Getting Medical Marijuana

[drtarzanmd]

Tarverse City , Michigan

 

Fact Finder:

 

What's legal when it comes to where to get the drug ?

 

By Diana Fairbanks

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:23 p.m.

 

It's legal for approved people to smoke medical marijuana in Michigan,

but where do you get it? That's what communities across the state,

including Traverse City are grappling with right now.

 

A moratorium bought Traverse City leaders a little time to try and

figure it out. In the meantime we took your questions to a local legal expert.

 

The answers are tonight's Fact Finder Report.

 

There are specialty shops for just about everything in downtown

Traverse City. But could there be one for marijuana? That's what

a lot of people want to know.

 

Attorney Gerald Chefalo says, "We are getting a tremendous

amount of questions about medical marijuana."

 

Michigan's Medical Marijuana Act allows people with certain health

conditions to use marijuana. They can have 2.5 ounces and

12 plants at a time. But the law leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

 

Chefalo says, "The act itself is just quiet when it comes to where a

very sick individual would acquire marijuana."

 

But while it doesn't say where you can get the drug, it does limit

how you can get it, and if you are thinking something like a marijuana bar,

where you can just walk in store, show your card and pick from a

wide variety products, think again.

 

Attorney Gerald Chefalo says, "The issue is a very hot topic in

Traverse City but I think the viewers should be cautioned that what

would be considered a dispensary in California or Colorado is not

allowable under the act in Michigan and that is very important for

people to understand."

 

The act does say a sick person could get it from a caregiver.

And that caregiver could provide marijuana to 5 patients.

But what happens when several caregivers and all of their

patients meet in one place?

 

Chefalo says, "so that's where it becomes very confusing and the

city would be grappling with how to do we, if at all, regulate

this type of gathering area because calling it a dispensary

would be misleading."

 

But he says, even when cities do try to answer this question,

it will likely not be the last word.

 

Chefalo says, "the more you get into it the more questions you

might have and I think the answers are ultimately going to come

from the court system as people push the limits of the act the

only way we're going to get clarification is if court cases are

actually brought in the county where there's an issue."

 

But in the meantime, Traverse City leaders have given themselves

to mid August to try and work through the legal language and come

up with a plan for how this will work in Traverse City.

 

What do you think?

 

How should people approved to use marijuana be able to get it?

 

What's best for them and what's best for the community as a whole?

 

Leave your comments here :

 

http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=449217

 

Copy and Paste from : upnorthlive.com/

[bobandtorey]

Thanks for the post

[ccpulsipher]

great post tarzen i voted on the poll i dont see why it is anyones business what happens between a patient and caregiver or caregivers it is legal what they are doing andi think it will be proven in court when leo gets nailed by a lawsuit thanx for the post

[welj31]

Tarverse City , Michigan

 

Fact Finder:

 

What's legal when it comes to where to get the drug ?

 

By Diana Fairbanks

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:23 p.m.

 

It's legal for approved people to smoke medical marijuana in Michigan,

but where do you get it? That's what communities across the state,

including Traverse City are grappling with right now.

 

A moratorium bought Traverse City leaders a little time to try and

figure it out. In the meantime we took your questions to a local legal expert.

 

The answers are tonight's Fact Finder Report.

 

There are specialty shops for just about everything in downtown

Traverse City. But could there be one for marijuana? That's what

a lot of people want to know.

 

Attorney Gerald Chefalo says, "We are getting a tremendous

amount of questions about medical marijuana."

 

Michigan's Medical Marijuana Act allows people with certain health

conditions to use marijuana. They can have 2.5 ounces and

12 plants at a time. But the law leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

 

Chefalo says, "The act itself is just quiet when it comes to where a

very sick individual would acquire marijuana."

 

But while it doesn't say where you can get the drug, it does limit

how you can get it, and if you are thinking something like a marijuana bar,

where you can just walk in store, show your card and pick from a

wide variety products, think again.

 

Attorney Gerald Chefalo says, "The issue is a very hot topic in

Traverse City but I think the viewers should be cautioned that what

would be considered a dispensary in California or Colorado is not

allowable under the act in Michigan and that is very important for

people to understand."

 

The act does say a sick person could get it from a caregiver.

And that caregiver could provide marijuana to 5 patients.

But what happens when several caregivers and all of their

patients meet in one place?

 

Chefalo says, "so that's where it becomes very confusing and the

city would be grappling with how to do we, if at all, regulate

this type of gathering area because calling it a dispensary

would be misleading."

 

But he says, even when cities do try to answer this question,

it will likely not be the last word.

 

Chefalo says, "the more you get into it the more questions you

might have and I think the answers are ultimately going to come

from the court system as people push the limits of the act the

only way we're going to get clarification is if court cases are

actually brought in the county where there's an issue."

 

But in the meantime, Traverse City leaders have given themselves

to mid August to try and work through the legal language and come

up with a plan for how this will work in Traverse City.

 

What do you think?

 

How should people approved to use marijuana be able to get it?

 

What's best for them and what's best for the community as a whole?

 

Leave your comments here :

 

http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=449217

 

Copy and Paste from : upnorthlive.com/

doc you scooped me again lol good job

[welj31]

Lets help our friends in TC post on 7&4 Tell them to stay out of our health care

[rockinlespaul]

I figured there would be issues up there as well. They run things a little tighter up there in my opinion. I lived in a small town called Thompsonville a few years back for about 2 years. About 30 miles from TC and about a mile from Crystal Mountain.

 

You could have a helluva grow up there but I'd hate to have to deal with the court system over it.

 

I think it's a little harder to grow down here, but I feel more comfortable. The thing is though, no matter what, if your legal you should not have to feel that way.

[Silverback]

There is no reason to ban a Nonprofit business from helping sick patients. I dont get why everyone is still so scared of this like its poison. I can go to a bar get completely smashed and possibly hurt/kill someone when I leave but I cant go pick up medical marijuana and take it home and use it as medicine. I will never understand their logic.