Marijuana Proponent Lights Into Jones, Committee

[AlternativeSolutionsPlus]

Marijuana Proponent Lights Into Jones, Committee

 

The head of Michigan's marijuana legalization effort said the Senate Judiciary Committee chair is "wasting time" with anti-marijuana bills that appear to have been drafted "just to mess with people" since they aren't going to pass the House.

 

Matt ABEL told MIRS today that Sen. Rick JONES (R-Grand Ledge) is a "prohibitionist and likely will always be a prohibitionist" and the "sooner he's out of the Legislature, the sooner we can have progress in Michigan."

 

The remarks came after the Senate Judiciary Committee held a pair of bills that add restrictions to the medical marijuana law. No one from the medical marijuana community chose to testify on either bill.

 

Asked if they were ignoring Jones, Abel said, "We're not completely ignoring him. Much of the rest of the Legislature is ignoring him. He has a reputation as a nut. I didn't give that to him. He earned that."

 

Abel said he was particularly bothered by Jones' SB 0977, which takes glaucoma off the list of conditions that could be treated by medical marijuana. That bill was not on today's agenda, but has already had a hearing, where testimony was light.

 

"That's offensive," Abel said. "We're three years late in considering adding new conditions, but he has no bones about cutting off eligibility."

 

SB 0977 came about because the medical associations came to him with data that showed people were going blind thinking they could self-medicate with marijuana as opposed to using eye-drops that could have saved their eyesight.

 

"This is serious stuff," Jones said. "We've got doctors who are prepared to come in and testify on this. For any group to use people's eyesight to promote legalize marijuana is outrageous."

 

On today's agenda was SB 0933, which gives insurance companies the power to cover medical marijuana expenses, which Abel called a "solution in search of a problem" since they currently have that ability.

 

However, Pete KUHNMUENCH of the Insurance Institute of Michigan (IIM) testified that his group believes the language of the 2008 voter-passed medical marijuana law is not clear whether coverage of medical marijuana is mandated or not.

 

The second bill, SB 0974, gives rental property owners more power to ban marijuana from their premises, which Abel called a "hostile bill," which gives landlords overreaching power over their tenants.

 

But Jones pointed out that the bill only codifies an opinion already reached by Attorney General Bill SCHUETTE and is being done to prevent rental units from damage by the moisture generated by growing marijuana. He noted that one unit caught on fire in his district because a heat lamp was tipped over.

 

Asked if he believes that Jones' history as an Eaton County Sheriff is clouding his perception that marijuana is anything but bad, Abel said, "Yes, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong."

 

Jones said he's seen all sorts of threats and attacks against him and Schuette by marijuana supporters online, which he called "silly." The latest comments from Abel he found not surprising.

 

"I'd consider the source," Jones said. "This old sheriff has never worried about making friends with potheads."

[Medcnman]

I am a landlord and in the contracts I have with my tennants it states "No Pets". Not "No Pots".......... Medcnman.

[anonymousgrower?]

I am a landlord and to be honest I don't want anyone growing in my apartments!!!!!

[+wolfgang]

Im not a landlord but I would say to pets before I said no pots and I love animals!!but some ppl are stupid and well you know the rest of the story of coarse some farmers are as well but the majority of farmers take pride in their work and the last they want is a fire or mess.

[greenbuddha]

We should also outlaw the use of electric ovens in apartments, since they are the leading cause of kitchen fires in Michigan.

 

I say protect the children from these terrible hazards.

 

We need more of these great laws on the books to keep us all safe from ourselves.

[Hempcheff]

We should also outlaw the use of electric ovens in apartments, since they are the leading cause of kitchen fires in Michigan.

 

I say protect the children from these terrible hazards.

 

We need more of these great laws on the books to keep us all safe from ourselves.

[Croppled1]

The fact that the Senator calls the medical patients of Michigan using cannabis " Potheads ' displays his "issues " based in discrimination . He complains that people are not using proper medications for Glaucoma there are no barriers to using both treatments except our Hospital system is often denying adjunctive care and scaring patients away . I plead with people too also use conventional treatments . There should be no barriers like I have personally faced from book worm Doctors protected by licensor whose theories are exactly that theory which doesn't hold up in practice .

 

What is next for Jones barring cannabis because people using it have high unemployment rates in cooperations with drug testing ?

 

When it comes to the landlord issue first landlords should not be held responsible for others improprieties like is occurring . Further caregiving has manifested into self employment if one profits in any way and that is a zoning issue . I think it should be handled in contracts but that puts Landlords in a position of forfeiture that allow it with our terrible laws and enforcement Hopefully we will see a change in property development in time . Doesn't anyone remember Victory Gardens on the roofs of tenements in Detroit which spurred the Right to Farm Act ? I would love to see legalization pass and eliminate the need for cards and program restrictions so one could grow a plant in a garden window or leave a enclosed facility door unlocked when they answer the door without fear . So we could move on to discussions of how to re-capture the contributions of citizens who have been removed from cooperate society by zero tolerance as well as improve our support system for patients on dependent medications without the cloud of punishment and anger deriding their efforts and proper care for what is a medical issue . Maintenence programs must be made more accessable for those with chemical dependency who can no longer find comfort due to exposer to narcotics used in medical treatment which have frustrated mankind for thousands of years . We need to better educate people of the consequences of different treatments of which cannabis rates low on the danger spectrum . We need to give opertunity back to those who require medical use not punish the sick and injured for a status of disabillity without accomodation or with it in corperate society .