Now that the election has faded a bit, we can turn our attention to the newest law on the books in Michigan: legalized use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

If there was a ever a time to put this on the ballot, it was 2008, when Liberal (that’s with a capital “L”) policies and a backlash against neo-conservatism swept the nation. Barack Obama is our nation’s first Black president. The U.S. Senate has a near super-majority of Democrats, and the U.S. House is stocked full of Dems. And, in Michigan, two critical social issues were on the ballot. Let’s concentrate on the proposal dealing with pot, in which 63% of state voters joined 12 other states in support of the use of medical marijuana for medicinal purposes.

A good pro/con look at the issues about medical Marijuana paints the picture as one of research and need vs ethics and a drug culture run amok. But, these issues were easily parsed in East Lansing: a whopping 75.5% (16,472) voters in town voted in favor of legalizing pot for medicine, and 24.5% (5,427) voted against the smell of weed.

Here in Michigan, the new law goes into effect on December 4. Authorized (what does this “authorized” mean? rules are to be developed by the Michigan Department of Community Health by early March) individuals can possess up to 2.5 ounces of weed and/or 12 plants in a “locked facility.” Note, however, that federal law supercedes state law. The G-men wear a different pair of glasses, and they see cannibas as a controlled substance; thusly, possession of cannibas is a federal crime. So, if we have a medical condition (HIV, cancer, severe nausea – does a hangover count?) where pot can help ease our pain, should we be wary that the DEA is on our doorstep?

Or, maybe more interestingly, how can we fake a doctor’s prescription to get some legal pot? (errr, wouldn’t this be illegal?) Do we need to go to medical marijuana shops to get our stash? Will there be Marijuana AVM machines around somewhere, like have popped up in Southern California? (watch a Marijuana AVM in operation)…

Sparky, sparky... burn, burn.