[420 Girl]

A majority of Michiganians is inclined to legalize marijuana for sick people, and the advertising blitz has just begun on that measure.

The latest Detroit News-WXYZ Action News poll found that voters, by a 59-37 margin, favor the ballot proposal to allow terminally and seriously ill people to legally use marijuana if a doctor certified the drug could ease their suffering.

The statewide poll was conducted for The News, WXYZ and three outstate television stations from Saturday to Monday by Lansing's EPIC-MRA. It showed that the biggest backers were women (63 percent support), Metro Detroiters (60 percent) and Democrats (68 percent). Among men, the proposal garnered 51 percent support and 49 percent of Republicans favored it.

If Proposal 1 is approved by voters in November, Michigan would become the 13th state to legalize medical marijuana. Supporters estimate that as many as 50,000 Michigan residents would legally qualify for medical marijuana to treat a host of "debilitating" medical problems such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Alzheimer's disease, Crohn's disease and chronic diseases or their treatments that produce wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures or muscle spasms, such as those caused by multiple sclerosis.

"I'm all for it," said poll participant Jeff Bergel, a 52-year-old wholesale representative and father of two from Walled Lake.

"I lost a brother-in-law to brain cancer last year and I think marijuana could have helped make his life more comfortable. My dad has glaucoma and I understand it could help him as well."

Democracy in advertising

Law enforcement groups are near unanimous in their opposition to medical marijuana, saying it's part of a broader agenda to legalize marijuana for everyone. But there doesn't appear to be any group ready to spend money on an ad campaign to defeat the measure.

Michael Opland, a 64-year-old father of three from Harrison Township, said he supports medical marijuana, although he believes a lot of people would get the drug even though their medical conditions didn't warrant it.

"A certain number of people would probably take advantage of the law," he said. "But it's worth it to get marijuana to people who really need it."

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