Indopedia All Things Marijuana
This Tuesday, several candidates running for governor in Michigan held a forum-style discussion on the topic of cannabis legalization. The forum also doubled as a fundraiser for the MILegalize 2018 campaign, which is working to put a measure to legalize adult use of cannabis on next year’s general election ballot. Speaking at the meeting were four Democratic candidates — Gretchen Whitmer, Abdul El-Sayed, Shri Thanedar, and Bill Cobbs — and one Republican, Evan Space.
“We’ve seen other states do it wrong,” said Gretchen Whitmer, former state Senate Minority Leader. “In Michigan, we’ve got a chance to do it right.” Abdul El-Sayed, doctor and former Detroit Health Department director, said that he has personally seen how effective cannabis is at treating seizures, and that legalization would make it easier to conduct medical research. El-Sayed also noted that the legalization effort “has become a civil rights issue,” due to the disproportionate impact of cannabis law enforcement against low-income and minority communities.
Bill Cobbs, a former Detroit police officer, also spoke about the failures of cannabis prohibition. “Most cops don’t want to arrest people for…
