Michigan

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March 15, 2009

Agencies prepare for marijuana as medicine

<span class=postbigbold>New rules for drug's use take effect on April 6</span>

Scott Davis sedavis@lsj.com
Lansing State Journal


Lynn Allen admits he doesn't have a green thumb, but he's a quick learner.

For months, the Williamston man has studied books and Web sites on marijuana growing tips, and in early April, he expects to place high intensity lamps in a bedroom closet to light a handful of flowerpots containing cannabis seeds.

In four months, the 52-year-old said, he should have a harvest of marijuana to help him deal with chronic pain from hemophilia and HIV, which he contracted from a tainted blood transfusion.

"It'll be the right time for spring planting," Allen said of the April launch.

There's change blooming in Michigan, and marijuana advocates estimate as many as 50,000 people may be using medicinal marijuana within two years under a new law set to be implemented April 6.

State officials now are doing a final review of the rules related to using medicinal marijuana. In November, Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Advocates expect 500 people to apply the first week, beginning April 6. State officials say they don't know what to expect.

"We have no idea who would want to use medical marijuana," said James McCurtis, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, which is administering the effort. "We are going to be ready."

<span class=postbigbold>'A very new process'</span>

Given the newness of the initiative - legalizing medical use of a drug that the state has criminalized for many decades - both advocates and state health officials are anticipating some road bumps with its rollout.

"This is a very new process," McCurtis said. "When you do something new, there is always a chance that some glitches will happen. We will keep those to a minimum."

Greg Francisco, executive director of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, said he expects the biggest problems for pain sufferers will be finding doctors willing to recommend marijuana use and confusion from police officers as they educate themselves about the new law.

Under the new law, applicants must submit statements from doctors certifying that their patient fits the criteria to use marijuana, which include suffering from cancer, HIV, Crohn's disease or other conditions involving chronic pain.

"People are having trouble finding doctors, and that's one of the functions of this organization - to help find them doctors," Francisco said. "There are a few doctors willing to do the assessment. Many are afraid. It's the unknown."

<span class=postbigbold>Enforcing the law</span>

Similarly, he said, law enforcement agencies still are trying to educate themselves about the new law and to determine the conditions under which marijuana can be seized. Under the law, authorized users can possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana and 12 marijuana plants for personal use; caregivers, authorized by the state to provide the marijuana, can possess a similar amount for each patient, up to five persons. Users and caregivers must keep all marijuana under lock and key.

State officials have acknowledged there are some gray areas in the new law, including whether authorized users can live within 1,000 feet of a school, or a "drug-free zone," and whether landlords can evict someone for using medicinal marijuana.

"Nobody quite knows what the law is," Francisco said. "The police are timid about this because they don't know. They are proceeding very cautiously. They don't want to get sued."

Eaton County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sauter said he recently has conducted training sessions on medicinal marijuana with police agencies, along with other legal issues, to keep confusion to a minimum.

Sauter said the new law could present "interesting challenges" in enforcement, especially if the number of qualified medicinal marijuana users reaches 50,000 statewide, as advocates predict.

"It may be some major changes for the officers," Sauter said. "The biggest thing will be a claim (of being an authorized user or caregiver), but they don't have the card. Once they see the card, it should be fairly clear."

<span class=postbigbold>Growing it</span>

Francisco said one flaw in the new law is a lack of an official distribution system for marijuana. Patients can't go to a pharmacy to buy it; they must either grow the marijuana themselves or acquire it from an authorized caregiver.

"It could be better if there was some kind of distribution system," said Francisco, noting marijuana can be a tricky plant to grow. "We would like to (eventually) develop a cooperative dispensary. We are looking ahead at what we would like in two years time."

While medicinal marijuana use has been legalized in Michigan, it is still illegal under federal law. In recent years, federal agents have raided some clinics in other states that dispense the leafy medication, but President Barack Obama has pledged to stop such raids.

Michigan joins 12 other states in legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

"(Obama) is signaling that they're going to respect state laws on this," Francisco said.

Allen, who campaigned on behalf of last year's ballot measure, said he is anxious to prove to the public that a medicinal marijuana law can work in the state.

<span class=postbold>Anticipating benefits</span>

To naysayers who worry that medicinal marijuana may pose a danger to children living in the same home, Allen said, users must keep it from youth just like any other prescribed medication.

"We have a lot of organizing to do and a lot of education to do," Allen said. "There certainly is a need out there. A lot of people will benefit from it."

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Charlevoix Courier

Weed warehouse coming to Charlevoix?

By Benjamin Gohs Editor
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 6:05 PM EDT


<table class="posttable" align="right"><tr><td class="postcell"><img class="postimg" width="300" src="bin/michigan_pot-store.jpg" title="Cherlevoix, Michigan"></td></tr></table>Those baffled by the red sign in an empty Antrim Street office window proclaiming a medical marijuana store is coming to Charlevoix are not alone.

Several owners of businesses in the vicinity said they were unsure who erected the sign and whether it was genuine--all were emphatic about not being identified due to what they deemed a controversial topic.

"At this time I don't know if this is actually going in or not," said Charlevoix City Police Chief Gerard Doan.

The bright red sign, which reads: "Coming Soon! Medical Marijuana Store--Thank You Proposal 1," in white lettering is posted in the window of an empty building on Antrim Street near the corner of State Street.

A white sign below the medical marijuana sign proffers office space for lease and contains a phone number. No one returned a message left at the number by press time.

"I believe, from what I've heard, it's a joke," said Charlevoix Mayor Norman Carlson Jr. "I don't know any of the fats and, as far as I know, no one has come to the city and applied for any variances."

Michigan joined more than a dozen states last November when voters approved the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.

According to the Michigan Medical Marihuana--spelled thusly in governmental literature for no apparent reason--Program Web site, you must be a Michigan resident who has an established relationship with your primary medical doctor and you must qualify as having at least one of the following debilitating medical conditions including, but not limited to: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn's and Alzheimer's disease.

While the program will not go into effect until April 4, concerned inquiries to local government have spurred action.

"At this point, we haven't heard or seen anything about that (marijuana business) coming to the city, but we have begun researching the legality of it and whether or not it could be controlled by zoning," said Charlevoix City Planner Mike Spencer. "I've heard rumors about this and ... somebody wanted me to look into it, so I did, and there's nothing to prevent putting a banner up inside a building."

He added, "If there is a lawful use under Michigan law, my initial opinion is it is something we could not prevent but, if ... research indicates that type of store could be associated with increased crime, then maybe the city could do something about keeping it away from schools, churches and out of downtown."

Application forms and instructions are not available at this time but, now that the law has been passed, the Michigan Medical Marihuana Program will be overseen by the Bureau of Health Professions, Department of Community Health.

Patients under the age of 18 can get a prescription for medical marijuana for certain medical reasons as long as they have the consent of their parent or guardian.

Qualifying patients will be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana or 12 plants--both of which must be kept in a secured location.

A $100 application fee applies unless you can demonstrate financial need.

<small>Call (517) 373-6873 or email bhpinfo@michigan.gov for more information.</small>

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Medical marijuana may soon be legal, but questions remain

<span class=postbigbold>State police chiefs organization director on Proposal 1 implementation:<br>'We don’t know what it’s going to look like. It’s new to all of us.'</span>

By Chris Killian 3/24/09 6:50 AM
The Michigan Messenger


In a matter of days, state residents suffering debilitating ailments and serious diseases will have a natural — and now legal — option to treat the pain and discomfort of their conditions. But on April 4, when Michigan becomes the 13th state to sanction the use of medical marijuana with a physician’s recommendation, there are some questions about the legalities of how the product will be procured.

While the Department of Community Health has outlined the rules, regulations and application requirements since voters overwhelmingly approved Proposal 1 last fall, the new law is mum on where exactly patients can obtain their legal pot.

There are three options for patients: Buy it on the street, grow their own or have someone grow it for them. A registered patient will be able to possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis and up to 12 marijuana plants without facing state criminal prosecution.

But the increase in the amount of marijuana “legally” available in the state could open the door to potential abuses. Selling the drug is still illegal, according to state and federal law.

“The first year, there will be some bad press,” said John Targowski, a Kalamazoo criminal defense attorney who specializes in drug cases. “It’s going to be a maturing process. The first year or two, it’s going to be a test. But it could head in the wrong direction if we’ve got those idiots who think they can operate like a drug dealer.”

Targowski, who is a member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws’ legal team, was speaking about caregivers, people who would assist pot patients in the cultivation of their marijuana and assist them in the delivery of the drug into their body if they can’t do so themselves. One caregiver can assist up to five patients and is protected from prosecution provided he or she does not ingest the marijuana or distribute it to a non-patient, according to the law.

And regardless of the legal protections in place for patient and caregiver alike, the initial marijuana purchase means that “someone will have to break the law,” Targowski said, referring to patients buying pot in the first place.

Tom Hendrickson, executive director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, has worries, too.

Although he said local law enforcement agencies throughout the state have no intention of monitoring patients’ behavior, the law does “open the door to complete legalization.”

Marijuana being grown for medical use has “the potential for abuse” by non-patients, he said. “If you’ve got one caregiver growing pot for five patients, that’s 60 plants, which is a potential quasi-commercial operation. Look at your access points: If there are more gas stations and 7-11s, they are used more.”

Hendrickson said that law enforcement officials will just have to wait and see. “We’re concerned about how they’re going to implement the law. It’s going to be a learning process, and right now we don’t know what it’s going to look like. It’s new to all of us.”

Patients can’t use their marijuana in public and cannot operate cars and machinery while under the drug’s influence, the law states. They also can face stiff fines and possible jail time if they sell or furnish marijuana to those who are not registered to possess the drug.

In all cases, failure to operate within the confines of the regulations outlined in the law would lead to a permanent ban of a patient from the state’s medical marijuana registry.

Greg Francisco, executive director of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, said that medical marijuana patients will be able to meet at “compassion clubs” that have been forming over the past several months to learn more about how the drug can alleviate their symptoms.

But marijuana cannot be purchased at the meetings. “These aren’t medical marijuana hook-ups,” Francisco said. “It’s hard for marijuana to become any more available than it already is.”

Francisco said that ideally patients would grow their own cannabis.

“We’re expecting things to go smoothly,” Francisco said. “We don’t expect anything major to happen. The sky’s not going to fall. There could be a few speed bumps, though. The police have said they will respect it.”

Still, Francisco does have concerns, including so-called “grow-rippers” or other criminals who steal a crop of marijuana plants, irresponsible caregivers who sell the drugs they grow on the black market and law enforcement personnel who abuse the new law.

Proposal 1 passed with 63 percent of the vote in November, making Michigan the first state in the Midwest to have some kind of medical marijuana law. It also becomes the second-most populous of the medical marijuana states, behind California, which approved a similar ballot initiative in 1996.

The Michigan measure collected 250,000 more votes than Barack Obama did in the Great Lakes State during the November elections. It also garnered a majority of votes in every county.

Advocates are estimating that 500 applications will be filed before the law’s official introduction on April 4. Within two years, about 50,000 Michiganders are predicted to be using medical marijuana legally.

Since taking office, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has signaled a considerably more relaxed federal attitude toward the state-level sanctioning of medical marijuana. “The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law, to the extent that people do that and try to use medical marijuana laws as a shield for activity that is not designed to comport with what the intention was of the state law,” the attorney general said at a press briefing last week.

In 2001 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities had the right to prosecute marijuana sellers, regardless of state laws. Later, in 2005, justices ruled that the federal government could still ban possession of marijuana in states that have sanctioned the medical use of the drug.

<small>(Chris Killian is a freelance journalist based in Kalamazoo and writes regularly for the Kalamazoo Gazette.)</small>

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Clio looks to ban medical marijuana businesses

by Bryn Mickle | The Flint Journal
Saturday March 28, 2009, 4:00 PM


CLIO, Michigan -- Medical marijuana may be legal -- but don't plan on looking for it in downtown Clio.

With the state getting ready to begin registering people to legally use marijuana under Michigan's new medicinal marijuana law, Clio officials are taking steps to snuff out any enterprising business owners from selling it.

The goal: To avoid a repeat of the topless coffee shop controversy a few years ago.

Because using marijuana remains illegal under federal law, the Clio ordinance would bar a business license for any store that violates local, state or federal law.

"Federal law trumps state law," said Otis Stout, the Clio city attorney.

Opinion from area business owners is mixed.

"It wouldn't bother me," said Greg Bauman, who owns a guitar shop downtown.

Jewelry store owner Cindy Newman said a dispensary might increase foot traffic downtown.

"I need business," she said.

But the owner of a floral shop that sits next to a boarded up business isn't so sure that a storefront dispensary is the best idea.

Debbie Taylor worries she would lose customers who might steer clear of such a store and is concerned that young people will be able to get marijuana in the same way that some use fake driver's licenses to buy liquor.

"You can't please everybody," said Taylor.

In November, voters passed a state law to allow people to use marijuana for medicinal reasons, including the treatment of nausea and other side effects of serious illnesses.

The state Department of Community has until April 4 to issue guidelines for how patients and designated caregivers can get state-issued cards to acquire, keep, grow, carry and use marijuana.

But because the state can't tell patients how to get the drug, groups like the Genesee County Compassion Club have been working to link those in need with others who can provide it.

A Compassion Club representative could not be reached for comment this week to discuss the Clio proposal.

Even if a measure is passed against storefront dispensaries that won't mean medical marijuana users can't toke up in Clio.

Clio police Chief Jim McLellan said compassion clubs that distribute marijuana will still be able to operate out of homes.

The tricky part for police will be distinguishing legitimate medical cannabis users from those who are just looking to get high for fun.

It used to be someone caught with 50 marijuana cigarettes would face felony charges of dealing drugs.

Under the new law, anyone can carry that same equivalent of marijuana -- 2 1/2 ounces -- and be perfectly legal as long as they are a registered to use marijuana for health reasons.

"There's a lot of questions to be answered," said McLellan.

McLellan said Clio police aren't interested in hassling those who use cannabis legally.

"But some people are going to look to abuse the system and make a profit off it," he said.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Marijuana clinics could spur niche industry

<span class=postbigbold>Helping patients get approved may be lucrative</span>

Christina Rogers / The Detroit News


Southfield -- A new medical clinic here specializes in helping patients qualify with the state to treat their health problems with medical marijuana.

The nonprofit The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation opened the clinic, its first in Michigan, in December. That's the same month a voter-approved law went into effect legalizing medical marijuana to ease the pain of certain illnesses specified by the state, such as cancer, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease and HIV/AIDS.

State regulators will begin accepting applications on Saturday from patients who want state authorization to acquire, grow, transport or possess marijuana for therapeutic use.

"If a patient has a qualifying condition, then our doctors will help them get a permit," said chief executive Paul Stanford, adding the clinic pre-screens patients to ensure they've already been diagnosed with an illness approved for treatment with medical marijuana. The clinic doesn't sell or dispense marijuana, because that's against the law.

The Portland, Ore.-based organization is taking roots in what could soon become a budding niche industry in Michigan.

"You're looking at a $10 million annual industry that physicians aren't going to turn their backs on for too long," said Brad Forrester, a communications director for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, which began organizing last year and is applying for nonprofit status with the state.

Stanford said he sees the clinic's role as simple: to provide patients with access to doctors willing to write the state-required certifications qualifying them for a medical marijuana permit card.

Despite the drug's legalization in more than a dozen states for medicinal use, many doctors won't recommend it -- either because they fear legal reprisal or don't see it as the best therapeutic option.

<span class=postbigbold>New revenue for Michigan</span>

The clinic, the first of its kind in Michigan, charges about $200 for patients looking to get a year-long medical marijuana permit. Multiply that by the estimated 50,000 patients that supporters say the law will help, and medical professionals are looking at a significant new revenue stream.

"That's a nice chunk of change," Forrester said.

For the THCF clinic, the new law is already paying off. It has logged more than 380 patient visits since its opening in temporary space on the 19th floor of a Southfield office tower.

On a recent day, patients were seated in a boardroom-style conference room, where the foundation's staffers educated them about medicinal marijuana, how it can be taken -- by smoking or ingestion -- and about its potential hazards. Attendees, for instance, were advised not to operate a motor vehicle after using the drug.

For patients like Dave Rice, a 30-year-old Brighton resident who suffers from arthritis pain brought on by a severe knee injury, the clinic is providing a more natural alternative to narcotic pain-relievers to soothe his symptoms.

"This might be something that can relieve my pain and help," Rice said, noting he was interested in taking the marijuana in pill form, rather than smoking it -- an option Stanford said many patients choose to avoid a cannabis-induced high.

The foundation also expects to see competition arise in Michigan from other medical clinics or doctors' offices setting up shop to meet the growing demand for medical permits. That's been the case in other states.

While the foundation has not set daily hours here -- only opening a couple days a month -- Stanford said he hopes to have a permanent medical center by May and is hiring staff, including a doctor. Right now, the foundation is using a doctor from its Denver location.

Michigan could see other industry outgrowth, such as stores selling pot-growing equipment.

<span class=postbigbold>Use will be well-regulated</span>

The new law could seed another line of business: a caregiver, a person designated to help the ill cultivate or obtain medical marijuana, Forrester said.

"Caregivers are going to be an industry here in Michigan, as well," he said, noting the association's Web site, www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org, will make space available to caregivers who want to advertise their services.

Under the new law, caregivers also must register with the state, be older than 21 and have no felony drug convictions. Caregivers can ask patients to compensate them for the costs of their service -- such as money spent on growing equipment or buying seeds -- but can't legally sell the product.

The Michigan Department of Community Health will closely regulate doctors and medical clinics that certify patients for clinical cannabis use, watching for abuse, said Melanie Brim, a department director. The department will monitor doctors who appear to churn out high volumes of prescriptions, checking to ensure they're not certifying patients without an in-person exam and a careful look at their medical records, Brim said.

The Michigan State Medical Society, which opposed the original ballot initiative, doesn't have an official position on clinics specializing in medical marijuana, but shares some of the health department's concerns, said David Fox, a medical society spokesman.

Fox said the society advocates communication between specialty doctors and primary care physicians to safeguard against possible drug interactions and to ensure the medical care isn't fragmented.

"You'd want to have a bona fide doctor-patient relationship, including the transfer of medical records," Fox added.

cvrogers@detnews.com.

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Confusion and concern still remain with new medical marijuana law

9 & 10 News | 1 Apr 2009

The state is putting the finishing touches on its rules for medical marijuana, even though some concern and confusion still remain.

Patients who qualify for the program -- with their doctor's approval -- will be sent a state issued ID card. Law enforcement is still waiting for guidance from the state in exactly how to enforce the new law.

Kalkaska County Prosecutor, Brian Donnelley, is also concerned about legal users driving on the road.

"If a person smokes marijuana everyday because their doctor says that's what you need, you might as well surrender your drivers license," he says.

Under Michigan law, it's illegal to drive with any traces of marijuana in your body. It doesn't matter whether the substance impairs your driving.

In some cases, it can take days for the drug to leave your system.

"I'm concerned about people using medical marijuana that might not be aware that it may effect their status as a driver," says Donnelley. "But I'm also concerned that it might affect their driving and put the public at risk."

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Patient rules lacking in new medicinal pot law

<span class=postbigbold>State to soon outline a program explaining patients' rights</span>

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News


<table class="posttable" align="right"><tr><td class="postcell"><img class="postimg" width="300" src="bin/redden_bob.jpg" alt="Bob Redden, 59, of Madison Heights and his friend, Torey Clark, 48, look at the front door, which was damaged by police who smashed it in and removed marijuana plants from his home."></tr></td></table>Madison Heights --Bob Redden says he thought he was doing the right thing when he went to a medical clinic in Southfield to get paperwork to qualify for medical marijuana.

Redden, 59, said he suffers from bone disease and two deteriorating hips, and was told medical marijuana would ease his pain. But on Monday, when Madison Heights police smashed open the front door of his house with a battering ram and seized 21 marijuana plants from a back room, Redden wondered what he had done wrong.

"They stole my plants and my money," Redden said. "We are devastated. The door is torn up. They treated me like I was a criminal. I can't believe this is happening to me. I was assured by my doctor this medical marijuana was going to help and they assure me this is legal."

Police in this Oakland County suburb acknowledged Wednesday they don't know whether Redden broke the law, since health officials have yet to lay out complete rules under the Michigan's new medical marijuana laws. The state is expected to outline the program Saturday.

"We did execute a search warrant and we did confiscate marijuana plants," Police Chief Kevin Sagan said. "The dilemma for law enforcement is we don't have those rules yet."

Sagan said the suspect provided paperwork to officers with the name of a doctor whom police are trying to verify.

Redden's decision to cultivate, possess and use medical marijuana does appear to be premature, according to preliminary state guidelines which say users must obtain a permit from the state for medical marijuana. State regulators will begin accepting applications for permits Saturday.

The card, which has a picture ID, costs $100 and allows patients to legally possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana or grow 12 marijuana plants in a locked, enclosed area.

Redden, who said he is on Social Security and disability for his health problems, said he obtained his "certification" for medical marijuana from a doctor at the nonprofit Hemp and Cannabis Foundation in Southfield.

Paul Stanford, the foundation CEO, said everyone who comes to the clinic is told verbally and in writing that what they have is an affirmative defense to the new law.

Redden said some of the plants belong to his girlfriend, who suffers from cancer and also has the proper paperwork to possess medical marijuana.

"I don't know what we are going to do," he said. "We have no medicine now."

jchambers@detnews.com (248) 647-7402

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A day to celebrate at the annual Hash Bash

ANN ARBOR | Sunday, April 05, 2009
BY JO MATHIS | The Ann Arbor News

Some aspects of the 38th annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash were the same old, same old.

The event started with about 200 passionate people protesting marijuana laws at the Federal Building. The crowd then carried signs and marched to the University of Michigan Diag, where an estimated 1,500 people braced the wind to listen to speeches. Then they moved on to a street party with information booths and music.

But this year, supporters of the fight to end the drug war and legalize pot had a reason to celebrate.

Saturday marked the day Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law, which was approved by 63 percent of voters last November, was fully implemented. That means that as soon as patients take their completed applications to a community health office on Monday, they can receive a state ID that will allow them to use marijuana without penalty.

Chris Brunett, who was born with cerebral palsy 22 years ago, will be one of them. As his friend pushed Brunett's wheelchair toward the Diag, Brunett said he is angry that President Obama recently dismissed - with a laugh - the idea of legalizing marijuana.

"He doesn't even want to consider it,'' said Brunett, who lives in Davison, near Flint. "... He still wants to dismiss us like we're a bunch of stoners or hippies.''

Brunett said marijuana helps him cope with pain in his joints, and that only someone who's been in his shoes can understand what it takes to just get through the day.

"There are other drugs I can take, but they have side effects that are 100 times worse than ... what? Having the munchies?''

As Brad Trudeau of Westland smoked a joint on his way to the Diag, he said he wasn't worried about getting caught on city property, where possession is a civil infraction with a $25 fine for the fist offense.

"Smoking weed should be legal anyway,'' he said.

On the Diag, speakers applauded Ann Arbor police for being more understanding than most about marijuana; encouraged people to work to end the "civil war'' on drugs, and talked about the March shooting of an unarmed Grand Valley State University student during a raid by a regional drug unit.

The U-M Department of Public Safety officers did not take any enforcement action during the event, but did assist three people who needed medical treatment.

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Hash Bash returns for another hit

By Valiant Lowitz | The Michigan Daily
Daily Staff Reporter On April 5th, 2009


<embed src="http://blip.tv/play/geMK+LoPj8Bl" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="365" height="300" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" align="right"></embed> High noon on the first Saturday in April means only one thing: Hash Bash.

A smoky haze filled Monroe Street Saturday, as a mixture of old-time activists, University students, adult spectators and marijuana enthusiasts came together to support recreational marijuana use, oppose United States drug laws and enjoy an afternoon in the sun.

And this year, the mood was a little more celebratory than usual.

In its 37th year, Hash Bash had a significant reform to commemorate: the legalization of medical marijuana in the state of Michigan.

Proposal 1, which was passed by 63 percent of Michigan voters last November, legalized the possession of medical marijuana within the state for those with a doctor’s recommendation. The law took effect Saturday, the same day as the festivities.

Andrew Kent, president of the University’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — the event's primary organizer — said this year’s event attracted more students than he had ever seen during his three years at the University.

Between 1,500 and 1,600 people gathered on the Diag for the first half of the event according to Diane Brown, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety. In 2006, an estimated 900 people turned out for the event, according to The Michigan Daily.

Kent attributed the increased turnout to wider acceptance of recreational drug use both on campus and across the country.

“I think that drug use is becoming much more normalized in our society,” Kent said. “People don’t really look down on you in the same way anymore.”

The event included speeches from Kent, Chris Chiles, the executive director of the University’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and members of the Michigan chapter of NORML.

After the gathering on the Diag, supporters marched together to the annual Monroe Street Fair. The fair featured live music blaring from a stage in front of Dominick's and numerous street vendors selling everything from marijuana paraphernalia to T-shirts.

Mark Prichard, who said he was a member of an activist group called the Portage Progressives for Peace, said he has been attending Hash Bash for more than 30 years to “celebrate the passing of Michigan’s medical marijuana laws.”

Prichard said he first attended Hash Bash in 1975.

The annual event began in response to a March 9, 1972 Michigan Supreme Court decision that declared unconstitutional the drug law used to convict activist John Sinclair for possession of two marijuana joints.

That decision left the state of Michigan without laws prohibiting the use of marijuana for almost a month until a law was passed on Apr. 1, 1972.

Hash Bash is held every year on the first Saturday in April to commemorate the decision.


Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:41:42 -0400

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Michigan inaugurates medical-marijuana program

Posted By: Bob Brenzing
Updated:4/6/2009 9:11:16 PM

LANSING, Mich. (AP & WZZM) -- On Monday, Michigan began accepting applications for medical marijuana licenses. About fifty medical marijuana patients gathered at the Gone Wired Café in Lansing to some of the first to hand in their applications.

They came with their wheelchairs, canes and crutches to be a part of history.

"Got my money order everything all my ID." Amy Gaseluay of Holland wanted to hand in her application in person, "It makes us feel great that we are able to use our meds without worrying about being prosecuted for it."

Amy wants to use the marijuana to help her with chronic neck and back pain and dementia, "It helps me sleep at night and eat. And helps make the pain so it's just not so noticeable."

Members of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association were on hand helping with questions and making sure the paperwork was in order, "If you were going to be the caregiver for yourself then you would put your name here."

Then they loaded up on a bus and walked into the State Department of Community Health to hand in their applications.

It was a moment many, like Amy, had waited a long time for, "Now they can feel confident that their family is happy because it's within the term of the law and not have to worry like before that's the biggest thing right there."

Now Michigan's medical marijuana patients will take on a new responsibility, "We continue to reach out to the community and I think people a year from now are going to look back and say what was all the fuss about?" says Greg Francisco with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association.

It's a way of making sure their right to medicate is one that everyone can live with.

About 50,000 patients are expected to apply for medical marijuana licenses over the next two years.

The first cards will be issued to patients later this month.

Michigan residents can get a doctor's recommendation to use marijuana to relieve pain and other symptoms.

Patients can register with the state and receive a license protecting them from arrest.

Twelve other states have similar programs.

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Source: Spinal Column Newsweekly

The Jason Mitchell Interview

by Michael Shelton

April 08, 2009

<table class="posttable" align="right"><tr><td class="postcell"><img class="postimg" width="300" src="bin\mitchell_jason.jpg" title="Jason Mitchell"></td></tr></table>Jason Mitchell, 29, is a Commerce Township resident and president of the Waterford Area Compassion Club (WACC), a group that conducts outreach and education efforts involving medical marijuana use for patients and their caregivers, as well as members of the general public that may be interested in learning more about the issue. WACC is just one of many compassion clubs located throughout the state. The group has become a vital resource since medical marijuana use was legalized for qualified patients by Michigan voters in the November 2008 general election. Mitchell himself is a medical marijuana patient. He and his fellow WACC members are looking to dispel notions and stereotypes that outsiders may have about patients and the drug. WACC regularly meets at locations such as the Waterford Public Library. Mitchell recently spoke with the Spinal Column Newsweekly about WACC, his personal experiences and how more people can educate themselves on this controversial topic.

SCN: Please tell us about the Waterford Area Compassion Club, when and how it was formed, and its mission. How did you become involved with it? How do you respond to critics of your club who may not understand it or its intentions?

JM: The Waterford Area Compassion Club formed to reach out to patients, caregivers and anyone interested in medical marijuana, which is completely legalized in Michigan.

We're trying to get into a grassroots-type of situation. We're working together with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association (MMMA) and they're helping us develop these clubs throughout Michigan.

I started on the MMMA web site and through there, I found they were asking for volunteers to help host these meetings and get everyone together and I was able to do that. That's just something I feel comfortable with and I feel that's good for everyone.

Everyone has their reservations — it's something new. A lot of people are afraid of it. There's a lot of misinformation that's been out there. Anyone is welcome to come in and we try to educate them, and they're more than welcome to ask any questions they want and hopefully they can make a sound judgment on that.

SCN: Michigan voters approved the lifting of criminal penalties for medical marijuana patients last November. What do you think was the key to getting support for this measure?

JM: I believe that there's a lot of people that were already involved in it. There were 12 other states at the time (that had approved medical marijuana use), and people were seeing that there wasn't a major issue with it and it's helping people that may not be able to get a standard pill for medication because they can't afford it. This is something that they may be able to use on their own, something they can grow, and people are seeing that in these tough times in this economy.

SCN: Who are the typical users of medical marijuana and why is it important to them?

JM: It's a broad range. I've seen top level executives on down to your average person (being medical marijuana patients).

A lot of them that I've talked to are mostly interested in the fact that they can get rid of the medications that they've had before that have so many side effects, and they have to take other pills to take care of those side effects. With the medical marijuana, they're able to get rid of those pills or cut back on most of them.

SCN: Please briefly walk us through the official steps one would need to take to become a medical marijuana user. How does one become eligible, and what kind of documentation is necessary? Where would the patient get their "medicine?"

JM: With that, you would want to consult your physician first and ... the physician may not know, so there's pamphlets and things and we invite the doctors in. Or there's clinics that they can go to where there are medical marijuana-friendly doctors. From there, they must get a recommendation. It would depend on several conditions that are available and from there you have a state application that you have to fill out. Then you submit a $100 fee to the state for the processing and with that you'll get your card.

There is no part of the law as far as having stores or dispensaries or pharmacies (making marijuana available). Their options (for getting marijuana) are the patient can grow their own or they can acquire it however they need to, or they designate a caregiver for them that will grow it for them and supply them and help them with any concerns they may have.

There's actually quite a few diseases on the (eligibility) list. There's also qualifying conditions such a chronic pain, severe pain — all types of different things — and if you suffer from those, or from a treatment for (those conditions), you're also eligible for it.

SCN: Although approval of last year's ballot question reportedly authorizes use of medical marijuana in the state, federal law still prohibits possession of marijuana. How does your group advise patients on how to deal with this conflict? What kind of federal enforcement action, if any, do you expect in the state in response to the medical marijuana program?

JM: Basically, we say stay in (compliance) with the Michigan law. As long as you're in (compliance) — from what we've heard from the (prosecutors) — they won't be bothering people using medical marijuana. We've had a few incidents where legal patients have been raided and I'm hoping that stuff is going to die down.

SCN: Do you or have you used marijuana for medical purposes? If so, what can you say about your personal experiences with it and its benefits?

JM: Yes, I have. I've got major issues with my lower back. It helps me out where the pills that the doctor has prescribed for me, they have some severe side effects, almost to the point where I have to choose, "Do I live with the pain or do I take the side effects?"

With the medical marijuana for me, it helps me relieve the pain and to relax the muscles so everything gets a chance to recoup and heal. As for side effects with the marijuana, I really don't have any, but that doesn't mean someone else might not.

SCN: Tell us why you do or don't believe marijuana should be completely legalized? What do you see as the pros and cons of legalization?

JM: I believe that may be something we look at in the future. Right now I believe there's still a lot of things that need to be put in place before that happens — a lot of awareness, a lot of education, and the facts of what it actually is. A lot of people have stereotypes about it and people are going to react based on those. There's going to be too much confusion and too many problems.

Legalization is going to (reduce) the costs of a lot of crime fighting. A lot of people that are in jails or prisons are in there for minor charges and if it was something that was legal, a lot of costs would be cut out.

With the cons, you're going to have a lot of people using that you shouldn't have using. I don't agree that marijuana is for everyone, but there are people who want to use it and choose to use it because it's right for them.

SCN: Lastly, tell us about any upcoming meetings or events your organization will be holding to educate patients or the general public about the state's medical marijuana program.

JM: The best source for that is the MMMA web site. They have (event) calenders on there for everyone and there's also forums available. People can go in there and ask questions and they have a lot of one-on-ones with the groups that you can get into.

[palmspringsbum]

Medical marijuana registrations rolling in

Thursday, April 09, 2009
By GUS BURNS
Times News Service


A pungent and tangy odor fills the family room as Thomas L. Higgins and his wife, Janet, casually puff on a hand-rolled joint, medicating themselves with marijuana buds harvested just down the hall.

In their son's former bedroom, where it's brighter and noticeably warmer than the rest of the house, white plastic covers the walls and ceiling while 23 marijuana plants, from seedlings to maturing females, grow beneath a cluster of 12 fluorescent, energy-saving light bulbs.

Higgins, 51, who has hepatitis C, a viral disease that attacks his liver and causes pain and extreme nausea, said he's grown marijuana for 38 years, 15 of those for medical reasons.

''Before that, I was growing for pleasurable reasons,'' he said.

Higgins claims he contracted the virus at age 16, when he ran away from home and shared a needle while shooting heroin.

His 51-year-old wife smokes to relieve symptoms related to her ''arthritis and degenerative hip disease, among other stuff.''

''I'm just so happy that it's legal,'' Higgins said. ''I've been growing illegally, and it's a big relief of stress for me.''

The couple was arrested on a marijuana manufacturing charge in August 2002 when firefighters responded to an attic fire at their previous home and discovered more than 20 marijuana plants growing under high-powered lamps, which investigators believe caused the blaze. Prosecutors dropped the charges with prejudice, contingent upon the couple staying out of trouble for four years, which they did.

The Michigan Department of Community Health offices began accepting applications and registration fees on Monday from those wishing to register as medical marijuana patients.

More than 100 people applied for the program by the end of the registry's first day.

The Department of Community Health said in a statement that 85 applications were received Monday and 16 came in over the weekend for a total of 101.

Cards will be issued to those approved for the registry within three weeks.

Michigan voters legalized medical marijuana last year.

Patients can apply for a state-issued ID card to protect them from arrest for growing and using marijuana to treat pain and other symptoms stemming from ailments such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. A doctor's recommendation is required.

The state has posted the four-page application online at www.michigan.gov/mmp, along with the newly established administrative rules.

The law doesn't provide a legal way to procure marijuana, plants or seeds.

''We didn't write this law, said Doug R. Padgett, an assistant for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program. ''This was written by the people, voted in by the people. Realize that we didn't make it this way; it is just the way it was given to us to do.''

The Department of Community Health Web site says: ''The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which means licensed physicians cannot prescribe it,'' thereby leaving less-sophisticated patients wondering how they'll get it.

Higgins recommends interested residents visit the Bay City/Saginaw Compassion Club, a 40-member group that meets regularly to share information necessary for patients and caretakers. Further information is available by calling Higgins, a representative for the group, at 686-5096 or by sending him e-mail at

woodchuckmi@hotmail.com.

Greg Francisco, executive director for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, recommends using the resources on the organization's Web site, michiganmedicalmarijuana.org, which has compassion club information, as well as data about medical marijuana-friendly physicians, chat boards, seed procurement, and caregivers.



©2009
© 2009 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

[palmspringsbum]

Sunday, June 21, 2009 | Laura Berman

Michigan's vague marijuana law creates confusion

The Detroit News

The way some describe it, state's medical marijuana law -- passed by voter referendum last fall -- might as well have been written by Harold & Kumar at a hookah bar.

Ostensibly written to enable people suffering from serious medical conditions to gain relief by using marijuana, the law was also enthusiastically supported by the kind of voters who might envy Michael Phelps' designer bong.

It's a law that serves a few constituencies -- and whose vagueness is beginning to cause reefer madness among the law enforcement community.

Prosecutors and police agencies are annoyed by the law's fuzziness on basic legal procedures. "It doesn't define any," says Paul Walton, the deputy Oakland County prosecutor, whose office had a medical marijuana case dismissed by a frustrated Madison Heights judge last week.

And State Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Ottawa County) is stunned to be sponsoring reform bills that would standardize marijuana growing in Michigan. "My staffers like to make jokes but it is also clear that this is a very serious issue, especially to people who benefit from medical marijuana," he says.

Last week, Madison Heights District Judge Robert Turner dismissed one of the first tests of the new law, denouncing the law as "the worst piece of legislation," he's seen.

The defendants' case was dramatic: If treated as medical marijuana users, their 21 little marijuana plants were like prescription Motrin. If treated as illegal drug users, Torey Clark, 47, and Robert Redden, 59, could get up to 14 years in prison.

Redden, once caught with 22 pounds of marijuana, has served jail time on drug offenses. But he's also a military veteran who has had multiple surgeries and whose hip pain is now treated with oxycotin and Vicodin. Clark, according to testimony, has ovarian cancer.

Are they drug abusers or patients? The law requires that a physician approve the use of marijuana -- and Clark and Redden did see a doctor, Dr. Eric Eisenbud, who testified on their behalf in court.

In one of the other quirks in the case, Eisenbud works for the Hemp & THC Clinic, approving patients for medical marijuana. He's a Denver ophthalmologist, licensed to practice in Michigan and five other states.

Defendants Clark and Redden's beef was all about the bust: Police got a warrant, burst into their home, and seized cash as forfeiture money. Their lawyer, Plymouth-based Robert Mullen, says he empathized with the couple's plight ("they were being bullied,") and agreed to represent them pro bono.

After Wednesday's preliminary hearing, Redden told News reporter Jennifer Chambers he wanted to leave Madison Heights rather than be harassed for growing medicine.

As a test case, Redden and Clark -- with their checkered history and medical problems -- were perfect foils for overzealous law enforcement: There's a law on the books that's more sympathetic to sick people than drug warriors.

They had a doctor's prescription.

And for now, at least, the people -- including the ones who hope to loosen recreational pot smoking laws -- have spoken.

Laura Berman's column runs Tuesday and Thursday in Metro and Sunday on the web. She can be reached at lberman@detnews.com or 313-222-2032.

[palmspringsbum]

Michigan medical marijuana rules still hazy for users and caregivers

By Bryn Mickle | Flint Journal
October 04, 2009, 12:00PM

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Nearly a year after state voters said yes to medical marijuana, people are still treading cautiously when it comes to growing their own.

Since April, the state has issued more than 4,400 patient cards that allow people with certain medical conditions to smoke marijuana.

The state Department of Community Health has issued nearly 1,800 cards to caregivers, giving them permission to legally grow and sell marijuana to patients under a new law that makes marijuana legal for people with certain medical conditions.

For $100, the state will issue medical marijuana cards to those 18 and over who have a doctor’s note attesting that they qualify to use marijuana for ailments ranging from cancer to epilepsy. Licensed caregivers are allowed to grow as many as 60 marijuana plants if they have a maximum of five patients.

But supporters say some patients and caregivers are still running into legal hassles from police.

“They’re afraid,” said Brad Forrester, media director for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association.

In recent months, the MMMA has heard complaints from marijuana growers in Shiawassee, Sanilac, Ogema and Huron counties where police have confiscated plants citing alleged violations of the new law by either growing too many plants or not keeping them in a proper storage facility.

Jeremy, a certified Genesee County caregiver, said the rules are hazy on what exactly constitutes a marijuana plant.

Authorized marijuana users are on their own when it comes to finding their product since federal law prevents providers from sending seeds or plants through the mail, said Jeremy, who asked that his last name and hometown be withheld for fear of being targeted by thieves.

“There are issues that need to be addressed,” said Jeremy, a member of the Genesee County Compassion Club.

Even the Department of Community Health is unsure on some of the rules, including whether patients can even keep their marijuana at home if they live within 1,000 feet of a school.

“This law has a whole lot of gray areas,” said James McCurtis, MDCH spokesman. “There’s going to be quite a bit of litigation (to settle some of these issues).”

On Wednesday, medical marijuana supporters from around the state plan to march on the state Capitol Building in Lansing to protest recent arrests and demand the state clarify its rules on medical marijuana.

In Flint, former mayoral write-in candidate Ronald Higgerson is fighting a New Year’s Day bust after police seized 13 marijuana plants growing in his house — one over the legal limit for a certified caregiver with one patient.

Higgerson, whose campaign platform called for reviving Flint’s economy through marijuana production, told police the bust would be a test case for the new law, according to police reports.

His attorney, Chris Christenson, said he is still reviewing the case but said he believes the medical marijuana law is vague and creates legal issues.

But prosecutors don’t believe Higgerson has much of a case given that the bust happened before the state began issuing medical marijuana cards.

And Genesee County Prosecutor David S. Leyton doesn’t expect police to let marijuana users go just because they say their using it for medicinal purposes.

“A lot of people can say they have a card ... We need verification,” said Leyton.

So far, state police Lt. Dave Rampy with the Flint Area Narcotics Group said no one busted by the team has shown a state marijuana card.

“It’s business as usual,” said Rampy, adding that FANG has yet to be told to return anyone’s weed.
“We let the attorneys sort it out.”

But pro-cannabis attorney Matthew Abel believes such approaches are a waste of taxpayer resources.

“The intent of the voters was clearly to protect patients,” said Abel, who represents a Shiawassee County man who was arrested for growing marijuana in a dog kennel.

Ultimately, Abel and other medical marijuana supporters believe there is an easy way to clear up any confusion about the new law.

“They really should just legalize cannabis,” said Abel.
“It’s time for law enforcement to wake up and smell the coffee.”


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