Medicinal pot advances and no one is afraid

Michigan’s proposed medical marijuana law, which would allow people with physician approval to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana and to grow up to 12 plants at a time, has broad support.

Just decades ago, American teenagers were forced to watch movies like “Reefer Madness,” which warned that marijuana use would lead to insanity and deviant behavior. Tom Shields, founder of the Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group, points out:

Yet, last week not a single soul showed up to protest or even offer a word of caution at the State Board of Canvassers meeting where testimony was given on the potential wording of the ballot proposal to allow for medical use of marijuana in Michigan.

What a difference 40 years makes.

Not only didn’t anyone show up at the hearing, no one has even filed a committee to oppose the proposal. No PTAs. No churches. No cop organizations. Not even the anti-smoking groups.

With so much momentum, and no public opposition, it’s important to look at the potential consequences of decriminalizing medical marijuana, Shields writes. The potential fallout includes increased snack sales, more visits to doctors who prescribe marijuana and lucrative patient supply operations.

“A look at the experience of other states with loose qualifications suggests there would be little anyone could do to prevent recreational pot users from being part of the system,” he cautions.

In a recent New Yorker article — “Dr. Kush: How medical marijuana is transforming the pot industry” — David Samuels describes how the decriminalization of medical marijuana brought new (green) jobs to California.