PATIENTS WANT POT FOR PAIN

Lynn Allen is in a great deal of pain. And he thinks marijuana would ease it.

The 51-year-old Williamston man was born with hemophilia and infected with
HIV and hepatitis C more than 20 years ago.

His greatest pain comes from arthritis related to his hemophilia. He must
use a wheelchair to get around. He takes narcotics that help with pain, but
they have side effects, including constipation and memory problems. Unless
it's legal, he won't use marijuana.

"I had children in the home, and I didn't want to set a bad example for
them," Allen said. "They've since gone off to college, but I just don't
think it's a good idea to break the law."

Michigan voters will likely decide in November whether to allow seriously
ill patients to use marijuana based on the recommendation of a physician.

Supporters have turned in nearly half a million petition signatures to the
secretary of state's office -- they need 304,000 valid signatures to get
the issue on the ballot. The state Legislature gets first crack at passing
the petition as law, but that seems unlikely. In that case, the question
would appear on the November ballot.

But opponents question the medicinal value of marijuana and the sincerity
of the effort. Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth is among them.

"There's plenty of pain medication out there," Wriggelsworth said. "I don't
think anybody's concern is about ill people. It's just a way for people who
have a predisposition to use drugs to try to get them legalized."

Local Ordinances

Twelve states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In
Michigan, five cities -- Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ferndale, Flint and Traverse
City -- have ordinances to do so, although use and possession are illegal
under state and federal law.

Under the Michigan proposal, seriously ill patients could legally use
marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

The measure specifically lists treatment for such things as HIV, cancer and
Alzheimer's disease, as well as for less specific "severe and chronic pain."

Patients would register with the state and have an ID card to help police
know they have the right to use marijuana.

Those who are registered would have the right to grow up to 12 marijuana
plants.

They could not be prosecuted for buying marijuana, although it would still
be a crime for someone to sell it.

The medical community is divided on the issue. Supporters include the
California, New York and Rhode Island medical societies, the American
Public Health Association and the American Academy of HIV Medicine.

White House view

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy opposes it, as does
the Michigan State Medical Society expert in research. Some Michigan
residents use marijuana to help with pain despite the fact that it is
against the law.

"You find it primarily used for people who are going through chemotherapy
and have a difficult time keeping anything down, people with muscular pain
such as multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, people who are in serious pain and
that have life-threatening illnesses," said Dianne Byrum, a former
legislator whose political consulting firm is leading the drive.

Byrum says other states with medical marijuana laws have seen up to one
half of 1 percent of the population take advantage of the law. In Michigan,
that would be about 50,000 people.

But Dr. Michael Chafty, a pain-management specialist who serves on the
Michigan State Medical Society's board of directors, said more
well-controlled studies are needed.

"Many of the people who think that marijuana is their only option don't
understand the options that currently exist in pain management," he said.
"There are a lot of other options that are very adequate, if not superior,
to marijuana."

Lawmaker Doubtful

In theory, the Legislature could enact the marijuana law, eliminating the
need for sending it to the voters. But that's not likely to happen, said
Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt.

"These folks are trying to pull the wool over people's eyes," Cropsey said.
"They'll get a couple of very sympathetic examples out there, but when it
comes right down to it, they are just plain trying to legalize marijuana
eventually."