Medical Marijuana & The Google Effect

[bobandtorey]

This is big news for marijuana activists around the world: Michigan Compassion, a Taylor-based medical marijuana nonprofit, has received a major award from Google Grants to support its education efforts. Not only does it help the organization, it adds another layer of legitimacy in an area that had formerly been pushed into the shadows of society.

“Michigan Compassion is a recipient of a Google Grants award,” reads a letter Google provided the organization. “The Google Grants program supports registered nonprofit organizations that share Google’s philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy and the arts. Google Grants is an in-kind advertising program that awards free online advertising to nonprofits via Google AdWords.”

The value of the grant isn’t clear. Heidi Parikh, co-founder and president of Michigan Compassion, says she can’t comment on the details of the grant, but published reports have estimated it from a low of $120,000 to as high as $250,000 in annual credits for the life of Michigan Compassion — over the years it could be millions. That’s a lot of value for a small nonprofit with three staffers and dozens of volunteers. Michigan Compassion is a registered 501©(3) federal nonprofit. In fact, the organization is included in the Southeastern Michigan Combined Federal Campaign Charity Listing of organizations — along with the Boy Scouts of America, Red Cross and the American Cancer Society — that government employees are encouraged to support through payroll deduction.

I was at the meeting a couple of years ago when Parikh announced that the organization had received its nonprofit status. That happened to be the evening that Irv Rosenfeld, one of a handful of patients in the federal medical marijuana program who receive 300 free marijuana cigarettes each month, spoke to the group. It was a great event for both reasons.

“One of the main reasons we really worked toward getting our 501©(3) status was so we could be a legitimate legal organization moving forward in Michigan,” Parikh says. “Getting grants and being able to meet with staff at medical facilities are things only a registered nonprofit could do. Only a 501©(3) organization could receive this grant. We are treated and respected like any federally recognized nonprofit in the community. Almost every cause has a legitimate nonprofit to move it forward in the community as far as education and awareness are concerned.”

Parikh’s husband, Amish, writes grants for Michigan Compassion and credits the example of Rosenfeld, who suffers from Multiple Congenital Cartilaginous Exostis and has been receiving government marijuana since 1980, with convincing the CFC Charity Listing to include Michigan Compassion. The organization will be able to do presentations at charity fairs for groups such as the U.S. Post Office to educate workers about their services in an effort to solicit donations.

The nonprofit focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of medical cannabis through education, information and advocacy. Its website includes such information for patients as a discussion of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and what to expect from a caregiver. There is information for medical professionals such as links to scientific studies on marijuana for medical purposes, and discussion of the human cannabinoid receptors that substances in marijuana interact with. It even scrolls headlines of the latest marijuana news. Michigan Compassion has reached out to doctors and medical facilities to help educate them about medical marijuana.

“What they don’t understand is that it’s not about smoking,” Parikh says. “There’s this little cloud above their heads with this lit-up joint. We’ve come so far. There are gel tabs, topicals and other things that are being created. It’s happening; it’s legitimate. We’re at the forefront as a legitimate organization. … Our vision is to see it rescheduled, researched and readily available in its natural form.”

Federal reclassification of marijuana is the Holy Grail for medical marijuana activists. Its status as a Schedule 1 drug “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” blocks research for most organizations in the United States.

In addition to the financial value of the Google grant, it shows evidence that a major, worldwide corporation is ready to engage with medical marijuana. In the past, Google has had strict and restrictive policies regarding marijuana advertising. If there is no serious blowback against Google for this grant, it may have opened the door for other big corporations to take a kinder eye toward medical marijuana. It’s pretty clear that the more real information people get regarding medical marijuana, the more they favor it. As open discussion of marijuana becomes more prevalent, recent polls show about three out of four Americans support legalizing medical marijuana, and about half of Americans support legalizing it for recreational use. It’s a totally different environment from decades past when there was little actual information about the substance and it couldn’t even be discussed beyond an emotional level.

“It’s all about being treated equal,” Parikh says. “I came from a business mentality, don’t let your emotions get in the way. Don’t run your business based on emotions.”

Doctors have been in a bad position too. They’ve had no training or information about marijuana other than the anecdotal. And some have been threatened by medical institutions to keep them from engaging with marijuana. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who led the opposition against the MMMA even before he was elected, has been fighting medical marijuana tooth and nail. He’s intimidated doctors by declaring that anyone involved with it is still subject to federal prosecution. There are other interested parties enhancing that line of thought.

 

http://metrotimes.com/news/higher-ground/medical-marijuana-the-google-effect-1.1518202

[Celliach]

How many threads are we going to start on this topic?

[GregS]

Yeah google!

[solabeirtan]

Is it ok to post a link to 'the' Lucky Website?   Michigan Compassion Still dont know how its supposed to work? [la transacción] Something about Credits and Adwords? Can you cash them in or something? 

[CedarSpringsCG]

Google is just giving them free advertising, and quite a bit of it.  Which leads to others finding you and donating.

 

The one thing I don't understand is I went around their site, and they talk about helping patients find caregivers and vice versa, but I don't see where as a CG you can put your name in.  I am not looking for patients myself, but I do know people who are.  it almost looks like they are hooking PT's up with THEIR caregivers.  but that's not confirmed, as there is no CG info on their site.  I just see where they are selling their interpretation of the law, and where a patient can ask for help, and giving their attorney a sounding board.

 

Their mission sounds great, but their site doesn't reflect what they say.

[t-pain]

lets see what this micompassion thing is all about.

 

micompassion seems to be also known as the DRCCC

(it has DRCCC at the bottom of their site)

 

drccc = downriver community compassion club

which was based in royal oak, Michigan

 

http://501c3lookup.org/DRCCC_DOWNRIVER_COMMUNITY_COMPASSION_CLUB/

DBA NAME(S)
Detroit Regional Compassion Club
Downriver Community Compassion Club
Michigan Compassion

 

so theres 3 names they go by, not to mention 'micompassion' and 'mycompassion'.

 

james campbell is a member of micompassion

 

non profit organization with a book they want to sell you huh?

 

 

Medical marijuana: Potential source of state tax revenue?
LANSING (AP) — A majority of about 64,000 people authorized to use medical marijuana in Michigan have unspecified ailments that cause severe and chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea, according to a report published today.


The top medical condition for medical-marijuana certification was severe and chronic pain, with 36,560 patients, the Detroit Free Press reported. That's followed by about 15,500 with severe, persistent muscle spasms and about 7,300 with severe nausea.


There were about 1,400 certifications for cancer and about 1,100 for hepatitis C.


According to the report, 55 doctors certified about 45,000 patients, or about 70 percent of authorized medical-marijuana users in Michigan. The Free Press based its report on Michigan Department of Community Health data and said the numbers come from a broader report that is due out soon.


In all, 2,197 doctors wrote at least one certification, the newspaper said.

As Gov. Rick Snyder and other politicians in Lansing look at places to find revenue, like taxing pensions, one tax practitioner suggests the state may be overlooking a growing part of its economy: Medical marijuana.

James Campbell, principal and owner of Numbers Professional Accounting Services in Royal Oak, and a medical marijuana activist, recently sent state Treasurer Andy Dillon letters in that regard.

Campbell asked if the Michigan Department of Treasury had looked at the viability of revenue from medical marijuana transactions.

He said the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act approved in 2008 by voters "has helped to diversify our economy and create a new class of entrepreneurs to serve it. Many of these entrepreneurs believe that participating in the state economy means paying their fair share of taxes."

Speaking with Crain's, CPA Campbell said he represents a number of caregivers around the state who can grow and provide marijuana, and he is often asked whether the transaction is subject to state sales tax.

It isn't.

Treasury says that under the Medical Marihuana Act, the compensation that a caregiver receives for costs associated with assisting a patient in medical marijuana use does not constitute a sale that would be considered taxable. Rather, it is considered a non-taxable caregiver service.

To change the taxable status, would require legislation.

Campbell said he has been discussing the issue with other CPAs in the state and may broach the subject with the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, of which he is a member.

"My position is that we have a brand new economy that was created, and as CPAs, it's our duty to embrace the new commerce and try to bring some sort of order to it," he said.

Campbell said caregivers "want to pay their fair share" of taxes and are sympathetic to the state's fiscal problems. While medical marijuana is a nontraditional revenue source that will not solve the state's problems, it is an area of taxation that should be considered, he said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, said he is open to looking at taxation of medical marijuana. But he said there are some concerns that taxation is being sought by those who want to legalize marijuana, and that taxing it will lead to legalization and broad use.

Campbell, who is a member of the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, which advocates legalization, said there has been no discussion of tax issues within the Michigan group.

Jones is currently sponsoring other medical marijuana measures, including a bill that would ban so-called marijuana clubs or bars that charge a fee to individuals authorized to use marijuana, and a bill that would prevent auto insurance from covering medical use of marijuana.

He said he thinks there's a possibility that Michigan, in the future, might look at taxation similar to Colorado. In that state, medical marijuana dispensaries pay sales tax on all their transactions, including other retail products they sell.

The dispensaries, or centers, also must apply for a license to operate, with application fees ranging from $1,250 to $18,000. The fees fund Colorado's medical marijuana enforcement division, which regulates the industry. An annual business license fee begins in July.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20110423/staffblog05/110429986/medical-marijuana-potential-source-of-state-tax-revenue

 

i guess ole jimmy doesnt care about the effects of taxing sick peoples' medicine.

 

Committee for a Safer Michigan, 2930 Jefferson Avenue East, Detroit, Michigan 48207. James Campbell, C.P.A., Treasurer.

 

http://mycompassion.org/resources/Documents/Newsletters/MC%20Mar%2013%20Web%20Newsletter.pdf

 

New Name & New Status
DRCCC is pleased to announce on January 1st 2013
we changed our name from the Downriver Com-
munity Compassion Club to Michigan Compas-
sion. By extending our reach to all of Michigan and
not just the Southeast we can bring greater aware-
ness and help more people.

 

that explains that.

 

 

Nice try but the IRS is on the lookout to screen out exemption applications that are stealth applications for medical marijuana dispensing. I have personally participated in the formation of a medical marijuana patient advocacy organization that received its c3 exemption in August 2012. The screening process took over a year due to the sensitive nature of the organization's mission being in potential conflict with federal law. While the IRS worked very closely with our organization, to the agency's credit, we were forced to scrub the entire organization of any references to acquisition, possession, transfer, etc of medical cannabis. As our mission was educational, we were not permitted to provide any instruction in cultivation or secondary processing. The Department of Justice issued guidelines to the IRS EO in August 2011 in regards to Medical Marijuana which starkly defined the framework under which exempt organizations could operate. Keep thinking of creative ideas though, the system has to give at some point. I have been directed by peers to Tellier v. Commissioner (342 f.2d 690, 1965)as a potential crack in 280e.

Posted by: James Campbell | Mar 7, 2013 12:08:05 PM

http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2013/03/leff-.html

 

so apparently micompassion is only an educational non profit organization.

and they cant talk about cultivating or processing.

so probably a guide on health benefits + following the law in michigan.

 

http://micompassion.org/news?mode=PostView&bmi=1320597

is a video on micompassion what explains it.

[t-pain]

thanks for the info sbfounder.

 

just for the record, i am not against micompassion or drccc in any way.

i was just curious about who they were and what they were going to do with the grant money.

 

just like the grow stores, they are forbidden from discussing an illegal thing (manfacture of marijuana).

i wish good luck to them!

[purple pimpernel]

This is big news for marijuana activists around the world: Michigan Compassion, a Taylor-based medical marijuana nonprofit, has received a major award from Google Grants to support its education efforts. Not only does it help the organization, it adds another layer of legitimacy in an area that had formerly been pushed into the shadows of society.

 

“Michigan Compassion is a recipient of a Google Grants award,”

 

reads a letter Google provided the organization. “The Google Grants program supports registered nonprofit organizations that share Google’s philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy and the arts. Google Grants is an in-kind advertising program that awards free online advertising to nonprofits via Google AdWords.”

 

The value of the grant isn’t clear. Heidi Parikh, co-founder and president of Michigan Compassion, says she can’t comment on the details of the grant, but published reports have estimated it from a low of $120,000 to as high as $250,000 in annual credits for the >life< of Michigan Compassion — over the years it could be millions.

 

That’s a lot of value for a small>> nonprofit with three staffers and dozens of volunteers.

 

Michigan Compassion is a registered 501©(3) federal nonprofit.

 

In fact, the organization is included in the Southeastern Michigan Combined Federal Campaign Charity Listing of organizations — along with the Boy Scouts of America, Red Cross and the American Cancer Society — that government employees are encouraged to support through payroll deduction.

I was at the meeting a couple of years ago when Parikh announced that the organization had received its nonprofit status. That happened to be the evening that Irv Rosenfeld, one of a handful of patients in the federal medical marijuana program who receive 300 free marijuana cigarettes each month, spoke to the group. It was a great event for both reasons.

“One of the main reasons we really worked toward getting our 501©(3) status was so we could be a legitimate legal organization moving forward in Michigan,” Parikh says. “Getting grants and being able to meet with staff at medical facilities are things only a registered nonprofit could do. Only a 501©(3) organization could receive this grant. We are treated and respected like any federally recognized nonprofit in the community. Almost every cause has a legitimate nonprofit to move it forward in the community as far as education and awareness are concerned.”

 

Parikh’s >>husband,< Amish, writes grants for Michigan Compassion ....

 

and credits the example of Rosenfeld, who suffers from Multiple Congenital Cartilaginous Exostis and has been receiving government marijuana since 1980, with convincing the CFC Charity Listing to include Michigan Compassion.

 

The organization will be able to do presentations at charity fairs for groups such as the U.S. Post Office to educate workers about their services in an effort to solicit donations.

 

The nonprofit focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of medical cannabis through education, information and advocacy. Its website includes such information for patients as a discussion of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and what to expect from a caregiver. There is information for medical professionals such as links to scientific studies on marijuana for medical purposes, and discussion of the human cannabinoid receptors that substances in marijuana interact with. It even scrolls headlines of the latest marijuana news. Michigan Compassion has reached out to doctors and medical facilities to help educate them about medical marijuana.

 

“What they don’t understand is that it’s not about smoking,” Parikh says. “There’s this little cloud above their heads with this lit-up joint.

 

We’ve come so far. There are gel tabs, topicals and other things that are being created.

 

It’s happening; it’s legitimate. We’re at the forefront as a legitimate organization. … Our vision is to see it rescheduled, researched and readily available in its natural form.”

Federal reclassification of marijuana is the Holy Grail for medical marijuana activists. Its status as a Schedule 1 drug “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” blocks research for most organizations in the United States.

In addition to the financial value of the Google grant, it shows evidence that a major, worldwide corporation is ready to engage with medical marijuana. In the past, Google has had strict and restrictive policies regarding marijuana advertising. If there is no serious blowback against Google for this grant, it may have opened the door for other big corporations to take a kinder eye toward medical marijuana. It’s pretty clear that the more real information people get regarding medical marijuana, the more they favor it. As open discussion of marijuana becomes more prevalent, recent polls show about three out of four Americans support legalizing medical marijuana, and about half of Americans support legalizing it for recreational use. It’s a totally different environment from decades past when there was little actual information about the substance and it couldn’t even be discussed beyond an emotional level.

“It’s all about being treated equal,” Parikh says. “I came from a business mentality, don’t let your emotions get in the way. Don’t run your business based on emotions.”

Doctors have been in a bad position too. They’ve had no training or information about marijuana other than the anecdotal. And some have been threatened by medical institutions to keep them from engaging with marijuana. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who led the opposition against the MMMA even before he was elected, has been fighting medical marijuana tooth and nail. He’s intimidated doctors by declaring that anyone involved with it is still subject to federal prosecution. There are other interested parties enhancing that line of thought.

 

http://metrotimes.com/news/higher-ground/medical-marijuana-the-google-effect-1.1518202

 

The value of the grant isn’t clear. Heidi Parikh, co-founder and president of Michigan Compassion, says she can’t comment on the details of the grant, but published reports have estimated it from a low of $120,000 to as high as $250,000 in annual credits for the life of Michigan Compassion — over the years it could be millions

 

Parikh’s husband, Amish, writes grants for Michigan Compassion

 

 

DBA NAME(S)

-Detroit Regional Compassion Club

-Downriver Community Compassion Club

>>>>>>Michigan Compassion<<<<<<<<

 

>>>>>Committee for a Safer Michigan, <<<<<<<<

 

--->2930 Jefferson Avenue East, Detroit, Michigan 48207

 

(i wonder whos 'law' offices this is??)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MediSwipe Inc. Announces Technology and Healthcare Veteran to Board of Directors

LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediSwipe Inc. (www.MediSwipe.com) (OTCBB:MWIP), a patient security solutions and financial products company for the medicinal marijuana and health care industry, today announced the >>""hiring"" of

 

>Amish Parikh<

 

as Chief Operations Officer and also appointed >>Mr. Parikh to serve as a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company believes Mr. Parikh will greatly assist MediSwipe as it moves forward with its strategic goals in 2013.

 

Mr. Parikh brings several years of experience in both technology and healthcare to MediSwipe and presently holds the position of senior management heading a team of twenty-five technicians with Matrix Proven POS based in Michigan. Mr. Parikh is highly knowledgeable in PCI Compliance and Fraud/Theft Detection and is a Certified Security Implementer for PCI Compliance for the merchant processing industry. Formerly, Amish served as Senior operations Engineer with Google and introduced ScanRobot to the Digitization Project to replace Human requirements for Book scanning. Mr. Parikh additionally serves as managing Director of Michigan Compassion, a federally approved nonprofit 501©3 specializing in the delivery of Medical Education about health and legalities. He is involved in strategic business planning, strategic finance, non-profit strategy, development and fundraising via Grants, Wealth Management Firms, and Donors. As a licensed caregiver in the state of Michigan, he has developed market strategy and research studies to provide education to patients as well as healthcare professionals.

 

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Amish to MediSwipe's Board of Directors," said B. Michael Friedman, CEO and Founder of MediSwipe. "Amish brings a wealth of experience from leading companies including Google, and his knowledge of PCI compliance, merchant processing and>>>"" as a licensed caregiver ""

 

.......in our state, will help us further our business model not only in Michigan, but throughout surrounding legal jurisdictions

 

>>. Having a licensed caregiver within the state of our corporate headquarters, will now allow us to expand the operations of our first Patient Certification Center scheduled to open this month. Further, we have targeted at least two additional centers for acquisition presently under negotiation that service several thousand patients and process at least 300 new prescriptions each month which we believe will meaningfully increase our revenue streams by being established businesses. While we have a long-term outlook for the company, Amish's expertise will help to guide us toward our execution of our strategic business model within the medicinal health sector," further stated Friedman.

 

 

http://marijuanastocks.com/content/mediswipe-inc-announces-technology-and-healthcare-veteran-board-directors

 

-------> 'some' of us are watching all this bS

 

---dog and pony show

Edited August 22, 2013 by purple pimpernel

[purple pimpernel]

Question : how can a officer of a non profit post that the government should TAX OUR MEDS ??????? Jim ,: do you need work that bad ????? 2nd question: if you can NOT discuss the medicines that are available and what they help, nor convey instructional information about cultivating, growing< how in this world can you call yourselves a COMPASSION CLUB ??

looks like....

your man is the >CPA< for the corporate guys steering the herd of cats here-

does 'their' books-

 

and the 'compassion club' is a front for corporate interests and designs imo

.....so they look good when they write the grants imo

 

mediswipe is the tax and regulate format they want to (are) bring (ing) online-

 

looks like....

--your "non-profit" compassion club ""officer"" really works for/with the corporation(s) building the box-

 

anyone see a 'conflict of interest' here.....?

 

---nah guess its all just legit 'compa$$ion'--

 

....wonder how many others there are working on this here in michigan 'disguised' as ""patient"" >advocates

 

hmmmmm......my small little selfless mind says....somthing smells funny

 

and it dont smell like compassion

-or education! ....kinda smell you get 'downriver'

Edited August 22, 2013 by purple pimpernel

[purple pimpernel]

heres another 'tidbit''---->they got to play softball on the whitehouse lawn!?!

 

--what kind of clout do you have to have to be able to do that?

....especially in regards with mmj.......

 

 

 

 

MediSwipe’s popular all natural Hemp energy drink “Chillo” named as official energy drink of marijuana activist reform softball team, the One Hitters, who will play Softball Team of the U.S. “STOTUS” at Ellipse Field on the White House Lawn at 6:30 pm today

 

LOS ANGELES, CA - MediSwipe Inc. (www.MediSwipe.com ) (MWIP), a data management solutions company for the medicinal marijuana and health care industry, today announced that the Company's popular hemp based energy drink "CHILLO" has been named the official energy drink for the One Hitters softball team in advance of today’s national sporting event and softball match between the pro-marijuana policy reform One Hitters and the Softball Team of the United States or “STOTUS” at Ellipse field on the south White House lawn at 6:30PM.

 

“We are very pleased to support the One Hitters and will continue to show our support for the cause of continued reform of our nation’s marijuana laws,” stated B. Michael Friedman, CEO for MediSwipe Inc.

 

"We are proud to enjoy Chillo as our preferred energy drink", stated Tyler Smith, Co-Captain and spokesperson for the Ingrid/Mountain Medicine One Hitters.

 

CHILLO, with its distinct trademark orange can, carries the chill of hemp seed extract with the added punch and perfect blend of caffeine, vitamins B6 and B12 for the ultimate drink experience.

 

The popular energy drink is now for sale with the world's largest online retailer on Amazon.com Marketplace exclusively through MediSwipe. The Company also offers its brand of hemp-based tea C+ Swiss. C+SWISS is popularly known as the original hemp based ice tea approved for sale in the United States, with distribution already in Whole Foods and major markets nationally. The hemp based drink comes in eco-friendly, recyclable packaging that stands out to the health conscious target customer. C+SWISS contains all natural ingredients including non-gmo beet sugar, concentrated lemon juice, hemp seed extract, black tea extract, and natural flavoring consisting of fruit and plant extracts.

 

With the trusted Amazon platform and fulfillment services, MediSwipe expects to experience a surge in orders of the beverage through e-commerce sales as the products profit from enhanced visibility within the Amazon catalog.

 

Both brands are available in medical dispensaries and select retail locations across the country or exclusively through MediSwipe by calling 248.262.6850If you are interested in becoming a distributor, please contact MediSwipe through email at info@MediSwipe.com.

 

Visit the Company on Facebook, and for every 420th "Like" the Company will give away a free

Chillo and C+ Swiss gift pack to that lucky friend.

Edited August 22, 2013 by purple pimpernel

[t-pain]

that just sounds like mediswipe sponsored the softball team.

 

interesting the husband works for mediswipe.

the micompassion site is still not really functional.

 

the vending machines still arent legal here i dont think. unless its to one caregiver with 5 patients.

in which case a machine that costs a couple grand seems silly.

[abe supercro]

Something's brewin and it isn't just trademarked officially unleaded "Chillo". Mediswipe my tea and coffee at Starbucks but any further than that I'll be using the dull machete in my wallet as proper identification.