My Letter To Senators, Reps

[SparklyBuds]

Been working on a letter to send to the Senators, Representatives, Democrats. I'm almost done, got a few things in red that I need to check on -- If you guys could help me fill in the blanks that would be great.... I need a break for a while!! Hope to mail it tomorrow.

 

I originally started by copying a letter .... flybare's I think...Thanks!

 

Feel free to copy my letter if you want to use it.

Dear ,

 

As a voter, lifelong Michigan resident and a Medical Marijuana patient, I am alarmed by the recent flood of bills regarding Medical Marijuana which have been introduced into the House and Senate and currently are in the Judiciary Committee.

 

When we passed the MMMA of 2008 with 63% of the vote, the Michigan voters intended to provide Medical Marijuana patients with a defense against prosecution for growing or using Marijuana. The recent bills are a blatant attempt, by a small group of legislators who do not represent the beliefs of the majority of Michigan voters, to re-criminalize medical marijuana, violating the intent of the very Law they claim to be “clarifying”. These Legislators are attempting to make it impossible or illegal, for legal patients to obtain Medical Marijuana, putting up unreasonable barriers to legal patients trying to get access to Medical Marijuana.

 

**move this later** I find it telling that some of the first bills introduced were regarding how Michigan could use profits from items seized in drug cases (which Bill is this??), and not allowing people to sue cities when they violate our rights (SB 0418, I think?).

 

HB 4397: Outlaw Compassion Clubs. It is un-Constitutional to deny the right of free association to law-obeying citizens. (I don’t know, is that true?) It puts up a barrier to new Medical Marijuana finding a Caregiver.

 

H.B. No. 4661: This criminalizes any growing within 500 ft of a church, school or day care. This Bill violates individual rights, and criminalizes legal behavior. In the town where I live, as in many small towns, if this were implemented, there would be NO area where growing would be allowed, which prevents access to our Medicine. The bill is discriminatory, based on a prejudiced belief that all Medical Marijuana patients are engaged in criminal behavior that would somehow endanger children or be offensive to churchgoers. This is inaccurate and offensive.

 

H.B. No. 4834: Having pictures on registry ID cards. Why is this necessary? The registry is not an I.D. card; if someone wants to confirm my identity they ask for my Driver license.

 

H.B. No. 4850: Prohibit transfers between patients and or caregivers (…not associated with each other in the Registry ??? gotta look up the wording). Another attempt to prevent legal patients from getting their meds –if a legal carded patient is out of marijuana or below his legal limit, and another legal patient or caregiver has some to spare, why should they not be able to transfer? This bill is obviously an attempt to re-criminalize the legal use Medical Marijuana.

 

H.B. No. 4851: Attempts to define a “Bona Fide” Doctor-Patient relationship. This would prevent patients from being able to get certified. Unfortunately most doctors refuse to write Medical Marijuana certifications, so how are potential MM patients supposed to establish a multi-visit relationship when there are only a limited number of doctors willing to do certifications? Of course insurance isn’t required to pay for these visits, so this would prohibit lower income patients from obtaining certifications; many of us are low-income because we are disabled.

 

If lawmakers truly want us to get our certs from a Doctor who knows us, then how about making it illegal for hospitals to ban affiliated doctors from writing Medical Marijuana certifications? Make it illegal for a doctor to discharge a patient or deny him medications, just because that patient has a Medical Marijuana certificate. In other words, enforce the Law.

 

H.B. No. 4852: If local zoning is valid as to restricting a growing facility’s location, then why does the state need to buttress the local authority? This is an attempt to influence current litigation, as for the City of Livonia. Not business of the legislature.

 

HB 4853: Makes it a felony to sell to someone without card.

 

H.B. No. 4854: Prohibition on advertising as caregiver violates 1st Amendment. Also creates barriers to obtaining medical marijuana, for new people who don’t know any caregivers.

 

H.B. No. 4856: This addresses possession, as opposed to the already prohibited use, in a motor vehicle. Marihuana is not a handgun or firearm. If a person is a registered patient or caregiver, the mere possession in a vehicle should not be proscribed. This criminalizes otherwise legal behavior

 

SB 0377: makes registry information available to Law Enforcement upon issuance of a Medical Marihuana card. The Registry is confidential health information; as such it should be handled through the MDCH as it was originally. It should never have been changed to be administered by _____________ whoever we get cards from now The Registry and compliance with it, should be monitored by MDCH, not the police.

 

SB 504 (illegal to transfer around schools etc) The bill is discriminatory, based on a prejudiced belief that all Medical Marijuana patients are engaged in criminal behavior that would somehow endanger children or be offensive to churchgoers. This is inaccurate and offensive.

 

SB (can't sue cities)

 

 

SB 505 (excludes all felons)

SB 618 (only 10 companies can grow MMJ. SB616, SB617 Also part of package)

 

SB 617

 

SB 616