Pubdate: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 Source: Associated Press (Wire) Copyright: 2004 Associated Press Author: Sarah Karush, The Associated Press Cited: Detroit Coalition for Compassionate Care http://www.mmdetroit.org Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Detroit+Medical+Marijuana+Initiative Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Tim+Beck DETROIT VOTERS APPROVE ALLOWING MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE DETROIT - Residents approved a proposal Tuesday to legalize medical marijuana use in a largely symbolic victory for those who hope to rewrite the state's drug laws. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, 59 percent, or 38,604 votes, were in favor of Proposal M, while 41 percent, or 26,497 votes, were against. The vote changes the city code, creating an exception to the marijuana ban for people who use the drug for medical purposes under a doctor's direction. But the change has no effect on federal and state laws that allow prosecution of those possessing or using marijuana. The initiative's backers acknowledge that there will be little practical effect from the change and view the measure as a step toward rewriting the state's drug laws. Timothy Beck, founder of the Detroit Coalition for Compassionate Care, which collected the necessary signatures to put the measure on the ballot, said his group will work to change state laws following the Detroit vote and a similar one scheduled for November in Ann Arbor. Beck said the group will work with lawmakers to put the issue before the state Legislature or push for a statewide ballot initiative in 2006. "We're just going to let this message resonate, and it is a substantial message," Beck said. "Sophisticated persons that vote in primaries overwhelmingly support medical marijuana." Opponents of the change say it will send the wrong message to young people about drug use and is part of a push for broader legalization of marijuana. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state have passed laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The U.S. Supreme Court said in June that it will rule on the issue in the case of two California women who say marijuana is the only drug that eases their chronic pain. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake