By Staff
CASSOPOLIS – Proposal 1 would legalize smoked marijuana for so-called "medical" reasons. Unfortunately, it is deeply flawed and carelessly written. It is filled with loopholes.
The unintended consequences will result in deep pitfalls for our county and state.
To see the danger of Proposal 1, you need only to look to other states who now regret having passed similar proposals.
California approved a proposal to legalize so-called "medical" marijuana 10 years ago.
It has failed miserably.
Today in California, even the proposal's most vocal supporters admit their law has resulted in chaos.
Hundreds of pot smoking clubs and pot shops have opened up in neighborhood malls, back yard garages and other locations across the state.
Pot dealers now operate in storefronts and millions of dollars being dumped into the criminal black market. There has been a dangerous increase in the number of people driving under the influence of marijuana – and they have a "medical" defense in court. There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of marijuana accessible to teens.
Employers in California are being powerless in keeping employees from smoking marijuana on the job.
Similar negative results have occurred in a handful of other states which passed such similarly ill-advised regulations.
Imagine going with your kids to downtown Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Marcellus, Edwardsburg or Vandalia and finding out that a new store has opened up and it is distributing marijuana.
Imagine going to the emergency room with a very sick child and having the person sitting next to you in the waiting area light up a joint.
Imagine working at one of our local factories and the person next to has just smoked marijuana.
Imagine being the victim of a serious hit-and-run vehicular incident only to find out when the driver at fault is found and put on trial he or she has a "medical" excuse for driving under the influence of drugs.
Imagine that your next-door neighbor is producing drugs in his garage – and criminal drug dealers know it. All of these things can happen if Proposal 1 passes in Michigan Nov. 4, according to a joint statement from Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz, Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood, Dowagiac Chief Tom Atkinson, Ontwa/Edwardsburg Chief Ken Wray and Cassopolis Chief Frank Williams
When Proposal 1 was being crafted, it was suggested that the proposal at least put "medical marijuana" in pill form. The backers of the bill refused. Instead, they insisted that all users be able to smoke the marijuana.
In this day and age of intense economic strife and international competition for jobs, education and financial stability, we do not need another vice pushed on our children and future generations.
The Michigan medical community, hospitals, The Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, the Michigan Sheriffs' Association, the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, parent groups and others have come out in clear opposition to Proposal 1.
Others in the legal community, including Michigan Appellate Court Judge Bill Schuette, have weighed in with strong opposition to this ill-advised proposal.
Marijuana smokers and illegal dealers from Indiana and other states would logically desire to migrate to Cass County for easy access to marijuana in our state.
U.S. Drug Czar John Walters has indicated that "the marijuana lobby is trying to pull a con on Michigan voters. This would be bad for public health and for public safety. It will result in the wide distribution of marijuana under the guise of medicine. This is not about medicine. This is about legalizing marijuana."