District court judge rules state's medical marijuana law is illegal

DEARBORN (AP) -- A Dearborn judge says Michigan's medical-marijuana law is illegal and is trumped by federal anti-drug laws. Wayne County 19th District Court Judge Mark Somers ruled in March in a case involving a man who was caught with pot before he received a medical-marijuana card. Robert Brandon unsuccessfully tried to have his case dismissed. Somers is one of three judges in Dearborn. His decision isn't binding on them or judges elsewhere in Michigan. But anyone appearing in Somers' court and arguing a medical-marijuana defense will lose. He says Michigan can't allow the legal use of marijuana when Congress has made it illegal. Bill DeBiasi is a Dearborn city prosecutor and says the medical marijuana law's illegality was one of his arguments, though not the main one. Voters approved the law in 2008. Published: Fri, Apr 8, 2011