The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Friday, April 1, 2016 — 3
College
Democrats,
said
the
state government needs to take
the potential danger of the
pipeline seriously because of the
catastrophic outcome of a spill.
“Because of its location in
the Straits of Mackinac, the
potential damage from a spill
there is unimaginable,” he said.
“As Democrats, we believe the
Great Lakes must be protected
as some of the greatest natural
resources our state and our nation
possesses.
The
environmental
and
economic
consequences
of a break in Line 5 cannot be
taken lightly, especially given the
current administration’s revealed
inability to properly respond to
water crises.”
Protesters
also
gathered
outside of last year’s Mackinac
Policy
Conference
to
raise
awareness for the issue, hoping
to influence policy makers to
further regulate or shut down the
pipeline.
Mariah
Urueta,
Michigan
organizer for Food & Water
Watch — one of the groups that
organized the protest at the
conference— said she hopes to see
the pipeline shut down because of
its threat to the Great Lakes.
“Pipeline
5
should
be
permanently
decommissioned,”
she said. “We do not believe that
any oil at all should be flowing
through the Great Lakes. It poses
unnecessary risks to our Great
Lakes.”
According
to
Urueta,
the
majority of the oil flowing through
the pipeline is not consumed by
Michigan residents, and is instead
transported through to Canada.
The group also has concerns
regarding Enbridge’s ability to
react to a breakage in the pipeline,
claiming it could take anywhere
from a few hours to a few days for
the proper response team to be
organized.
Activists
also
note
that
Enbridge
Energy
does
not
have the best track record for
maintaining pipelines. In July
2010, a different pipeline owned
by Enbridge experienced a large-
scale spill affecting 35 square
miles of the Kalamazoo River —
the largest inland oil spill in U.S.
history. In 2013, the National
Wildlife
Federationrevealed
Enbridge was not following the
safety guidelines they agreed
to when a diver discovered
Enbridge Line 5 was lacking many
necessary supports.
Ryan Duffy, supervisor of
regional
communications
and
media relations for Enbridge, said
the company constantly monitors
the pipeline and would be able to
shut off the pipeline within three
minutes of a detected breakage.
Additionally, Duffy said the
pipeline was built to the highest
standards and does not anticipate
any issues moving forward. He
said Enbridge has emergency
protocols,
like
emergency
response
drills
and
sending
devices inside to look for testing
in case an accident does happen.
“Our most important concern
is safety; that’s why we do
constant testing on the pipe,” he
said. “But there is just no reason
to make any changes. The pipe is
in excellent condition.”
Despite these assurances by
Enbridge, along with protesters,
members of the legislature have
pushed for further action on the
issue. Last October, Jeff Irwin
(D–Ann
Arbor)
submitted
a
resolution
calling
upon
Gov.
Rick Snyder (R) and Michigan
Attorney General Bill Schuette to
exercise their right to terminate
the state’s contract with Enbridge
and shut down the pipeline.
Last week, Schuette submitted
a request, along with other
members
of
the
Michigan
Pipeline Safety Advisory Board
for Enbridge, to release more
data
concerning
Pipeline
5’s
integrity and inspection policies.
According to a press release, the
current read-only form of the data
severely limits the usefulness
of
the
provided
documents,
preventing the state from properly
analyzing risk.
Under
the
initial
1953
agreement between Lakehead
Pipeline
Company
—
laterpurchased by Enbridge —
and the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality and
Natural Resources, there is a
termination clause allowing the
state to revoke its agreement
under
certain
conditions,
including if the pipeline is not
operated under the best practices.
The resolution provides several
reasons why the termination
clause should be invoked, such
as high water pressure on the
pipeline and its age.
Irwin said though Enbridge
Line 5 may not fail, the potential
harm it could cause is too great to
risk.
“The likelihood of the problem
is probably relatively small,” he
said. “But the magnitude of the
harm would be tremendous.
The concern if there is a mistake
— like there was in Kalamazoo
— the magnitude of the harm
is enormous and the ability of
Enbridge to fix it is not there.”
Schwab said he hopes the new
research will impact future policy
on the state level to address the
pipeline.
“We hope this information will
inform spill-response planning
and will help government officials
make sound decisions about the
oil pipeline beneath the straits,”
he said.
PIPELINE
From Page 1
Administration, and has the ability
to
impair
memory,
judgment
and coordination. Opponents of
the drug argue that the medical
impacts of it aren’t yet clear, and
could be significantly negative.
In Michigan, medical marijuana
is legal, but recreational use is
not, despite legislative pushes to
legalize it fully. Furthermore, on
campus, University policies follow
federal
law,
meaning
neither
medical nor recreational use is
legal — a situation that each year,
Hash Bash places in sharp relief.
Balancing the purpose of
Hash Bash
Despite
likely
marijuana
consumption at the event, last
year’s Hash Bash only resulted
in three arrests. This year’s 45th
annual Hash Bash will take place
on April 2, and, as usual, will be
directly on campus.
The University’s Alcohol and
Drug Policy states that possession
of
marijuana
on
University
property
is
a
misdemeanor,
punishable by a fine of up to $2,000
and possible imprisonment of up to
one year.
University Police spokeswoman
Diane Brown said the department’s
policy is that the event itself is
not
something
UMPD
would
take action against, but drug
consumption is.
“It’s not legal to be smoking or
possessing marijuana on the Diag
at this event,” Brown said. “It’s
exercising of free speech, but at
the same time, the University and
the police and DPSS don’t condone
the use of illegal drugs or the public
consumption of alcohol on our
campus.”
Brown said in recent years,
attendees at Hash Bash have made
speeches and rallied for about an
hour, and then continued their
activities off campus. Once the
attendees leave campus, any illegal
activities are under the city’s
jurisdiction. Currently, marijuana
is decriminalized in Ann Arbor,
resulting in only a civil infraction
and a $30 fine.
“Most of the time, the crowds at
this are reasonably well-behaved —
it’s just trying to manage and make
sure people who look like they’re
having considerable difficulty from
a medical situation are provided
medical treatment,” Brown said.
LSA junior Erin Dunne, who is
director of Students for Sensible
Drug Policy and on the organizing
committee for Hash Bash, said the
event is crucial for demonstrating
political activism on campus.
“It’s important for this to
happen on campus because it’s an
opportunity for students to both
be exposed to political opinions
and viewpoints and hear from a
lot of speakers from the political
activist network, but also the
national activist network,” Dunne
said “It’s also an opportunity for
the community to see that students
care about these issues.”
Dunne said the event organizers
do not advocate illegal behavior
at Hash Bash and notify both
the University and the city of
Ann Arbor that the event will
happen. Police then patrol at their
discretion.
She emphasized that despite
the potential for people to engage
in activities that might violate
University policies, the University
should allow for student-led events
that exercise student speech.
“Hash
Bash
is
considered
student
speech,”
Dunne
said.
“It’s allowed to happen because
of the First Amendment. It is
meant to be a political rally and
not a marijuana party on the Diag,
although there are some people
who misunderstand the purpose of
the event.”
State policies surrounding
marijuana usage:
Marijuana — whether used for
medical or recreational purposes
— is currently legal in 23 states and
the District of Columbia, according
to the National Conference of State
Legislatures.
However, each state varies in
what amount and type of marijuana
is legalized. In Michigan, Proposal
1 dictates recreational marijuana
as illegal, though it allows for legal
possession of 2.5 usable ounces
if used medically. So far, there
are nearly 100,000 patients in
the state registered for the use of
medical marijuana, according to
the Michigan Medical Marijuana
Program.
Last September, State Rep. Jeff
Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) proposed
legislation aiming to legalize and
tax the private use of marijuana for
Michigan residents 21 years and
older.
“Prohibition is not working. It’s
expensive. It ruins people’s lives,
and it distorts the priorities of our
law enforcement agencies,” Irwin
said in a recent interview with The
Michigan Daily.
His bill, House Bill 4877, would
make the possession, use and
purchase of marijuana legal for
adults 21 and older, decriminalizing
the use and possession of the
substance and providing a system
for licensing sellers, much like
alcohol regulations. It’s modeled
after
similar
legislation
in
Colorado, where recreational use
is legal.
“If we learned one thing from
Colorado, it’s that their system of
legalized marijuana is working,”
Irwin said.
The bill has drawn opposition
from Republican members in the
legislature, and a range of groups
in the state.
On campus, LSA freshman
John Sack, freshman chair for
College Republicans, said he does
not support the legalization of
marijuana for recreational use. He
cited several studies regarding the
use of marijuana in Colorado that
have pointed to issues with people
driving under the influence of
marijuana, which could jeopardize
safety on the road.
“I think there’s a lot of drawbacks
to legalizing marijuana,” Sack said.
“While I fully agree with legalizing
it medicinally, I think recreational
use poses a lot more risks to every
person and to society as a whole.”
According
to
the
National
Institute of Health the known
effects
of
marijuana
include
breathing
problems,
increased
heart rate, poorer physical and
mental health and lower life
satisfaction.
Irwin said he does not see his bill
getting passed, given conservative
control of both chambers in the
state legislature, he has also
invested time into theMILegalize
campaign, a petition drive to try to
legalize cannabis.
Under Michigan law, a petition
drive can place a legislative change
on the ballot if a group garners
enough signatures.
“People on both sides of the
political spectrum are realizing
that prohibition isn’t working,”
Irwin said. “It’s been a huge, huge
failure and it’s incredibly costly.
People are realizing that marijuana
is a more benign substance than
even things like alcohol, which are
legal and available.”.
St.
Pierre
echoed
Irwin’s
statements, also saying there is little
merit to arguments suggesting that
marijuana use will rise following
legalization.
“One out of three youth between
the ages of 15 and 24 use marijuana
regularly,” St. Pierre said. “If one
just takes the fearful argument
that there will be an increase
in marijuana use, consequently
there will probably be a decrease
in alcohol use and binge drinking.
There will probably be a decrease
in tobacco and opioid use.”
Sack,
however,
disagreed,
pointing in particular to issues
he said educational institutions
could face following a nationwide
legalization of marijuana.
“If you look at Holland and
Portugal, where they legalized
(recreational use of marijuana),
and actually Amsterdam, their
mayor actually had to go back
and ban students from smoking
marijuana,” Sack said. “Because
they would go into class stoned,
grades would drop, productivity
would drop.”
St. Pierre also noted that
legalizing marijuana could lead
to changes in the justice system,
pointing to the fact that young Black
males are five times more likely to
be charged with a marijuana crime
than young white males.
“The data doesn’t lie that the
arrests, prosecutions and worse,
incarcerations, that have to do
with marijuana are totally racially
disparate,” St. Pierre said.
Enforcement on campus
Even as state and national groups
push for recreational legalization,
policies on the University’s campus
remain completely restrictive — no
medicinal or recreational use, and
a misdemeanor charge, not a civil
infraction, if caught using it.
Brown
said
because
the
University receives federal funding
as a public university, federal law
takes precedence over state law on
campus.
“In
order
to
have
legal
possession of marijuana you have
to have a valid medical marijuana
card and there are a number of
restrictions you have to adhere to,”
she said.
One
particular
area
this
becomes
quickly
clear
in
is
University
Housing.
Because
University
Housing
policies
restrict all illegal substances,
students who use marijuana for
medical issues are not allowed to
use marijuana on campus.
Sack said while he doesn’t
support full legalization, watching
a family member struggle to
manage their health issues due to
restrictions on medical marijuana
at the University led him to support
medical legalization, echoing a
position other students on campus
also expressed.
In response to these kinds
of concerns, Brown said she
recognized the policy makes it
difficult for those with a medical
issue to manage their condition,
even with a legitimate medical
marijuana card, but nonetheless
reiterated University policy.
However,
several
students
said they felt that regardless of
actual policy, enforcement of
University policies surrounding
both marijuana and alcohol is not
consistent.
An LSA junior, who requested
to remain anonymous because
of admitting to illegal activity,
recalled getting away with openly
smoking and drinking in her
residence halls.
“My freshman year I lived in
Bursley, and there’s nothing else to
do in Bursley except smoke weed,”
the student said. “I know a lot of
people who smoke for (a medical)
reason, but they don’t have a card,
because they don’t need one here.”
She said her freshman year, she
acquired marijuana most often
through a mutual friend whose
family grew marijuana.
Despite
smoking
fairly
frequently, she said she has never
gotten
caught
for
possessing
marijuana, and does not know any
other students who have gotten
caught.
“So many people smoke at this
campus,” she said. “Every party
you can find shit and get it. Every
party that I go to, someone is
smoking weed on the back porch.
It’s everywhere. Where do people
get it? How? I don’t know. It’s just
there.”
The future of the legalization of
marijuana
Ultimately St. Pierre said he
believes there are multiple reasons
marijuana prohibition has been
kept in place by lawmakers for
so long, such as law enforcement
opposition and long-term advocacy
efforts against it
“(These organizations) waste
billions of dollars a year trying to
enforce a prohibition the public
no longer wants,” St. Pierre said.
“If government really, genuinely
would like to achieve its stated
goal of reducing the amount of
marijuana used — notably amongst
young people — to make it illegal
and propagandize against it the
way they have hasn’t achieved any
of its stated goals.”
Regardless of the long-term
prospects
for
legalization,
however, one thing is clear —
this Saturday in Ann Arbor, at
least one side of the arguments
and
controversy
surrounding
marijuana will be on full display,
as it has been for the past 44 first
Sundays in April.
That display, organizers said,
will hopefully at the least spark
some discussion about campus and
state policy if nothing else.
“Hash Bash is fundamentally a
rally to change laws,” Dunne said.
“And get the conversation started
about
legalization
and
harm
reduction.”
MARIJUANA
From Page 1
affect the quality of life for trans
individuals, citing that 41 percent
of trans individuals have reported
to have attempted suicide, much
higher than 4.6 percent of the
overall population.
Panelist Kathryn Fessler, a
pediatrician and sociologist, said
during 20 years of working with
more than 100 young transgender
individuals,
she
has
worked
with only one person who did
not suffer from depression or
anxiety. However, she added that
this does not mean mental health
disorders and transgender people
are linked.
“There’s this idea that all trans
people need mental health care,”
Fessler said. “That’s not true. The
reason why trans people need
mental health care is because they
are living in horrible conditions.”
The panelists also discussed
how difficult it is for transgender
individuals to find transgender-
inclusive
and
transgender-
affirmative
medical
providers
and
how
uncomfortable
the
experience can be at the doctor’s
office.
“We get asked questions about
our bodies all the time in health
care settings, even when it’s
unrelated to the reason why we
are there,” said Elliot Popoff, a
project manager at the SexLab.
Along with discussing the
issues, panelists also touched on
potential solutions. Panelist Bré
Anne Campbell, a community
specialist at the University’s
Center for Sexuality & Health
Disparities,
emphasized
the
importance
of
hiring
more
transgender
individuals.
A
2011 national survey showed
that 26 percent of transgender
individuals lost a job due to
discrimination and 50 percent
were harassed on the job.
Nicholas
said
the
non-
transgender community must be
welcoming and treat transgender
individuals as human beings.
She added that mistakes are OK
as long as people have the best
intentions and try to understand.
“It’s not rocket science to treat
each other as human beings,”
Nicholas said. “Best intentions
are well received by people who
know you are trying. We’ve got to
be welcoming.”
Public Health student Jack
Andrzejewski, who attended the
event, said the topics discussed
during the event aligned with his
research interests at the SexLab,
which include sexuality and
gender identity.
“(The event) spoke to our
personal interests in terms of our
research and the work that we
have been doing,” Andrzejewski
said.
PANEL
From Page 1
contracting Stantec Consulting
for $200,000, Alfred Benesch
and
Company
for
$175,000,
Perimeter Engineering LLC for
$150,000 and OHM Advisors
for $175,000. If the resolution is
approved, these companies will
provide construction support
and consulting services to the
city’s Project Manager Service
Unit on an as-needed basis as
construction projects progress.
Equipment Purchases
To procure materials for the
city’s water infrastructure, two
resolutions purchasing a total of
$544,244 of equipment will be
voted on.
This includes a resolution
authorizing the purchase of
$189,480 worth of copper piping
and brass fittings from the
Michigan
Meter
Technology
Group and a resolution approving
the purchase of $354,764 worth
of water equipment from HD
Supply Waterworks, including
pipes, fittings and fire hydrants.
saying he worked on the issue
for over 20 years.
“We
advocated
for
two
decades
to
add
sexual
orientation to our University’s
non-discrimination bylaws,” he
said. “One day, I got a call from
a friend who said ‘Get your butt
over to the Regents’ meeting.
They’re going to vote up this
amendment.’ So over I went, and
they voted it up.”
Morgan,
who
is
running
for Washtenaw County city
commissioner,
discussed
his
experiences
in
politics,
noting that running for office
as an openly gay man may be
problematic in other areas, but
not in Ann Arbor.
On the national level, few
politicians are openly gay. Only
seven members of Congress
are openly gay or bisexual,
despite 3.4 percent of the U.S.
adult
population
identifying
themselves
as
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual
or
transgender
according to Gallup Poll.
“My mom, when she found
out, sat me down and said, ‘You
are never going to be able to
work in politics if you’re gay,’ ”
he said. “She genuinely meant
it as a worry for me, but there’s
nothing I can do about being
gay — I’m not going to hide it.
I’m certain that no one in Ann
Arbor that’s going to vote for me
anyway is not going to because
I’m gay.”
The panelists also each made
recommendations for how to
advocate for LGBTQ+ rights,
highlighting the importance of
interacting with state legislators
and speaking openly about the
issues facing the community.
Maxwell
said
openly
participating in the discussion
and making people more aware
of the issue can have a large
impact.
“Be active, be vocal and be
out there so they can see us,” she
said. “We were invisible for so
long, and it’s amazing what just
showing your face does.”
LSA freshman Kellie Lounds,
who attended the event, said she
thought it was key in informing
the population on issues facing
the LGBTQ+ community.
“I feel like it’s really important
to educate yourself to be aware
of how you can actively help
other people,” she said. “This is
a really great opportunity to do
so because it was a very candid
discussion.”
COUNCIL
From Page 1
LGBTQ
From Page 2