Compassion Club Friendly Landlords In Grand Rapids Area?

[lizbeths]

After working at a retail dispensary for some time, my husband has become disenfranchised with the profit motive and greed involved. He and several local caregivers are intersted in starting a compassion club and herbal health center in the Greater Grand Rapids area that will allow them to work more closely with low income and fixed income patients with long term, serious illnesses. They've consulted an attorney, filed the necessary paperwork (LLC, not NFP, per attorney's suggestion), and have begun looking for the right location.

 

The big issue: they're not receiving return emails or phone calls from ANY of the landlords they've contacted about rentals. Does anyone on here know any landlords or property management companies that are open to working with a compassion club?

[lizbeths]

We can't use the local libraries in Grand Rapids due to the city's take on MM laws-your options are out of the home or not in GR., end of discussion. It would need to be out of the city proper. Also, the guys want to sell non-MM herbal remedies, so they are looking for a store front, possibly, and not a rental on a time by time basis.

[restlesslegs]

We can't use the local libraries in Grand Rapids due to the city's take on MM laws-your options are out of the home or not in GR., end of discussion. It would need to be out of the city proper. Also, the guys want to sell non-MM herbal remedies, so they are looking for a store front, possibly, and not a rental on a time by time basis.

HI I am right outside of Grand Rapids. You'd have better luck in Cascade, Ada, Grand Rapids Township. My question is why do you want to involve a compassion club with selling? We are in need of a good club in this area that would not put anyone at risk. There are dispensaries in Cascade, yes they are expensive, but seriously the support needed in this area is one where we all could meet for the better good not a place that would be open to selling. If you were not going to be involved in something the state could come in and cause problems you might be able to rent the township halls. Gees you had me excited about this until I read this part of your post.

[Celliach]

http://www.grfoundation.org/holdameeting

[lizbeths]

If you disagree and think GR public spaces could be used, I recommend reviewing the laws the city passed regarding caregivers within the city. They explicitely state a business liscense is necessary, even if you are growing without financial compensation, and that any MM program outside of a registered home business is illegal. I am basing this on our attorney's interpretation of the law and his advice as to the best way for us to proceed.

 

We were advised by our attorney that as organizers, we could be responsible for anything illegal said or done at or directly after the meetings, especially if they take place on public property (parks, etc), and that would include any agreements to sell/transfer MM. Since we have no interest in micro-managing dozens of people or assuming that amount of liability, we are attempting to integrate the Club with a privately operated, legitimate holistic health care center offering consultation and other herbal remedies. This would shield us from certain issues, while making us somewhat more vulnerable in other areas. This would also ensure that we can vet all the caregivers who join and have their meds appropriately tested. Any meetings held in public would require us to allow anyone to attend, which given the less than ethical approach many of the local growers have (no issue with lying to patients about what fertilizers they use, etc) is not a best-case scenario.

Edited May 22, 2012 by lizbeths

[Celliach]

If you disagree and think GR public spaces could be used, I recommend reviewing the laws the city passed regarding caregivers within the city. They explicitely state a business liscense is necessary, even if you are growing without financial compensation, and that any MM program outside of a registered home business is illegal. I am basing this on our attorney's interpretation of the law and his advice as to the best way for us to proceed.

 

We were advised by our attorney that as organizers, we could be responsible for anything illegal said or done at or directly after the meetings, especially if they take place on public property (parks, etc), and that would include any agreements to sell/transfer MM. Since we have no interest in micro-managing dozens of people or assuming that amount of liability, we are attempting to integrate the Club with a privately operated, legitimate holistic health care center offering consultation and other herbal remedies. This would shield us from certain issues, while making us somewhat more vulnerable in other areas. This would also ensure that we can vet all the caregivers who join and have their meds appropriately tested. Any meetings held in public would require us to allow anyone to attend, which given the less than ethical approach many of the local growers have (no issue with lying to patients about what fertilizers they use, etc) is not a best-case scenario.

So why then are you calling yourself a compassion club?

 

Did you read the PM I sent you?

[lizbeths]

As I understand it, a compassion club is a group that organizes meetings between registered caregivers and patients to facilitate networking, nothing more or less. I fail to see how what I described does not fit this description. We are not talking about charging people, only about vetting caregivers and guarding ourselves against aggressive anti-MM policies on this side of the state. 100% public meetings at this time carry too much liability, especially if we are operating the club in a way that does not provide income to offset expenses, time input, and risk. In a perfect world, there wouldn't be hoops to jump through, but there are.

[+Malamute]

WHy would you ever need to have caregivers medicine tested as a compassion club? Or condone transfers between people not connected through the departments registration process?

 

Compassion clubs have no possession or transfers of medicine, so why is that your problem?

 

There is no liability to basic education about medical marijuana.

 

The obvious danger is where some communities have banned all medical marijuana and places like Grand Rapids that require a business license to be a caregiver.

 

It is not up tot he compassion club to 'know' if attending caregivers live in Grand rapids or whether they have a business license. But this is very risky for the actual caregivers who may live and operate in Grand Rapids.

 

I would have meetings outside of Grand Rapids to protect the caregivers personally. Whether Non profit or for profit, the exact same risk exists for caregivers. And unless actually facillitating transfers, the club would not have liability if a caregiver decides to break their local ordinance. That is like saying because 2 people attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and then went out afterwords and got drunk in public, that AA is responsible for that illegal act.

 

Shrug...

 

It seems your concern for "testing: suggests you have much more intended for this club than simple Education on the Law.

[lizbeths]

Testing is necessary in our opinion, because too many local growers use dangerous chemicals. If we have to assume liability as the organizers of the club, we will do everything necessary to ensure we are not putting ourselves in an actionable position. Plenty of caregivers registered with the state are very shady people looking to make a quick buck.

 

We all know the primary purpose of these clubs is networking, not "basic education," so your claims in the post above fall a little flat. If someone got sick after receiving meds from a caregiver they met through a meeting we organized, the club could, in theory, be sued, and that's not a risk we are comfortable assuming at this time.

 

It's pretty obvious from the response I'm getting here that we need to just drop the idea of the club entirely. We wouldn't be having an issue with rentals if we weren't trying to do this as well, and the amount of work it requires and risk it entails doesn't justify messing with it, especially since it's all volunteer.

[Mickeydee]

There is a small building(store front) for sale in Saranac, in the business section. There is a dispensery open about a mile from there so I am assuming zoning or the county PA is not an issue.

[nsmn8r]

There's a perfect spot in Caledonia. Close to gr and a friendly landlord. The dispensary in town never got hassled so I assume the locals are OK with it. I'll pm you the Realtors number.

[+mayorherb]

HI I am right outside of Grand Rapids. You'd have better luck in Cascade, Ada, Grand Rapids Township. My question is why do you want to involve a compassion club with selling? We are in need of a good club in this area that would not put anyone at risk. There are dispensaries in Cascade, yes they are expensive, but seriously the support needed in this area is one where we all could meet for the better good not a place that would be open to selling. If you were not going to be involved in something the state could come in and cause problems you might be able to rent the township halls. Gees you had me excited about this until I read this part of your post.

The thing with a Compassion Club is you end up with a great networking group n time with more people attending..Once you get like minded people into a group..Meeting each other..exchanging e-mails,Phone numbers, ect..There will be n time Not as much need for a dispnes..You will have a club of people to network among yourselfs..Just my opinion..

[nsmn8r]

There's a perfect spot in Caledonia. Close to gr and a friendly landlord. The dispensary in town never got hassled so I assume the locals are OK with it. I'll pm you the Realtors number.

 

Nevermind about caledonia. Luckily I read the rest of the thread before I sent any contact info.

 

 

We really don't need some who talks that kind of schzit about caregivers in our neighborhood.

[Celliach]

Testing is necessary in our opinion, because too many local growers use dangerous chemicals. If we have to assume liability as the organizers of the club, we will do everything necessary to ensure we are not putting ourselves in an actionable position. Plenty of caregivers registered with the state are very shady people looking to make a quick buck.

 

We all know the primary purpose of these clubs is networking, not "basic education," so your claims in the post above fall a little flat. If someone got sick after receiving meds from a caregiver they met through a meeting we organized, the club could, in theory, be sued, and that's not a risk we are comfortable assuming at this time.

 

It's pretty obvious from the response I'm getting here that we need to just drop the idea of the club entirely. We wouldn't be having an issue with rentals if we weren't trying to do this as well, and the amount of work it requires and risk it entails doesn't justify messing with it, especially since it's all volunteer.

 

You could also just go over and see the CGs grow room and personally make sure they are not using dangerous chemicals. Of course there's no money to be made in doing it my way, but testing isn't the only way to get around the problem.

[Dr. Bob]

Probably the best way to avoid problems is to have NOTHING to do with medication. Networking is fine, Education is fine, ending the meeting with a call for caregivers with slots and patients in need of caregivers is fine and just handle the introduction. Don't get into the 'private meetings', any kind of exchanges, any kinds of transfers, don't touch medication. Don't promote those that do or are in anything not strictly in the 1 patient, 12 plants, 2.5 oz or 1 caregiver 5 patients.

 

Review the policy posted here by Michael about strict compliance.

 

Dr. Bob