Progress Being Made on Law to Block Patient Prosecution, Ann Arbor Woman Says -- Renee Emry Wolfe says she has spent most her life battling multiple sclerosis and most of the past two decades fighting the government over her use of marijuana to manage her pain.

As she left Lansing to head home to Ann Arbor on Tuesday after a rare legislative hearing on medicinal marijuana that centered on the testimony of other chronic pain sufferers, she said that for the first time it felt like progress.

And she didn't have to say a word.

"It was one of the hardest tasks of my life keeping my mouth shut," said Wolfe, 46, who relies on crutches and patience to complete daily activities. "I've been fighting the fight for a long time. It's awesome to me that the system is working."

The legislation discussed Tuesday by the committee would protect people who use marijuana to treat cancer, glaucoma, AIDS or other conditions. The patient would need a signed certification from a doctor to allow the marijuana use.

The House Government Operations Committee heard testimony about the bill Tuesday but didn't vote on it. The bill is not likely to pass before the legislative session concludes at the end of the year.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. LaMar Lemmons III, D-Detroit, would block prosecution of patients with "debilitating medical conditions" who grow or use marijuana for treatment purposes.

Eleven states and several cities - including Detroit and Ann Arbor - have adopted similar measures in the past decade, usually through ballot proposals approved by voters.

The main benefits, patients said Tuesday, are pain relief, anti-inflammation and relief from nausea.

"I'm a living subject. I'm the proof," said Irvin Rosenfeld, a Florida stockbroker and a member of a federal program that allows him to use marijuana legally. "I'm a productive member of society because I have the right medicine."

Benjamin Jones of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence said he is against the bill. He said marijuana should have to go through the same federal testing procedures as other drugs before it could be approved for medical use.

Although activists say they prefer change through the state Legislature over a costly and potentially controversial ballot campaign, supporters of statewide legalization may have to go the same route.

The bill discussed Tuesday is losing two key co-sponsors (Rep. Chris Kolb, D-Ann Arbor, and the lone Republican co-sponsor, Leon Drolet, R-Macomb Township) due to term limits.

"We'll probably have to reintroduce it in the new Legislature, but whether through the ballot or the Legislature, results are results," said Tim Beck, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Michigan chapter.

The Marijuana Policy Project, a national advocacy group, says a petition drive in Michigan is possible at some point.

Proponents of decriminalizing marijuana for those age 21 and older did not collect enough signatures for the 2006 ballot and similar efforts failed in 2000 and 2002.

Beck said 2008 could be a target, but that it won't be in conjunction with a group that got a legislative petition proposal approved Monday by the Board of State Canvassers.

Medical and Recreational Peace, an Eaton Rapids-based group, is pushing decriminalization of marijuana use on private property for those 18 and older whether it be for medical or recreational purposes. They must gather roughly 300,000 valid petition signatures over six months to appear on the November 2008 ballot.

"It just sounds wacky and not too bright," Beck said of the proposal, whose backers could not be reached for comment. "I know everyone involved in marijuana-law reform initiatives across the state and this just came out of nowhere."

The fact that people in and around state government are talking about the issue again gives Wolfe reason for optimism.

"This will go a lot further than it has in the past and if we do all our footwork, we can get places," she said.

"There's still a long way to go, but at least there's dialogue and they're interested."

Newshawk: The Leading Source for News www.drugnews.org
Pubdate: Wed, 29 Nov 2006
Source: Ann Arbor News (MI)
Copyright: 2006 The Ann Arbor News
Contact: letters@annarbornews.com
Website: http://www.mlive.com/aanews/index.ssf
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/20
Author: Art Aisner, News Staff Reporter
Note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Watch: Irv Rosenfeld's HB 5470 Michigan Medical Marijuana Testimony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvzX8aNwxgM
Cited: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Michigan chapter http://www.minorml.org
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org