Reps. Stallworth, Hummel, McConico, Hunter, Reeves, Cheeks, Hardman, Stahl, Hager, Newell, Bisbee, Sheen, Vander Veen, Voorhees, Moolenaar and Hoogendyk offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 226.

            A resolution to express opposition to efforts to circumvent the federal drug approval process for the consideration of medical uses for marijuana.

            Whereas, The Michigan Legislature supports the goal of safe and drug-free communities; and

            Whereas, Substantial scientific evidence shows that smoked marijuana is harmful and offers no medical benefit to suffering patients; and

            Whereas, The Michigan Legislature strongly denounces any attempt to exploit the suffering of sick people by deceptive media campaigns; and

            Whereas, Medical policy should be set for the state of Michigan by Michigan lawmakers working in conjunction with federal and state officials and not by judges, celebrity spokespeople, or public relations efforts; and

            Whereas, The National Cancer Institute has found that inhaling marijuana smoke for any purpose is a health hazard, because it contains over 400 potential carcinogens and delivers up to five times the amount of tar and carbon monoxide to the body as cigarette tobacco; and

            Whereas, Studies by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reveal that HIV-positive marijuana smokers progress to full-blown AIDS twice as quickly as nonsmokers and have an increased incidence of bacterial pneumonia; and

            Whereas, There are safe and effective medicines, including chemical derivatives of the beneficial components of marijuana, that can help control and lessen symptoms of persistent nausea, vomiting, wasting syndrome, or loss of appetite from AIDS, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment, as well as medications available for multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and other medical conditions; and 

            Whereas, Statistics on drug use document that when teen perception of risk decreases, due to mixed messages sent by adults, teen use of marijuana increases; and

            Whereas, Marijuana is a gateway drug, as illustrated by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, which found that teenagers who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not; and

            Whereas, The following medical organizations are opposed to making smoked marijuana available for medical use:

American Medical Association

American Cancer Society

National Multiple Sclerosis Association

National Eye Institute

National Cancer Institute

National Institute on Dental Research

National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases

National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke

; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we express our opposition to any efforts to circumvent the federal drug approval process for the consideration of medical uses for marijuana; and be it further

            Resolved, That we encourage the scientific community to continue its efforts to discover and test safe and effective medicines for people who are seriously ill, including potential medicines containing synthesized components of marijuana, including Marinol and Sativex; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.