Are We Ready for Marihuana

Posted on November 17, 2022 View all news

Joe Tilton

April 12, 2018

Montcalm County’s grower and proponent of medical marihuana, David Overholt of Sheridan, is running for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners. He has tried to establish dispensaries in Montcalm Township, and previously opened a location in Grand Rapids, which was subsequently shut down. His case in the Michigan Court of Appeals will be heard soon. Promotional material for medical marihuana has included pain relief and cancer cure as reasons for bringing the substance to general use among the public.

As you have previously read, the drive to make recreational use (pot) legal is anticipated on the November General Election Ballot, whether state residents are ready or not. That’s one issue facing voters, and the other and very important matter is whether the marihuana industry is ready for operation.

Important questions have loomed, with some answered and others left hanging. Tracking from seed to sale is established and financial (plus taxation) accounting is also recognized. With state government receiving taxes in the form of cash in bags, they seem to be ready as well. So, what’s missing?

We don’t know the full impact of marihuana use on the human body. Claims from amazing cures to death have been made, including IQ loss and babies born with birth defects. Such a wide swing of claims is proof that research is not complete. With a price of $400-million to test any new drug coming to market, marihuana’s testing has been on people loving the THC escape from reality by getting high.

After my own son died in September from the alcohol-pot combination, another death is reported by Suzanne Elms-Barclay, a Michigan mother who lost her son, David. She writes, “After a child’s death, it has become absolutely clear to me that we must learn more and understand dangers from marihuana use more thoroughly before continuing to adopt its use.” Now we know of 35 more deaths.

Neither of us are doctors, but who wonders if doctors have anything to do with this drug and attempts at legalization? Barclay continues, “And now I have learned so much about possible dangers from marihuana that most people don’t know; I feel compelled to share this new information because ignorance is certainly not bliss and even legal medical marihuana use really can lead to death.” She advises to Internet search “pot, cannabis, weed, marijuana” in the search line, then add “suicide.” She reports 56.7-million results. Verifying that statistic came up short of her number. But, do you want to take the chance?

We don’t know how this new “big business” will change Michigan.  Colorado is the “poster child” for answers; however, the Michigan proposal will allow more pot-per-person possession than any other state.  With a huge organization selling pot, why wouldn’t big-time lawyers go after these new sellers for damages as they did big tobacco? The first case of suicide, lung damage or a drug-influenced traffic crash will bring out the injury lawyers in droves. Big tobacco’s first suit resulted in a $6-billion judgment. Are marihuana dealers (companies) ready for that? If I had someone to sue over not informing my son about the risks, you bet that case would be filed. The state doesn’t care since tax money would be exempt from confiscation.

Drug stores open in the 1890’s had shelves loaded with elixirs containing cocaine, alcohol, THC and other substances that had no real cure—they just made you forget you were sick. Why didn’t THC become the cure then? One chemical in marihuana is CBD, which is legal as a dietary supplement, appears to have some redeeming benefits. No vote is needed to obtain CBD’s because it’s not “recreational” with only minute amounts of THC.

Michigan’s government is obviously ready to receive all that cash from pot sales, but is society, even families, ready for the costs?

Carefully review momsstrong.org.

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