2008 Michigan Proposal 1
A legislative initiative to permit the use and cultivation of marijuana for specified medical conditions. | |||||||||||||||||||
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County Results Yes 70–80% 60–70% 50–60%
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The Michigan Compassionate Care Initiative was an indirect initiated state statute that allowed the
Specifically, the measure:
- Allows terminally and seriously ill patients to use marijuana with their doctors' approval.
- Permits qualifying patients or their caregivers to cultivate their own marijuana for their medical use, with limits on the amount they could possess.
- Creates identification cards for registered patients and establish penalties for false statements and fraudulent ID cards.
- Allows patients and their caregivers who are arrested to discuss their medical use in court.
- Maintains prohibitions on public use of marijuana and driving under the influence of marijuana.
Supporters
The primary proponents of the initiative are the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care (MCCC).[2] Former state representative Dianne Byrum (D) is chairwoman of the coalition.
Organizations
- Marijuana Policy Project,[3]
- National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
- National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) - Michigan Chapter[4]
- StoptheDrugWar.com[5]
Arguments in favor
- Prevents people from being threatened with prison for trying to relieve pain from a serious illness
- Some people are unable to take other drugs and marijuana is the only drug that alleviates a debilitating condition such as nausea or inability to eat.[6]
- The law is narrow in scope as it deals only with medical marijuana
- Requires a doctor's certification of need to be covered under law
- There is a mandatory state registration system in place to assure the law is not abused.
Medical Access to Marijuana is supported by: [7]
- American Academy of HIV Medicine
- American Bar Association
- American College of Physicians
- American Nurses Association
- American Public Health Association
- Aids Action Council
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
- Lymphoma Foundation of America
- National Association of People With Aids
- National Association of Attorneys General
In February 2008, delegates at the Michigan Democratic Party Convention unanimously passed a resolution in favor of protecting patients from arrest.[3]
Michigan has already passed local medical marijuana initiatives in five cities—Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ferndale, Flint, and Traverse City—and by large margins.
A poll by Marketing Resource Group in March 2008 showed 67% of voters saying they supported medical marijuana and 62% voicing approval for this particular initiative. Voters between 34 and 54 showed 75% support for medical marijuana, with 63% of retirees voicing support. Younger voters (18 to 34) were the least supportive, with 61% backing the measure.
Arguments against
- None!
State medical society takes neutral position
The Michigan State Medical Society took a neutral position on this ballot measure, as well as on two other initiatives related to health care at its annual delegates meeting in early May 2008.[8]
Status
The measure was presented to the
Results
| Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Yes
|
3,008,980 | 63% | |
| No | 1,792,870 | 37% | |
| Total votes | 4,801,850 | 100% | |
References
- ^ a b Michigan Medical Marijuana Initiative, Proposal 1 (2008), Ballotpedia, retrieved April 27, 2018
- ^ Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care
- ^ a b Michigan medical marijuana initiative campaign underway, Marijuana Policy Project, August 22, 2007
- ^ "Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws". Archived from the original on April 3, 2005. Retrieved September 24, 2008.
- ^ Michigan medical marijuana campaign needs your urgent help, Stop the Drug War, 9/26/07
- ^ Detroit News: "Michigan to vote on legalizing marijuana for medical use," April 29, 2008
- ^ MCCC Brochure: "Vote YES on Medical Marijuana," September 24, 2008 Archived September 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Detroit News: "Medical Society takes 'neutral' position on stem cell ballot initiative," May 4, 2008
