Since state voters passed the ballot initiative that paved the way for medicinal usage of cannabis in 2008, state law enforcement officials worked to hash out the murkier aspects of the law.

Through numerous court cases and legal decisions, Michigan medical marijuana laws were finally at a point where details such as the number of plants a person can grow, where they could grow them and how they could sell them, were finally set in stone.

Later this year, that foundation will crumble back to the ground, according to Cass County Victor Fitz.

In late 2016, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation into law that lays the groundwork for businesses focused around medical marijuana to legally operate under state law in municipalities that allow them to operate. These businesses include dispensaries, commercial growing operations and testing facilities, whose owners will be able to apply for licenses to begin operating starting in December.

“They [lawmakers] put medical marijuana on steroids,” Fitz said about the laws.

Fitz and others opposed to opening up the marijuana laws may face a tough battle, as the movement to place a ballot initiative legalizing recreational marijuana grows.

Fitz shared his concerns about the impact of marijuana and other drugs during his presentation Thursday at the Dowagiac Rotary Club. Fitz, who is also a member of the club, talked about the problems he and other prosecutors across the state are facing in regards to opioid and heroin abuse, and about how the changing landscape of marijuana may only exacerbate these issues.

The prosecutor, who has served the people of Cass County since 2003, is well versed on the subject of drug abuse. Before his current job, Fitz worked for years as a drug prosecutor in Muskegon, Michigan. Several years ago, he served on a state task force dedicated to fighting prescription painkiller abuse, and was even called to testify before Congress about the subject.

Opioid abuse is prevalent throughout the U.S., especially in Michigan, where overdose deaths have nearly quadrupled in number since 1999, Fitz said. The problem mainly stems from over medication of patients complaining to doctors about pain-related problems, the prosecutor said.

“You normally only need it [pain medication] for seven to 10 days,” Fitz said. “But they’re given it for 30 days, and told to it take it for the full 30. It has created legions of addicts of these drugs. It starts with prescriptions, and it eventually morphs into heroin abuse.”

Heroin has made a comeback in recent years due to its tie with opioid abuse. Users of prescription painkillers who find themselves cut off from their source often turn to heroin in order to get their fix — which often has deadly consequences, Fitz said.

Fitz has prosecuted many cases related to opioid abuse over the years, including a case where a police officer robbed a residence during an emergency call in order to get his hands on prescription painkillers in order to satiate his addiction.

Fitz believes the state’s problems with drugs will only get worse should marijuana usage become prevalent. The prosecutor pointed to an upcoming docket of court sentencings, where most of the suspects facing punishment are or were habitual users of marijuana.

Fitz is concerned that, with communities such as Niles or Buchanan expressing interest in allowing marijuana businesses to open, more teenagers and children will get their hands on the drug, contributing to the problem. He pointed to a research paper published in New Zealand that found that teenagers who use cannabis lose an average of eight IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38.

“In Niles, when they start that distribution area, they will be committing federal crimes every time they grow a plant,” Fitz said. “What a double standard we have, when we tell kids it’s OK to break the law so long as you don’t get caught or nobody is going to enforce it. Let’s be leaders. Let’s be adults. In 2018, if this becomes an issue again, let’s not be fooled again.”