Leo's Perspective

[Wild Bill]

This is taken from the Woodward Talk newspaper. The full story can be seen here:Ferndale officials disagree on medical pot policy

 

Voters in Ferndale have supported the decriminalization of medical marijuana by a strong majority on three separate occasions. In November 2005, 60 percent of voters approved a proposal to allow medical marijuana use within city limits. Then, three years later, 80 percent of voters expressed support for the state law legalizing the drug, while 77 percent also approved a local proposal to allow the National Organization for Positive Medicine to distribute medical marijuana in Ferndale with a court order.

 

However, city officials hold a variety of different opinions on the issue. Mayor Craig Covey has spoken out publicly on many occasions against regulating the use of medical marijuana in Ferndale. During his State of the City address on May 13, he sharply criticized other Oakland County cities that have attempted to ban the drug, calling their methods “reactionary policies based on fear.”

 

Recently, Covey reiterated his previous statement. “I think the way some cities responded to this new law was wildly overblown,” he said. “I’d rather see this regulated at the state level. … There are (14) states that have decriminalized the use of medical marijuana, some of which are much more conservative than Michigan. Marijuana has also been around for many years, and I think people have started to realize that it is far less dangerous than a lot of drugs that are perfectly legal.”

 

 

But Police Chief Mike Kitchen, like many law enforcement officials, believes that the use of medical marijuana could spell disaster for Michigan cities. He noted that the City Council previously rejected his recommendation to adopt an ordinance similar to that of Livonia, which bans the use of any drug that violates city, state or federal law.

 

“We at the Police Department are not in sync with what the council wants,” Kitchen admitted. “You can’t just do nothing, and even if you adopt a zoning ordinance, in some ways you are condoning the violation of federal law. It’s quite a conundrum. … All we can do is use existing laws to enforce this and keep compliance as close to the spirit of the (state) law as we can.”

 

Kitchen believes that based on issues he said other states have faced, medical marijuana facilities will lead to major problems, despite the best efforts of police. He pointed out that if harvested four times a year, the 60 marijuana plants that each caregiver is permitted to grow under state law could yield as much as $1.8 million in annual profits.

 

“And the bulk of that product is not going to the patients — it’s going right out the back door,” he said. “This is really not about medicine; this is about money. This law is going to degrade the quality of life in this region because it will ultimately lead to violence. Bad guys want this drug, and they react violently when they can’t get it.”

 

The only people that I've seen react violently are the police.

[greenbuddha]

Wild B...

 

The new MMJ law cuts into LEOs pocket book.

 

Full legalization would be an economic disaster for them... and they know it.

[bobandtorey]

This is taken from the Woodward Talk newspaper. The full story can be seen here:Ferndale officials disagree on medical pot policy

 

 

 

The only people that I've seen react violently are the police.

 

[vender]

Ferndale is for MM. I live in Ferndale and the city council and mayor are all for it. Mayor Covey has been trying to discuss this issue for years now. At the last city council meeting he made a statement that he would like to resolve the issue. It does seem that the city attorney is dragging his feet. Also the Chief is retiring and honestly he is a good guy just a little confused. He is old and possibly senile cut him some slack. These are the guys we need to vote out. Mayor Covey is getting very frustrated about not doing anything with MM. You could see it at the last council meeting.

[Zombiefied]

“And the bulk of that product is not going to the patients — it’s going right out the back door,” he said. “This is really not about medicine; this is about money. This law is going to degrade the quality of life in this region because it will ultimately lead to violence. Bad guys want this drug, and they react violently when they can’t get it.”

 

They have proof that all dispencerys sell out the back door to non patients? If there is no proof then he should keep his lieing trap shut!

 

Lead to violence? Realy? We are not Meth heads, we are NOT crack heads, WE DO NOT USE HERION, WE DO NOT WANT TO USE YOUR "SAFE" Prescriptions! We want to live in PEACE and not be violated by YOUR VIOLENCE!!!

 

I want to see where he is basing he mis-guided info from? I have never done a violent thing for Cannabis!!

[vender]

Them saying MM and violence drives me nuts. They always say marijuana and guns and violence go hand and hand. On TV when LEO raids a place you NEVER see a shoot out! NEVER! I love the way TV builds it up then they do the raid and either no one is there or the people just go peacefully. NO GUNS, NO VIOLENCE. WTF, I would like to see some stats on marijuana and violence. I see alcohol and violence all the time, but I guess thats OK.

[JohnB RPh]

And lol....no, roflmfao....at 60 plants yielding 1.8 million dollars in profits. Where do they keep coming up with these more and more inflated figures?

[bobandtorey]

Ferndale is for MM. I live in Ferndale and the city council and mayor are all for it. Mayor Covey has been trying to discuss this issue for years now. At the last city council meeting he made a statement that he would like to resolve the issue. It does seem that the city attorney is dragging his feet. Also the Chief is retiring and honestly he is a good guy just a little confused. He is old and possibly senile cut him some slack. These are the guys we need to vote out. Mayor Covey is getting very frustrated about not doing anything with MM. You could see it at the last council meeting.

 

let me know when the next meeting is i would like to go with you

[bobandtorey]

their is a city meeting tonight at 7:30