Michigan Approves Medical Marijuana and Stem Cell Research

[smockers83]

Prop 1 in MI was allow for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes through prescription, ID cards, registered growers, etc.

Also on the ballot was Prop 2 for stem cell research, clearing the way to use excess embryos for research purposes.

Both proposals passed, which honestly surprised me. I voted for both of them. I feel that these two proposals are huge victories in their respective areas. MI now becomes the third state to allow this type of research from my understanding and the 13th to allow medical marijuana.

Prop 2 is pretty controversial though. For some, its a thing of pro-choice and pro-life, some its a religious thing, and for others its a combination of the two in that some think that there shouldn't be excess embryos in the first place, that only enough should be acquired so that they aren't being discarded. But if we have more than enough and they are being discarded, whether the embryo gets discarded or used for research, the embryo is going to be destroyed. So you might as well use it for the possible betterment of humans, especially with world class medical research facilities in this state.

[wawazat8402]

Sounds like some great achievements for your state. The bills we voted on today in Oklahoma werent nearly as exciting. Mostly amendments to currently active bills regarding pay of politicians and the distribution of wine. I honestly cannot see a possibility of medicinal marijuana or stem cell research coming to a vote in my state.

[Jesda]

I don't care what happens to stem cells, as long as it doesn't come from my tax money.

Same goes for all medical research.

[LongBeachCoupe]

I don't care what happens to stem cells, as long as it doesn't come from my tax money.

Same goes for all medical research.

Interesting perspective i guess.. but everyone pays for it though right?

If its not thru taxes, its thru increases in medical bills and scripts from big pharma....

Therein lies the seperation...

I have come to understand the "help vs cure"...

Theres no $ in cures (we cant cure the cold!) but the $ is in helping people live with thier ailment....thru drugs and treatment.

Stem cell research HOPEFULLY will change all that... and in 20 years we will HOPEFULLY laugh at the ailments of today, because they will no longer exist...

Thats my hopes atleast!

[Jesda]

I hope to cure aids with yogurt. Might as well throw more federal money at it until it happens.

[LongBeachCoupe]

LOL you never know man, some of the most interesting solutions come from the least expected places!

[wingFeather]

Now I can finally smoke weed legally, and trade in my girl's fetuses for cash. This country is the bomb yo!!!

[HashiriyaS14]

I don't care what happens to stem cells, as long as it doesn't come from my tax money.

+1

We've seen many cases where public investment has yielded huge future private dividends, but these have mainly been the cases when said public investment had a purpose other than to simply stimulate the private sector.

ARPAnet, for example. Hugely expensive government undertaking to connect computers together that gave birth to the modern intarwebs. It cost a lot of taxpayer dollars and, in hindsight, was worth it a million times over.

It was NOT, however, at the time, justified by these future returns we can now see. It was justified by the fact that it was a technology that the military and intelligence communities needed.

I take the same tack on stem cell research. If the government, for whatever reason, needs to do the research for their own purposes (i.e. some crazy soldier body-part replacement technology or something), then go ahead, spend my money on it, so long as it has a reasonable chance of success.

If it doesn't, and it's just to jumpstart the private sector, back off. The private sector isnt' moving on it because there's no demand, otherwise things would already be happening. Just make the research legal and let the private sector go to work when they decide it's beneficial.

EDIT: +1 for the legalization of medical marijuana, another important step in taking the government out of our lives. The government has no more reason to be involved with outlawing marijuana than it did with outlawing alcohol.

Any self-described "small government conservative" who rails against legalized marijuana is a hypocrite, period. It isn't the government's business.

[smockers83]

+1 for the legalization of medical marijuana, another important step in taking the government out of our lives. The government has no more reason to be involved with outlawing marijuana than it did with outlawing alcohol.

Any self-described "small government conservative" who rails against legalized marijuana is a hypocrite, period. It isn't the government's business.

+1 for all of that post really. Stem cell research, although quite new and no one really knows what could possibly come out of it, I think could be huge for the medical field. It obviously wouldn't help everyone as everyone isn't sick, but it could help a lot of people for the betterment of the whole society.

On to marijuana. I don't think a lot of conservatives are for such a thing, but these are two areas in which I am not really conservative. Sure, medical marijuana, woohoo. Thing is though is that it is still a heavily controlled substance. However, it may pave the way to legalization. As a conservative, at least fiscally, if it became fully legalized, it would bring in revenue for the gov, the exact opposite of what it is currently doing. It becomes one less expense for them. It also would bring down the price of marijuana to the point where the high profits of the drug trade are no longer there, the business becomes a lot less lucrative. However, it'll still be very lucrative for the growers, maybe even more so, since there may be many more customers at the new price and legalization. It would also stop the gang wars involved in the drug trade. So to me, legalization is good socially (somewhat liberal) and fiscally (conservative).

[480sx]

Prop 1 in MI was allow for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes through prescription, ID cards, registered growers, etc.

Also on the ballot was Prop 2 for stem cell research, clearing the way to use excess embryos for research purposes.

Both proposals passed, which honestly surprised me.

Good stuff.

I don't care what happens to stem cells, as long as it doesn't come from my tax money.

Pfft, with some of the garbage that our tax dollars go to, i would be more than happy to send some towards medical research that has the potential to save lives, and make countless more more livable.

[Jesda]

Pfft, with some of the garbage that our tax dollars go to, i would be more than happy to send some towards medical research that has the potential to save lives, and make countless more more livable.

Then on that principle we might as well throw tax money at dancing bears, because dancing bears are a positive thing and it sure beats spending tax money on wars.

No, people work hard for their money and this is clearly a function of the private sector. The federal government is not there to cure your damn diseases.

[SteveTheTech]

That is pretty progressive from a mid west state.

Stem cells seems like a no brainer to me, the cells are not being used and are going to be destroyed, they would really rather destroy them than use them for medical benefits that will help society as a whole.

It would also stop the gang wars involved in the drug trade. So to me, legalization is good socially (somewhat liberal) and fiscally (conservative).

I have to disagree as the drugs they are fighting over are not anything that would be in any form of legalization. I cannot see crack,meth,maybe X (I don't know what the new stuff is) ever becoming anything less than felonious. Although I agree on the social lib, fiscal red.

[smockers83]

I have to disagree as the drugs they are fighting over are not anything that would be in any form of legalization. I cannot see crack,meth,maybe X (I don't know what the new stuff is) ever becoming anything less than felonious. Although I agree on the social lib, fiscal red.

The main product being traded with the most customers however is weed. I guess I left myself open to being taken too literally, in that I know it won't completely stop gang wars based on drugs, but it could definitely reduce it significantly. I hope that other stuff doesn't become legalized.

Yes, MI has decided to be quite progressive lately. We got rid of affirmative action two years ago.

[480sx]

Then on that principle we might as well throw tax money at dancing bears, because dancing bears are a positive thing and it sure beats spending tax money on wars.

Dancing bears and stem cell research, yea i can see the correlation, you make a good point.

Can you even imagine the potential rewards that would come with unlocking the secrets of stem cell research ? Both from a monitory point of view and a medical/social one. Consider it an investment into a field thats chalk full of international green.

I have to disagree as the drugs they are fighting over are not anything that would be in any form of legalization. I cannot see crack,meth,maybe X (I don't know what the new stuff is) ever becoming anything less than felonious. Although I agree on the social lib, fiscal red.

A F for a non violent drug offense? Man a felony destroys peoples lives. So does crack. Does someone who gets his stupid A addicted to crack also really need to have the rest of his life destroyed because of his stupidity? Do you think theres ANY punishment on earth thats going to prevent people from smoking crack?

Smoking crack, doing X, shooting H is punishment enough ffs, if your going to be stupid and ruin your brain/life thats fine with me. Just dont tie up my court system and waste my tax dollars on housing your stupid ***. If they ever pull their head out their A, i wouldnt mind if they had at least a chance to get a job. This might keep them out of the gutter, you know? They would have no one to blame but themselves for their own failures.

[adrianfromthecastle]

Medical weed is legal in Cali, but iirc its still a federal crime... which is totally stupid that it contridicts itself...

+1 for Medi weed+1 for stem cell research (we're going to 2009 for god's sake... its about time really)

[smockers83]

Medical weed is legal in Cali, but iirc its still a federal crime... which is totally stupid that it contridicts itself...

Depends on the jurisdiction. If someone is found with weed and can prove its for medical purposes, state and local officials allow it. Several municipalities and a few states have decriminalized certain amounts (usually an ounce) or reduce a certain amount to a small fine or misdemeanor.