My Meeting With Rep. Bill Rodgers

[Medcnman]

I met with Rep. Bill Rodgers (Brighton) this morning. It was a different meeting than the others I have recently attended. Mr. Rodgers is not familiar with the MMM Act. He admitted that he has never read the law in its entirety. His concern was for municipalities and dispensaries. The local municipalities that he has spoken with, are against dispensaries "popping up" on every corner. I informed him that only a small handful of lobbyists are asking for a dispensary bill. The problem with the current bills that are being proposed is that only one of those bills somewhat addresses a dispensary and its labeled as a "marijuana bar". The current bills only adress things such as patient doctor relationships, where a patient can grow or aquire their meds and what Law enforcement can do to put innocent patients that are in compliance with the law, in jail! The Bills on the table all have the same outcome. It puts the patient that is in compliance, in jail. Things such as "Locked, enclosed facility" I stated that if my exterior doors are locked, my home becomes an enclosed locked facility. People are being thrown in jail because a closet that was being used to grow cannabis was not locked. Even though the bedroom door was locked and the house itself was locked. I said the law DOES NOT STATE that a patient has to keep their meds in "an enclosed, locked facility within an enclosed, locked facility which is located within the last two closed enlocked facilities". He chuckled. I explained "presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law". When he agreed that this does not exist, I told him it needs to exist. It is law! Many of the folks going through the court system were in full compliance of the law as it was clearly written. BUT..... when LEO kicks in their door and says they are not in compliance, it is the responsibility of the patient to come up with thousands of dollars for attorneys, they have to submit to pre-trial drug and alcohol screening and in a few cases, wind up losing their assets that they have worked their entire lives for to prove to the courts that they are innocent. I said that there needs to be repercutions for officers that wrongly arrest an innocent person. Accountability is a must! I explained the co-operative model and how all of the solutions to the problems that we face can be resolved by simply implementing the law as it is written. There are no grey areas. The only grey areas are the ones that are being made by legislation. I offered him the proposal from the MMMA to read and he accepted. (Joe, my printer ran out of ink so I gave him my copy. I need another.) At the end of the meeting I asked him if he would take a few minutes and read the current law as its written. I asked that when he finishes reading it, please, read it again. Compare it to the proposed bills that are in front of the Judiciary committee and he will see where grey areas have been added and how the patient is the victim at the end of every bill. I gave him my number and offered him to contact me anytime if he would like to discuss the MMMAs peoposal in further detail. I look forward to meeting with Mr. Rodgers any time he has question concerning the Medical Marijuana Act. The document in his hand is the proposal from the Michigan Medical Marijuana Assosiation. Thank-You, Medcnman.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Medcnman

[+washtenaut]

Excellent!!

[Mememe]

Thank you!

[Honeyoil]

Nicely done.

[Medcnman]

I did mention the hard card issues. He was not aware of an issue until i brought up the "Printer". I asked him what he thought about carrying all this paperwork (handing him 5 sheets of paper) in his wallett. I told him i was still waiting on one of my patients cards whos check was cashed last June!! I asked what kind of condition would paperwork be in after taking everywhere you go for 6-8 months. He agreed that it needs to be resolved. Medcnman.

[newbie313]

Awesome job!!!

[thanks2]

Thank you Medcnman for going above and beyond.

[kzoocares]

Awesome! Great to have someone listen with what seems an open mind! Great work for a great cause, thanks Medcnman.

[greenbuddha]

Good job... but I' and my friends are still going to do our best to get the folks in Lansing out of office.

 

I for one am tired of the blah blah blah BS they spew out without end and without reason.

 

But thanks for going to see the boneheads.

[Pain]

A Salute goes out to you

[Frank R]

Well done, indeed!

 

I'm trying to Donate $100 for the awesome lobbying, but the Donate page keeps failing.

 

Let me know, I'd really like to support the actions of the MMMA with a donation.

 

 

 

 

 

[Anishfisher]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[mrd]

Ace!

[cletusbd]

Thank you so very much for everything you do for MMMA.