DETROIT VOTERS CAN OK POT FOR PAIN

Every other day, Rochelle Lampkin injects medication into her hip that is
widely used to ease the chronic pain of multiple sclerosis.

But she said it's not enough to stop the blinding pressure around her eyes
that feels as if her eyeballs will explode out of their sockets. And it
doesn't end the crippling ache brought on by her MS that saps the energy
from her arms and legs.

So Lampkin turns to a few puffs of a marijuana cigarette when she needs
some extra relief.

"This affords me a better quality of life," Lampkin, 45, said. "I don't
think anyone should be refused that."

On Aug. 3, the battle between the rights of seriously ill patients and
antidrug forces in Detroit could be settled -- barring almost certain legal
challenges -- when voters decide whether to allow the use of medical
marijuana. If it passes, Detroit would be the first city in the Midwest to
pass such a law.

The Detroit City Council will hold a hearing today to debate the issue. And
Lampkin said she plans to be there to make her case.

"I need to do whatever I can to help me," said Lampkin, who has been
smoking marijuana to battle her symptoms ever since she temporarily lost
her eyesight five years ago.

Ann Arbor voters face a similar ballot proposal this November. If voters in
both cities approve the measures, supporters say they will ask lawmakers in
Lansing to take statewide action.

Antidrug activists worry that the medical marijuana push is the first step
of a larger movement to legalize the drug.

"I feel there would be horrible unintended consequences if it went through
under the guise of medical marijuana," said Detroit City Councilwoman
Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, one of the most vocal opponents. "I think it would
be hell for the city."

Tinsley-Talabi said she hopes to introduce a resolution in the council next
week opposing the Detroit initiative.

The proposal would not stop Wayne County Sheriff's deputies, Michigan State
Police or federal agents from charging users in Detroit with marijuana
possession.

U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins would not comment on the proposal Thursday,
but his bosses in U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's office in
Washington have legally challenged other states that have passed similar laws.

Nine states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon,
Vermont and Washington -- allow the legal use of medical marijuana.

One California case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where the justices will
decide whether the federal government can prosecute sick people who smoke
marijuana on the advice of a doctor.

Those who oppose legalizing marijuana for medical purposes say it sends
mixed messages, particularly to young people already inclined to think
there is little danger in smoking pot.

They say a legal alternative exists in the form of Marinol, the only
FDA-approved drug that contains a synthetic version of
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol -- or THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana.

The other side argues that Marinol is too expensive, has too many side
effects and is much more potent than a few puffs on a joint.

Advocates of medical marijuana say their fight should not be lumped into
the war on drugs.

"It's not a drug issue; it's a health issue," Lampkin said. "People need to
realize some drugs have a purpose. I want them to let us use it, not abuse it."

The single mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago. She
said her legs become so weak and tired that she often has to walk with a
cane or walker. Her disability keeps her from working a full-time job.

She said she smokes pot once or twice a week before she goes to bed, so
that the pain will subside enough that she can fall asleep.

"I don't smoke this marijuana for recreation," she said. "I puff on it
twice and go to bed. I'm not trying to be cool."

Lampkin said she plans on keeping the routine, even if the ballot measure
fails.

"It'll just turn me into a criminal," she said. "But the pain is
unbearable. The pain could make you do anything. This is all I got left."