Meeting On Planned Medical Marijuana Changes

[bobandtorey]

GAYLORD —

A meeting in Gaylord today (Wednesday) will shine light on changes to Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act that are currently working their way through the state Legislature.

 

The House passed a package of four bills Thursday aimed at clarifying the medical marijuana law that was approved by voters in 2008.Among those are laws dealing with photo identification of patients, doctor-to-patient relationships, penalties for illegal sale and transportation of marijuana in a vehicle. Those House bills are numbers 4834, 4851, 4853 and 4856, respectively.

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Another bill presented last week, House Bill 5580, defines “medical marijuana provisioning centers” as places that acquire marijuana and dispense or sell it to qualifying patients and grants communities with regulatory control.

 

Today, representatives of the state National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Michigan Association of Compassion Centers, as well as concerned patients and caregivers, will be in Gaylord to discuss the action taking place in Lansing and explain where the law currently stands.

 

The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Wisconsin Street Hall, 610 S. Wisconsin Ave. The public and local officials are welcome to attend.

 

“We invite patients, caregivers, those considering to become patients or caregivers, local dignitaries and anyone who wants to know more about marijuana policy,” said Drew Driver, a registered caregiver and co-owner of Choice Collective, 611 N. Center Ave.

 

His facility, among others in Gaylord, closed last year following a ruling that dispensaries are illegal under the law.

 

Driver has since spent time in Lansing working with the association of compassion centers and legislators on forming new policy to regulate dispensaries “to legitimize (his) services” and clarify areas of concern among law enforcement and lawmakers, even though he believes “safe access locations” like his collective are permitted under the current law.

 

House Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, voted “no” against the four-bill package last week. He said the package had some positive attributes, including allowing criminal defendants to say they are medical marijuana users in court — some patients have been forbidden in certain legal cases — but believes the bills ultimately went too far“The overall current is to add additional restrictions to patients, caregivers and doctors,” Irwin told the Associated Press. “It’s contrary to what the votersapproved overwhelmingly a couple of years ago.”

 

Because two of the bills seek to amend a voter-approved law that is part of the Michigan Constitution, the House needed to approve by a three-fourths majority.

 

Rep. Phil Cavanaugh, D-Redford Township, who sponsored one of the bills, said the goal was “to at least try to clarify what the voters had in mind and to codify that.”

 

http://www.petoskeynews.com/gaylord/news/pnr-meeting-on-planned-medical-marijuana-changes-20120508,0,5723149.story

[Croppled1]

It is sad the MMMA hasn't earned respect to have these things posted by people well ahead of dates . The other day I was given a ride by my aide and saw signs for a cannabis event a few miles away from my home . Where it was advertised I have no idea but the signs were seen after the event had been held ? How do we encourage people to post events here timely ? Well ahead of dates so persons can plan ? Plus be considered nuetral so this is a Statewide meeting site for all the different groups out there as is needed .

[bobandtorey]

last night Mr.Komorn told us the most important thing about the Bill's and no one is talking about it but i seam not to be able to find it

[free country 420]

did you find it yet?

[Fat Freddy]

did you find it yet?

 

Well as I have said before united we must stand or we all fail. Often I get notifications of events via my reg email.

Suggestion: if you do not want your general email known create another account just for mmj contacts.

[jamieuke]

The next VGIP meeting is in Kimball near Port Huron on Wednesday the 16th at the Blue Water Compassion Center, 6:30-8:30.

[michaelscott]

well at least the meeting on the 16th was given more then a 12 hour notice. How did the gaylord one go, I talked to someone that was gonna go but after seeing like 5 cars there they drove on by.

[jamieuke]

well at least the meeting on the 16th was given more then a 12 hour notice. How did the gaylord one go, I talked to someone that was gonna go but after seeing like 5 cars there they drove on by.

 

There were 25 people or so, and it went very well. The group was made up of very active people in the community. I have attended several meetings for clubs, and VGIP, and other gatherings, around the state. I have seen as little 5 and as much as a 100 for these things. When someone notices minimal participation, it is even more of a reason to attend and support these local groups, in my opinion. I wish the person would have seen 5 cars and felt more, not less, compelled to attend.

 

After the Kimball meeting, VGIP will be in Detroit on the 23rd, followed by Jackson in the 30th. The founders of the Vote Green Initiative Project, include all kinds of individuals and groups and allows all ideas and perspectives on these issues to be heard. They are very informative meetings, as well as a forum for anyone who wants to express their opinions and concerns.

[michaelscott]

I agree that he should of stopped in. I would have been there myself with a little notice. Drew is good people and would have liked to pick his brain a bit. Was hoping someone would discuss the actual talking points of the meeting on here, but hey hard to complain from the sidelines.