Michigan Attorney General Wants to Make Life Harder for Sick People

Morgan Fox
Michigan Attorney General Wants to Make Life Harder for Sick People

by Morgan Fox
August 12, 2011

Have you ever noticed how prohibitionists in power keep fighting medical marijuana by saying that it is out of control, and somehow causing a breakdown in society, endangering the public, sending the wrong message to kids, etc.? Have you also noticed that they will freely spend time and taxpayer money trying to undermine medical marijuana programs and restrict the rights of patients?

We’re seeing it in Arizona with Gov. Jan Brewer’s egregious lawsuit to interfere with her state’s voter-approved medical marijuana law, which even the federal government thinks is a waste of time. We’re seeing it in Oregon, where a local sheriff is so hellbent on denying the 2nd Amendment rights of medical marijuana patients that he is willing to use state funds to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Now, long-time medical marijuana foe Bill Schuette, attorney general of Michigan, has announced his plans to introduce legislation this fall that would supposedly stop the abuse of the medical marijuana system there.

Hold on a minute. Aren’t law enforcement supposed to enforce the laws, not make them? That’s a topic for another time.

The main focus of the as-yet-unfinished bill will be curbing the amount of “drugged-driving” accidents by severely limiting the ability of medical marijuana patients to ever drive a car.

From the press release:

“Schuette noted confusing inconsistencies between the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code and the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act must be eliminated to preserve safety on Michigan roadways. A longstanding safety provision in the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code prohibits driving with any amount of marijuana in your system. In contrast, the MMMA references driving “under the influence of marijuana,” a term which is not defined in state law or by uniform scientific standards, and creates a different standard for medical marijuana users. …

Schuette cited statistics recently released by the Michigan State Police which indicate that marijuana-related fatalities remain the most common drug-related automobile fatality, and that such fatalities are on the rise in Michigan.

“Driving with marijuana in your system is unsafe and jeopardizes the safety of our roadways,” said Schuette. “If you take drugs, don’t take the wheel.”

It is never a good idea to get behind the wheel while impaired by any substance. That being said, the statements of the attorney general can best be described as baseless fear-mongering.

First of all, multiple studies and mountains of anecdotal evidence have proven that merely having marijuana in one’s system is not an indicator of impairment, or even intoxication. Marijuana metabolites can stay in one’s system for up to a month after using it, and THC can stay in one’s system for a week. Yet the effects wear off within a few hours. The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act recognizes this by changing the wording of driving restrictions for medical marijuana patients to driving “under the influence,”, meaning that the patient has medicated recently and is still experiencing some intoxicating effects. Despite Schuette’s claim, “under the influence” is used in the provision of Michigan’s DUI laws that apply to all other prescription medications — MCL 257.625 (1)(a).

Under the changes proposed by Schuette, this difference would be removed, making it illegal for patients to operate a car with any marijuana in their system whatsoever. Most medical marijuana patients always have marijuana in their system. Even those who only use occasionally may have to use large amounts that can leave traces in the body for some time.

Basically, this amounts to saying that if a person finds that marijuana is the best medicine to treat their condition, he or she must forfeit their driving privileges or wait weeks after medicating to drive. This restriction is not applied to any other medicine in Michigan. This is medical bigotry, plain and simple. Patients are already dealing with trying to live normal lives and treat their conditions. They have it hard enough as it is. And Bill Schuette wants to make their lives even harder.

Secondly, the assertion that marijuana is involved in more automobile related fatalities than any other drug is completely false, unless one uses the definition that the Attorney General would like to apply to medical marijuana patients. The study cited in the press release used just that definition, however, and counted every fatal accident in which the driver had any marijuana in his or her system! This means that if someone smokes a joint, and three weeks later gets in a car (maybe after a few cocktails) and kills someone, it is a marijuana-related auto fatality.

It sure is easy to scare people when you don’t care about science.

This is illustrative of the need to get away from chemical intoxication testing and go back to physical impairment tests in driving situations. It should not matter what is in someone’s bloodstream, particularly for medical marijuana patients. Whether or not they are impaired should be the primary concern for law enforcement, and they don’t need fancy blood tests or saliva swabs to determine that. They’ve been doing just fine since the invention of the automobile.

I agree totally with your words. Things are so outta whack everywhere I look. It gets to the point where I do not even like to think about ALL the work that needs to be and or could be done.

Where there is one dumb authority figure there is another so it is almost like it ain't gonna end in my lifetime unless the earth moves.

BTW I did like the read... give me more things to read about. make more threads of information why don't ya.lol

My question is how are they going to tell you have marijuana in your system? Drug test you? or some sort of field sobriety test? Im guessing drug tests or blood tests but what about caregivers that aren't patients. Will they have the right to drug test these caregivers just because they are around marijuana to make sure they are not smoking it?

OMG! Doesn't this tampon stain now that when your high you drive like 5mph... If you get in an accident worst happens is you spill your Tim Hortons coffee on your timbits you #*)@&* just had to go get.

To think I even worse WE let him lead us...HA HA HA this life a fucking joke.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2010/jun/11/drugged_driving_michigan_supreme

Supreme Court of Michigan reverses itself on what is considered drugged driving. Maybe Mr. Schuette should read up on this.

Nice find!!!! That is awesome!

Yeah, that's some good shit right there man. Thanks for posting it!

Yep keep voting republican in this beautiful state of michigan and this shit will keep rolling to keep our eyes off the other robbery taking place. They had the eye gouging bills just lined up to pound up our ass as soon as they got the majority. Silly didnt people look at who was on the ticket for State attorney before they just pulled that straight ticket lever? This lovely fellow has not been shy about his position all along. Big surprise.
Start voting with your brains and not your emotion..They are all crooks lets at least be smart enough to try and vote in our best interests. Most important is to vote often and openly.

spoiler48131 said:

Yep keep voting republican in this beautiful state of michigan and this shit will keep rolling to keep our eyes off the other robbery taking place. They had the eye gouging bills just lined up to pound up our ass as soon as they got the majority. Silly didnt people look at who was on the ticket for State attorney before they just pulled that straight ticket lever? This lovely fellow has not been shy about his position all along. Big surprise.
Start voting with your brains and not your emotion..They are all crooks lets at least be smart enough to try and vote in our best interests. Most important is to vote often and openly.

Click to expand...

You're absolutely right in that they are all crooks. We generally just have to vote for the lesser of the two evils each election cycle and determine who will steal less from us....both parties are evil but the republican party of today are a special breed of evil. For shits and grins to prove my point here and support what spoiler mentioned....look up the states that have passed MMJ laws through the legislature rather than the voter initiative process. Now how many states under republican control have passed MMJ laws through the legislative process? I'll give you the number....zero. Only democratically controlled legislatures have passed mmj laws on their own. That's a raw statistic for the republican party to explain to mmj supporters. There are always a few lone rangers that will cross partisan party lines (i.e. new mexico's former republican governor gary johnson) but they're few and far in between on both sides of the aisle.

The guy is a freak of nature. I have read up on him a little more and think to myself... How? How did he get to the point of an authority figure.

We can use this Bill guy to show as a prime example of where our state is headed. Bill is not the only freak of nature that is trying to take. Cause take take take is what MI is known for... They will take anything they can because they govern themselves.

We must also blame the ones that are supposed to be stopping this kinda non-sense where are they.. What the fuck checks and balances man? Check him outta office to get balance "get it"lol

No but really who do the people have... to tell on a authority? Just a piece of paper that sits in a pile when it reaches it destination. To think we have a voice with Billy is not correct. Public opinion polls mean nothing to someones beliefs. Seems to me Billy was brought up a little bit on the prick side, Dad was probly a uptight lost prick too.