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Sheriff: Dryden Medical Marijuana Dispensary Was 'turning Quick Dollar'


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Sheriff: Dryden medical marijuana dispensary was 'turningquick dollar'

 

 

DRYDEN — A now-closed downtown marijuana dispensary that hasbeen at the center of controversy for more than a year was more akin to a criminal operation than a medical facility, authorities claim.

 

The owner of the Compassion Care Center of Michigan, which was padlocked inSeptember, and two Romeo men face felony charges in connection to the dispensary.

 

Police and prosecutors claim owner Randy Crowel was not authorized by the state to hand out medical marijuana and had more than the allowable amount of marijuana in the building.

 

A police raid in August turned up 50 marijuana plants — 38 more than allowed under state law, policesaid.

 

“They were turning a quick dollar,” said Lapeer County SheriffRon Kalanquin. “It’s not a medical reason — it’s a profit reason.”

 

Crowel, 54, of Dryden and Mark Carter, 49, and Patrick Salas,53, both of Romeo, are charged with delivering/manufacturing marijuana, a four-year felony.

 

Attorneys for the three men could not be reached for comment.

 

Since its inception in 2008, law enforcement officials aroundthe state have struggled with the specifics of the medical marijuana law.

 

But Tim Beck, political director of the Michigan Association o fCompassion Centers, said Lapeer County officials have been more hostile towardthe medical marijuana law and that it seemed as though Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh set out to shutter the Dryden facility before any wrongdoing was discovered.

 

The law is pretty clear,said Konschuh.

 

and sale of cannabis to up to five patients, but not for acombined for-profit operation of multiple caretakers, said Konschuh.

 

“One caretaker can have up to 12 plants and 2.5 ounces perpatient, and that’s it,” he said. “When you start combining and have somethingthat appears to be a dispensary and somebody sitting at a counter anddistributing marijuana to anyone with a card, that’s not what the law says.”

 

Lapeer County law enforcement has been investigating the Drydenfacility for nine months, Kalanquin said.

 

Authorities raided the medical marijuana dispensary on Dryden’s Main Street in August. It was then padlocked by Konschuh in late September.

 

Crowel also was arrested charged with intent to deliver marijuana in January in Oakland County when he and a Colorado woman tried topick up a package that had 31 pounds of marijuana in it.

 

Kalanquin said there are plenty of legal users of medical marijuana in Lapeer County that his department leaves alone.

 

“We’re not targeting cancer patients or people with legit ailments,” said Kalanquin. “In fact, our sheriff’s deputies get tips all thetime that someone is growing marijuana. We do what’s called a ‘knock and talk.’If their father or mother are suffering from cancer, then we leave them aloneand won’t harass them.”

 

In Genesee County, Prosecutor David Leyton said he has notreceived warrant requests against any of the estimated 20-plus dispensaries andgrow shops in the county.

 

Leyton, however, has said he has run into issues withindividuals.

 

This year, his office charged a Clarkston man on allegations that the man had more marijuana than allowed for an individual. The Clarkstonman, 26, allegedly had about 50 plants and 1.75 pounds in Flint Township,Leyton said.

 

But Genesee Circuit Judge Geoffrey Neithercut threw out the case, Leyton said, because prosecutors did not show that the amount the man hadwas “usable.”

 

“The medical marijuana law is extremely vague, and we need the appellate courts and the Legislature to fix it because right now we are allkind of shadowboxing with respect to that law,” Leyton said.

 

The law does not say whether dispensaries are allowed and saysnothing about patient-to-patient transfers, Leyton said.

 

If the allegations against the Dryden facility are true, Beck said he doesn’t think there will be a ripple effects against otherdispensaries.

 

“Abuses are going to end up happening with any law,” said Beck.

 

Staff writer Khalil AlHajal contributed to this report.

 

 

 

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The law does not say whether dispensaries are allowed and says nothing about patient-to-patient transfers, Genesee County, Prosecutor David Leyton said.

 

If the allegations against the Dryden facility are true, Beck said he doesn’t think there will be a ripple effects against other dispensaries.

 

“Abuses are going to end up happening with any law,” said Beck.

 

 

(........interesting to say the least)

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Guest Happy Guy

The warrant claims that someone with a medical marijuana card who sells marijuana to another medical marijuana cardholder is in violation of a felony.

I'm certain this could be used against all dispensaries. I'm not sure what Beck is thinking.

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The warrant claims that someone with a medical marijuana card who sells marijuana to another medical marijuana cardholder is in violation of a felony.

I'm certain this could be used against all dispensaries. I'm not sure what Beck is thinking.

 

Most all PA's think most licensed patients are illegal.

 

What the PA thinks and says are not automatically the law.

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Guest Happy Guy

Most all PA's think most licensed patients are illegal.

 

What the PA thinks and says are not automatically the law.

That's a little too 'general' and a 'wet blanket'. I was writing specifically about the warrant that started the whole thing. It's a simple case of patient to patient transfer. There isn't one single dispensary that could survive this test. Beck must be a little 'under informed' was my only point. The warrant would apply to all of them, not just Dryden.

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"The warrant would apply to all of them, not just Dryden"

 

'A different' warrant 'could' apply to all of them, but by the sounds of it, Genesee county prosecuting attorney David Leyton doesn't think any others will be bothered or even have signs of problems since no other warrant has apparently come across his desk.

 

What are the 'little guys' (most of us) supposed to think when we see the people running the show saying things like this and on top of that, Tim Beck, political director of the Michigan Association of Compassion Centers basically giving it the nod of approval 'if its run right'.

 

I've seen all the quotes, posts & and info put out there but if the law is vague (as admitted in the article) and the people who are in the public eye are saying one thing and a community of law abiding CGs is seeing things differently, what are the CGs under the blanket of this law supposed to think or even believe since half of it is an interpretation of some of the law. Mostly the parts where a clear, consise explantion would help rather than the law not giving true info either way and different parties giving thier interpretations.

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Guest Happy Guy

"The warrant would apply to all of them, not just Dryden"

 

'A different' warrant 'could' apply to all of them, but by the sounds of it, Genesee county prosecuting attorney David Leyton doesn't think any others will be bothered or even have signs of problems since no other warrant has apparently come across his desk.

 

What are the 'little guys' (most of us) supposed to think when we see the people running the show saying things like this and on top of that, Tim Beck, political director of the Michigan Association of Compassion Centers basically giving it the nod of approval 'if its run right'.

 

I've seen all the quotes, posts & and info put out there but if the law is vague (as admitted in the article) and the people who are in the public eye are saying one thing and a community of law abiding CGs is seeing things differently, what are the CGs under the blanket of this law supposed to think or even believe since half of it is an interpretation of some of the law. Mostly the parts where a clear, consise explantion would help rather than the law not giving true info either way and different parties giving thier interpretations.

You see what the warrants says, right? Beck makes no sense at all. He just muddies up the water. Keep it simple. They are attacking patient to patient transfers. If they set this precedent then it will apply across the state, whether they were 'turning a quick dollar' or not.

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1. the dryden CC setup without city council approval, they snuck in and hoped to get grandfathered in.

2. The owner, picking up 41 pounds that LEO said was headed to Big Daddy's, was likely under watch for many reasons.

3. "They" you mean the little town of Dryden is attacking P2P? What do you say to a Isabella County Judge who did say that P2P is legal? What is happening is in a small town, with one dispensary owner, who has been caught doing more than P2P.

 

I am in owosso today, not only I visited their dispensary but I talk to many people in the area - that say they feel safe being a medical marijuana patient or caregiver. Our battles are in various areas of the state, cities here and there. But to keep on about "THEM", "THEY" are after us! is just getting over dramatic.

 

We only expected 50,000 people to be in the MMMP, and look - over 100,000. We are growing, we are making progress. It is not a designation, until everyone is safe we will never be there. But the risks should not stop us from doing the right thing.

 

"What is worst than men that commit evil deeds, are people that stand by and do nothing."

 

-DN

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