4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, August 14, 2000 Edited and managed by GEOFF GAGNON PETER CUNNIFFE students at the Editor in Chief JOSH WICKERHAM University of Michigan Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwrise noted, unsignededitorials reflect the opinion 420 Maynard Street majority of the Dailys editorial board. All other articles, letters and Ann Arbor, MI 48109 cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Dail .. > > ,n is.morenanremna.4ni ui inc iigm agau uno Ann Arbor is very close to getting a local initiative that would legalize marijuana for iedicinal purposes on the ballot in November. With only a few days of petition- ing left, the local Libertarians spearheading this effort need students and local advocates of medical marijuana to register to vote in Ann Arbor and sign the petition that would put this issue to a city-wide vote. This initiative is important for the large number of Ann Arbor residents who have found that their use of marijuana is a relief from painful symptoms caused by a myriad of diseases. Aside from lessening the symp- toms of glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and some forms of asthma, marijuana can be used help cancer and AIDS patients deal with the effects of powerful drug cocktails and chemotherapy treatments. It relieves their pain, but, unlike prescription painkillers that numb patients, marijuana allows them to live their lives normally. This initiative would prevent the sick and debilitated from getting fined or thrown in Medical marijuana in Ann Arbor jail by local law enforcement. The libertari- an's plan, if it gets on the ballot and passes by a majority vote, would allow patients the right to use marijuana with a doctor's pre- scription and prevents Ann Arbor police from arresting them. University professor of psychiatry and neuroscience Stanley Watson, an investiga- tor for the National Academy of Sciences, recently agreed that marijuana merits more medical research because of its potential in helping people with cancer and AIDS. Aside from an outright endorsement of the natural plant, he recommends doctors prescribe pre- scription drugs containing 1TI1C, (the active chemical in marijuana) he thinks that smok- ing poses respiratory risk to patients, includ- ing lung cancer. He would prefer a vaporiz- er. This is an invalid argument because mar- ijuana has never received serious cancer study inside the United States. A recent study in Spain found that marijuana was highly effective in treating rats with cancer- ous tumors. Surveys of Rastafarian elders, who smoke cannabis in large quantities as part of their religious ceremonies, showed abnormally low incidence of cancer, even when conspared against local control popula- tions. Clearly more investigations and stud- ies must be made before clains that marijua- na fights cancer can be substantiated, but, on the other hand, claims that marijuana is car- cinogenic are not clear either. This argument is more a remnant of the fight against toba co's carcinogenic potential than marijuana and should be abandoned until mot research confirms or disproves it entirely. It is also unthinkable to suggest th patients should pay exorbitant prices for thetic THC when it grows naturally an abundance in a natural form. Pharmaceutic companies should not be allowed to pro from outdated laws prohibiting medicin use of marijuana. This local initiative is Arbor's chance to give freedom to the patients and send a message that the future medicine does not have to be tied to prof driven pharmaceutical companies. So, ifa petitioner on the street asks you you're registered to vote in Ann Arbor, mal sure you can answer "yes." Then sigw petition to help these brave locals get tl relief from oain they deserve. r n er, saf a Auto industry still has a long way to go -oemu a ove ber Senate inaction hurts Americans A s this summer of high gas prices comes to a close, General Motors and Exxon Mobil recently announced their plans to jointly develop fuel cell technologies that would stretch your gas dollar to the absolute limit. Well, in the near future, that is. Their plans revolve around a relatively new procedure that extracts hydrogen fuel from gasoline, thereby tapping fuel cell- powered cars into already existing infra- structures of energy distribution. This has been a giant hurdle in the development of hydrogen fuel cells, as there are no existing pipelines or filling stations for pure hydro- gen, the combustible gas that emits no emis- sions (except water) when used in the cells, but the country is full of gas stations. The new fuel cell process, while not as environmentally friendly as other fuel cell methods, is a significant step toward increas- ing the efficiency of gasoline in America's cars and busses and could be on the road by as soon as 2005. While a welcome initiative, GM's other pursuits have been less than satisfactory and overshadow this Exxon Mobil venture. They have recently announced plans to mass-pro- duce Hummers, the boxy, army-style SUVs. GM is going for the individually minded person who seeks peer acceptance by mar- keting these behemoths to people who could not be satisfied by their other road hogging, gas guzzling SUVs. But by reprehensibly filling our streets with unmanageable behemoths, GM has erased much of the credibility in their earth friendly fuel cell image. They need to take a cue from Ford, which recently announced plans to scale back their SUV operations. Top management at Ford realized that they will have to answer for the social con- sequences of their full-blown marketing of gigantic trucks that damage the earth, pro- mote global:warming, endanger small car drivers and consume too much fuel. Ford likened their situation to that of the predicament of the tobacco industry several decades ago. Big Tobacco knew the toxic effects of their products. They knew that cig- arettes kill people, cause cancer and decrease health, yet continued to market them to the public. Similarly, automakers have long known that car drivers are more likely to die in a col- lision with large trucks and SUVs yet they continue to market larger and more obscene vehicles because of the high profit margins involved. They know that SUVs use too much fuel, yet continue to promote a public demand for the vehicles through the tools of marketing and advertising. Ford recently announced plans to pro- mote smaller vehicles and decrease demand for SUVs. They have also announced a redesign of Ford Explorers to make them safer in crashes with smaller vehicles. Ford should be lauded for these plans, as these attempts to curry favor may go a long way in preventing future environmental or personal lawsuits as more and more consumers go up in arms over the conquest of our roads by inefficient and often unsafe trucks. All automakers should realize the poten- tial pitfalls in reprehensibly promoting large vehicles at astronomical cost to the environ- ment and consumer well-being. GM, Daimler-Chrysler and the rest of the automakers should take a cue from Ford and take steps to answer for their abuses before they succumb to the same fate as cigarette manufacturers for their dangerous products. Automakers should also charge full-force into fuel cell programs, not simply to meet clean air standards, but to appease road raged consumers and save their own skins. Because, before they know it, their profits could go up in smoke just like Big Tobacco's. . J n President Clinton's final months in office, the number of judicial appointees he would normally be expect- ed to make would decrease. This year, the number of nominees confirmed has been particularly small because of politically motivated stalling by the Republican-led Senate. Hoping George W Bush is victorious this November, Republican Senators have stalled dozens of Clinton's judicial nomi- nees so that a Republican president could possibly fill those positions. The Republican Congress has pulled the blindfold from the eyes of Justice and used it instead to tie her hands behind her back. Throughout President Clinton's sec- ond term, the number of justices he has been given the opportunity to nominate has grown appreciably. The significance, however, lies not in the number of nomi- nations but in the number of nominees who are still waiting for Senate hearings that will confirm their positions. The time for Clinton's appointed judges is running out; if all goes as hoped by the Republican majority, the nomina- tions approved will be those of Governor George W. Bush. Congress has only to tie the hands of Justice for six more weeks before her cry comes too late to be heard. The 6th Circuit Court, which covers Michigan, is facing an especially acute problem with a shortage of judges. This is a completely unnecessary situation, as many more than adequate judges have been appointed by President Clinton for consideration by the Senate. Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Helene White, for example, was nominat- ed in January 1997 and has yet to have a Senate hearing, making her the longest- waiting judicial nominee in Senate histo- ry. Superficially, the injustice done nominees, such as Judge White, who w to hear what will come of their nomir tions, some for over two years. Benez the surface lies another manifestation injustice: Congess' transgressions agai: the American People. As judges aw approval, the courts grow more croE and innocent people are denied thef dom that bringing their cases to co might grant; these same delays in he ings also fail to bring swift justice criminals. Michigan and much of the country being denied a functioning and effect judicial system by the Senate. Our o Republican Senator Spence Abraha who sits on the judiciary comna should be working to push through : of these long-waiting and qualif judges instead of continuing to go alk with Republican political games. More universal is the injustice done all the citizens of America. They ht elected an official with an understand: of his right to appoint judges, a ri; which is effectively being denied. 1 people have elected a congress to ca out the business of running a gov ment, including the maintenance courts. By failing to do its job, Congress doing an injustice to the American p ple. With courts dockets overflowing, Senate presents the people with th same old party politics -- and w unprecedented clarity. The judges awaiting appointments the Senate deserve hearings an American people deserve a working cial system. The Senate needs to s abrogating its responsibilities and act the nominees presented by Clinton w it returns to session this fall.