Still another chilling aspect of a Romney presidency has emerged in recent weeks. Alternet, a California-based Web news outlet, published a story titled "11 Enemies of Marijuana Legalization." Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette was one of them. Schuette has a national reputation as an anti-drug warrior. He's also the chair of Romney's Michigan campaign. Think about that: Schuette having the president's ear on drug policy, or worse.

"He could be the U.S. attorney general if things go poorly," says Abel. "I certainly hope Romney doesn't get elected."

The MMBD article sums up the prospect of a Romney presidency and its effect on medical marijuana thus: "If you think the situation is bad now under Obama, consider what will happen if someone who is actually against the very idea of MMJ is in power. And you can bet Romney will take a harder line than Obama against states that approve the general use of marijuana."

Next week, we'll know whether the path to rescinding marijuana prohibition has grown shorter or if there are more obstacles in the way. Either way, it behooves you to vote.

Martin Lee, author of Smoke Signals, a Social History of Marijuana, will speak at a number of Michigan venues Nov. 8-11. On Nov. 8, he'll be at Ann Arbor's Crazy Wisdom Bookstore; Nov. 9 at Om of Medicine in Ann Arbor; Nov. 10 at the Robert C. Randall Memorial Wellness Center in Flint; and Nov. 11 at Woodward Health Solutions in Detroit. 

Larry Gabriel is a writer, musician and former editor of Metro Times. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.

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