Hundreds Protest At Hearing For Medical Marijuana Defendants

[+RevThad]

Full Story Here.

 

Last Updated: October 07. 2010 3:42PM

Hundreds protest at hearing for medical marijuana defendants

Mike Martindale / The Detroit News

 

Waterford Township — Several hundred people showed up Thursday afternoon for a court hearing involving 10 people charged with violating Michigan's medical marijuana laws.

 

Seven chartered buses brought sign-carrying, chanting protesters from Lansing, Oak Park and elsewhere who are upset over the Aug. 25 raids of a Ferndale medical marijuana clinic, a Waterford compassion club and a related dispensary.

 

Sixteen people were arrested during the raids by the Oakland County Sheriff's Narcotic Enforcement Team (NET) for allegedly selling marijuana to unqualified people, including undercover police officers posing as patients who use the herb for medical reasons.

 

In November 2008, Michigan voters approved the use of marijuana by qualified patients who are provided cards by the state. Licensed caregivers can grow up to 12 plants and sell marijuana to five patients.

 

"I had to come to show my support," said Sam Mendez of Ann Arbor, shouldering a "Stop Breaking up Families" sign while holding the hand of his 5-year-old daughter, Angel. "I think the arrests were political and some people are being hurt by them."

 

Other demonstrators carried signs with messages such as "Judges Aren't Doctors," "Taxpayers $$$ Wasted" and "End the War — On Medical Marijuana."

 

Thursday's hearing was for purposes of obtaining court dates for future examinations. Waterford 51st District Judge Richard Kuhn Jr. ordered four defendants to return to court Nov. 4 and six others Nov. 19.

 

 

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20101007/METRO02/10070456/1361/Hundreds-protest-at-hearing-for-medical-marijuana-defendants#ixzz11hnORML9

[+RevThad]

From Freep...

 

Protesters in Waterford defend medical marijuana use

 

By Bill Laitner

Free Press staff writer

 

 

More than 200 protesters gathered this afternoon to defend their use of medical marijuana outside the Waterford District Court, while inside a judge set hearing dates for 10 medical marijuana defendants in cases that experts say could land in the state Supreme Court.

 

 

District Judge Richard Kuhn Jr. set preliminary exam dates of Nov. 4 for four defendants, and Nov. 19 for six others, all arrested during raids in August of a medical marijuana dispensary — where patients bought the drug — and a compassion club where they socialized while using it.

 

Prosecutors and defense attorneys say state law allows dispensaries and compassion clubs, but Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard have said they said they are illegal. Bouchard also has said the raids were necessary because undercover officers found drug abuse and drug dealing at the sites.

 

On Wednesday, state Department of Community Health spokesman James McCurtis said that the department was unsure whether such establishments were allowed under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, which voters approved in 2008.

 

In the courthouse parking lot, inside a ring of hundreds of protesters, Michigan Medical Marijuana Magazine editor Rick Thompson said, “God bless you all for coming,” after his magazine provided t-shirts, lunches and bus rides for many of them.

 

Sitting in a wheelchair was Cathy Greer, 51, of Center Line.

 

“I just had a surgical procedure yesterday and I’ll be at things like this or I’ll be 6 feet underground,” said Greer, a state-approved legal marijuana user who said she is a survivor of three types of cancer.

 

Greer said since using marijuana she has cut her pain medication use in half.

 

 

Read more: Protesters in Waterford defend medical marijuana use | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20101007/NEWS03/101007045/1320/Protesters-defend-medical-marijuana-use#ixzz11hsKSLqU

[bobandtorey]

Prosecutors and defense attorneys say state law allows dispensaries and compassion clubs,

 

well i guess they should let them be FREE is this a type-O?

[+RevThad]

Prosecutors and defense attorneys say state law allows dispensaries and compassion clubs,

 

well i guess they should let them be FREE is this a type-O?

I am not sure if it is a typing mistake or not... the next line seems to point to it not being a typo.

 

"but Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard have said they said they are illegal."

 

I have no idea who the author of the article was sourcing...

[semicaregiver]

I am fascinated by the idea that a group, the Michigan Association of Compassion Clubs, that no one appears to have ever heard of (BlueBerry commented yesterday that he just heard of them for the first time..

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/24263-waterford-district-court-protest-press-release/page__pid__217027#entry217027

 

can turn out more protesters than the MMMA with its thousands of active members (200,000+ posts just reported).

 

Given the relatively positive tone of the news stories posted above, this group appears to have hijacked the medical marijuana movement overnight.

[+RevThad]

I am fascinated by the idea that a group, the Michigan Association of Compassion Clubs, that no one appears to have ever heard of (BlueBerry commented yesterday that he just heard of them for the first time..

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/24263-waterford-district-court-protest-press-release/page__pid__217027#entry217027

 

can turn out more protesters than the MMMA with its thousands of active members (200,000+ posts just reported).

 

Given the relatively positive tone of the news stories posted above, this group appears to have hijacked the medical marijuana movement overnight.

To be accurate I believe BlueBerry commented that he had just seen the press release for the first time yesterday... He is well aware of MACC, and there are members of that organization that belong to the MMMA...

 

Nice attempt at slight of hand though, I give you an A for effort.

[+RevThad]

Some more coverage with some great video of the the protest.

 

http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2010/10/07/news/doc4cae3fde1a372094010369.txt

[semicaregiver]

Rev Thad,

 

BB's words were, "This is the first details from this organization I've received". This lead me to believe that he had not heard any formal info from the group previously.

 

Splitting hairs on how we both understood BB's sentence is not really important. What is important is that after reading the Freep and DetNews reports, I came away with the impression that the MACC represents the will of the MM patient community and the patients are in favor of commercial dispensaries.

 

In addition I noticed this AM that BB suggested that these protesters where hired...

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/24276-michael-komorn-a-true-friend-to-the-activist-community/page__pid__217259#entry217259

 

It would seem that the MACC is not only well organized but well financed to promote itself as representing the will of the people (mm patients)

[+RevThad]

Rev Thad,

 

BB's words were, "This is the first details from this organization I've received". This lead me to believe that he had not heard any formal info from the group previously.

 

Splitting hairs on how we both understood BB's sentence is not really important. What is important is that after reading the Freep and DetNews reports, I came away with the impression that the MACC represents the will of the MM patient community and the patients are in favor of commercial dispensaries.

 

In addition I noticed this AM that BB suggested that these protesters where hired...

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/24276-michael-komorn-a-true-friend-to-the-activist-community/page__pid__217259#entry217259

 

It would seem that the MACC is not only well organized but well financed to promote itself as representing the will of the people (mm patients)

Just from my personal knowledge I know for a fact that it isn't the first time he had heard of the organization... I believe there was representataion of MACC at the unity rally last Saturday....

 

Anyways, is there a point you are trying to get at with your beating around the bush? Or are you just trying to stoke a fire? I hesitate to assume what your motives are, so I figure it's best just to ask.

 

Thanks.

[semicaregiver]

With regards to the anyone knowing about the MACC's I did notice that their press release stated, "The newly-formed Michigan Association of Compassion Centers is sponsoring the rally at the 51st District Court".

 

My point was that the MACC seems to have sprung onto the landscape fully formed and able to present itself as representing the will of the MM patient community. This would seem to be a big deal for the MMMA which I perceived as being the "one" organization that represents the patient community.

[bobandtorey]

anyways we had a great time their people people and more speakers were great also No Free the Weed their

 

just good old Rally/protesting going on About RIGHTS the judge maid sure the next court date would be at 8:30 AM i guess he figured that out will post more with Links as so as i/we get them

 

 

OK

[+Silverblue]

I'm glad there are other groups.

 

Sb

[+JohnQHempseed]

Any one have their web site URL

 

Just from my personal knowledge I know for a fact that it isn't the first time he had heard of the organization... I believe there was representataion of MACC at the unity rally last Saturday....

 

Anyways, is there a point you are trying to get at with your beating around the bush? Or are you just trying to stoke a fire? I hesitate to assume what your motives are, so I figure it's best just to ask.

 

Thanks.

[+RevThad]

Devil Dog,

 

I don't have one, but I am sure PB would... as here is a thread he started a few weeks ago...

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/23702-the-macc-attack-fund/page__hl__%2Bmacc+%2Battack

[bobandtorey]

anyways we had a great time their people people and more speakers were great also No Free the Weed their

 

just good old Rally/protesting going on About RIGHTS the judge maid sure the next court date would be at 8:30 AM i guess he figured that out will post more with Links as so as i/we get them

 

 

OK

 

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/patients-protest-arrests-and-raids-of-medical-marijuana-establishments-in-oakland-county

[dutch&Dutchess]

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/patients-protest-arrests-and-raids-of-medical-marijuana-establishments-in-oakland-county

 

This is actually a decent piece of journalism

 

CANNABIS CURES

[+Silverblue]

Due to the aggressive nature of the attack from the MACC, I will be perparing a full response; including why the MMMA could not participate in a rally where the protesters were being paid. I will go into further detail about the composition of the board of the MACC; including the same type of power play that was attempted last year. I will be posting articles where care givers were attacked by one of the members of the board of the MACC. In addition one of the members of the board of the MACC was the organizer of Genco which organized the Detroit Expo last year. It was impossible for the MMMA to participate in this rally because even a superficial inquiry would have revealed this was a paid event and many of the players had used money to harm the movement in previous circumstances. I was simply choosing to try and keep the peace and keep certain things out of the spotlight. I am away right now, but I will be able to go into detail about this matter further in a few hours.

Tell me I didn't read this right. Protesters being paid??? Did someone slip me something? (rubbing eyes in disbelief) Wtf? This makes me very deeply sad. A few months back I thought I saw some mention of this kind of thing going on, I didn't want to believe it. It hurts us ALL, so if it's true, it's good 3MA wasn't officially involved. I know how ashamed I'd feel if I went, not knowing till later what was happening. To me, an act of protesting is a sacrifice in many ways, not to be motivated by anything but the incentive of compassion. To do otherwise gives the whole community a BIG FAT BLACK EYE. This ain't no party, this ain't no foolin' around, it's a very serious matter. I'm stunned.

 

Sincerely, Sb

[mizerman]

I guess unless you were there, it's kind of hard to bash the people that took the time out of their day to go and do what is right for our community.

 

Baffled!

 

 

Mizerman

[+Silverblue]

I'm sure many who weren't paid went there, (B&T for example). I don't know the organizers or the whole story, and all I know is what I saw posted, so I can't say much except what I said, that IF this is true, it hurts us all. As I've also seen mentioned before, if someone makes statements as serious as something like this, they'd better have proof, I'm sure I've even seen BB say that.

 

Sb

[jsburn]

on the news they just made mention of free busride,lunch and t shirt. its not like they were slidin people cash.

[dutch&Dutchess]

lunch and or a t shirt ain't "gettin' paid"

a ride ain't "gettin' paid"

WTF is this an issue?

 

Cannabis Cures

that is the only message.

"owners" are members of our society as well.

"owning" a collective, dispensary whatever is not a crime and acting like it might be is not helpful to

CANNABIS CURES

[TajMahal]

Don't tell me Anthony Freed is on the Board of MACC.

[TajMahal]

Oh groan.......back to square one....I hope not, but could not.........don't see how them words of Darell's could be took back. That is anti patient to the extreme. Sickening.

 

Was a time of unity here though.

 

Jokers to the left and Jokers to the Right.

[peanutbutter]

With regards to the anyone knowing about the MACC's I did notice that their press release stated, "The newly-formed Michigan Association of Compassion Centers is sponsoring the rally at the 51st District Court".

 

My point was that the MACC seems to have sprung onto the landscape fully formed and able to present itself as representing the will of the MM patient community. This would seem to be a big deal for the MMMA which I perceived as being the "one" organization that represents the patient community.

 

Well .. Do you own a compassion center? If not, that may be why you didn't receive a phone call inviting you to the first several meetings.

 

There's not much sinister about that ..

[TajMahal]

Maybe this should be a private discussion?