer and medical marijuana user, said the vote sends a positive
message to the state Legislature.

He also said he feels the vote is symbolic.

"It does symbolize that the public is behind amending the laws so patients
will have safe access to cannabis," he said.

Scio Township Trustee Charles Ream, who has been promoting the proposal,
said, "Initially, (the proposal) will help only a small number of people,
and then it will grow to be quite a large amount once people realize how
many ailments (cannabis) helps."

Rich Birkett, who lost a bid for a City Council seat in Ann Arbor's 3rd
ward, wrote the proposal. "There are quite a few people who use medical
marijuana in Ann Arbor," Birkett said.

Jan Paliza, a 50-year-old Ann Arbor resident, is one of those people. At
age 14, a car on Ford Road in Ypsilanti hit her, and in 1998, she was
diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but doctors still debate whether the
diagnosis is correct. "Since my car accident, I have felt like a doctor's
guinea pig," Paliza said, adding that her life is a constant struggle.

"When I take (traditional) medications, I have to deal with the side
effects." But Paliza said when she has access to marijuana, she feels
better. "I am a better person, in better spirits, when I smoke a joint."

Although Proposal C has not specified conditions in which it would be legal
for patients to use marijuana, in general medical marijuana has been shown
effective in treating pain and nausea caused by AIDS, cancer, multiple
sclerosis and many other disorders.

Psychiatry Prof. Kirk Bower described the pros and cons of medical
marijuana use. "The major pro is to provide relief of symptoms for patients
who do not respond to conventional treatments," he said.

Bower added that a major drawback of smoking marijuana for medicinal
purposes is that it carries its own risks of cancer and other lung problems.

The Food and Drug Administration has also expressed doubt and disdain
toward the legalization of medical marijuana, suggesting further research
is needed before legalization for therapeutic uses can be recommended

Medical marijuana is already legal in nine states including California,
Colorado and Vermont. In August, Detroit passed a law legalizing medical
marijuana in the city.

But on Nov. 29, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not patients
have a right to use cannabis in treating their illnesses when recommended
to do so by a medical professional. The court's decision could overrule Ann
Arbor's new law.