Michigan Proposals

[Wilfredo Ledezma]

Proposal 1: The Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care proposal would legalize medicinal marijuana, and establish an ID system for regulating who is and is not allowed to use it.


Proposal 2: The Stem Cell Research proposal would expand the use of human embryos for research, as long as the embryos were going to be discarded anyway, after being leftovers from a fertility clinic. It would also ban people from selling or purchasing embryos for research.


Personally, I'm voting No and No.

I think Prop 1 has a chance of passing. Prop 2 has no shot.

Only 13 states have legalized medical marijuana, and if Michigan passes it, then MI will be the 2nd largest state behind Cali to allow it. I'm voting no because marijuana has never been recommended for the treatment of any disease and it's just another drug high school kids can raid out of their grandparents medicine cabinet. There are many more effective medications out there. Marijuana doesn't do anything positive for the human body (as much as I enjoyed it in HS, it never did me any good, honestly) .

Prop 2 is nothing more than pick-pocketing the MI taxpayer for junk science. People say that stem-cell may be able to save lives, but scientific research has yet to prove that, and saying 'funding is the reason we haven't proven it' shouldn't be the issue, it either does or it doesn't. Until they prove it does, than it has no business being funded. And performing research on embryos is a sad state of affairs.


What do ya'll MI citizens think???

[Glenn]

Yes and yes.

[RegicideGreg]

what glenn said

[Tahoe]

Hells yea on 1 and I don't know enough about 2.

[Uncle Mxy]

1) Yes. I'd prefer to see a proposal that legalizes marijuana, period. We need new lines of commerce desperately, and marijuana isn't even close to being as bad as cancer sticks/cigarettes. The Dutch have this one right.

2) Yes. One of my best friends in high school (and still a good friend) saved his brother from certain death due to chronic anemia with a series of painful bone marrow transplants, the first practical application of stem cell research.

[Wilfredo Ledezma]

FWIW, Voting "NO" on Prop 2 still allows Stem-Cell research to take place, and it still allows them to search for cures.

The way the proposal is being broadcasted is deceptive. The proposal is for PUBLIC FINANCING, not whether or not the research itself should continue.

Just giving you the 411.

[Tahoe]

OT...^ Thats like out here on Prop 8. There was a lesbian couple who put a 'Yes on 8' sign in their front yard, til they found out Yes means marriage=man and woman.

And out here, I think its Prop 4 or ??? I can't remember, I voted last week, but anyway, its the notification of a parent that your under aged daughter is having an abortion.

I mean that is just sick to me that the Gov't (libs) have got into our lives so much that our children can go have a serious medical procedure but the libs got it passed that the hospital/school/daughter/whatever doesn't have to notify the parents.

These whack jobs out here vote that down ever time. Thats just sick, imo.

[RegicideGreg]

I consider myself to be a pretty liberal democrat but i think if they're under 18 and still considered to be the responsibility of their parents that the parents should be informed of stuff like that. It's all that hipaa nonsense that doesn't let anyone know what is going on in anyone else's life even if it is your kid's.

[Big Swami]

I've thought long and hard about this, and I've decided that I am going to make sure that I know everything about how Wil is going to vote, so that I can cancel him out in every way that matters.

[Uncle Mxy]

FWIW, Voting "NO" on Prop 2 still allows Stem-Cell research to take place, and it still allows them to search for cures.

The way the proposal is being broadcasted is deceptive. The proposal is for PUBLIC FINANCING, not whether or not the research itself should continue.

Just giving you the 411.

Unfotunately, you're giving wrong, incorrect, and bogus info. Here's the ballot language and complete legal changes associated with both Prop 1 and 2:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/so...2_251561_7.pdf

Prop 1 turns out to be crazy long in terms of the legal gymnastics. Prop 2's legal language is very straightforward, though, and contains no reference to any public financing. Here's the proposed law in its entirety:

PROPOSAL 08-2
PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
A proposal to amend the State Constitution to address human embryo and
human embryonic stem cell research in Michigan. (Proposal provided under
an initiative petition filed with the Secretary of State on July 7, 2008.)
The proposal would add a new Section 27 to Article 1 of the State Constitution
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Section 27. (1) Nothing in this section shall alter Michigan’s current prohibition
on human cloning.
(2) To ensure that Michigan citizens have access to stem cell therapies and
cures, and to ensure that physicians and researchers can conduct the most
promising forms of medical research in this state, and that all such research is
conducted safely and ethically, any research permitted under federal law on human
embryos may be conducted in Michigan, subject to the requirements of federal law
and only the following additional limitations and requirements:
(a) No stem cells may be taken from a human embryo more than fourteen
days after cell division begins; provided, however, that time during
which an embryo is frozen does not count against this fourteen day
limit.
(b) The human embryos were created for the purpose of fertility treatment
and, with voluntary and informed consent, documented in writing, the
person seeking fertility treatment chose to donate the embryos for
research; and
(i) the embryos were in excess of the clinical need of the person
seeking the fertility treatment and would otherwise be discarded
unless they are used for research; or
(ii) the embryos were not suitable for implantation and would otherwise
be discarded unless they are used for research.
(c) No person may, for valuable consideration, purchase or sell human
embryos for stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures.
(d) All stem cell research and all stem cell therapies and cures must be
conducted and provided in accordance with state and local laws of
general applicability, including but not limited to laws concerning
scientific and medical practices and patient safety and privacy, to the
extent that any such laws do not:
(i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or
stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by the provisions
of this section; or
(ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise
associate with such research or therapies or cures.
(3) Any provision of this section held unconstitutional shall be severable from
the remaining portions of this section.