Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Raided After Tips From Other Caregivers

[bobandtorey]

were raided Wednesday afternoon in Benzie County as part of a months-long investigation into alleged illegal operations, authorities say. 

According to Benzie Sheriff Ted Schendel, search warrants were served around 2:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at dispensaries located in storefronts along U.S. 31, including one in Benzonia, one in Inland Township and another closer to Traverse City. 

The investigation began after complaints from other medical marijuana caregivers came in, alleging the dispensaries raided may be serving more patients than the number allowed under state law. Four felony arrests were made Wednesday in a joint effort with the Traverse Narcotics Team, Schendel said. 

All four people taken into custody have since bonded out of jail and will be arraigned at a later time. Their names are being withheld, pending the hearings.

[trichcycler]

 

"How is it there now?


It's chaos. Every gorilla for himself.


Who can live like that?

There has to be order."

Frank Lucas, American Gangster


sounds like some caregiver rats vying for market share
 

[Greg Rx]

Something smells.

[Restorium2]

Like anyone really needs to tell anyone that any dispensary is selling beyond The Act. How stupid is that? 

 

More like somebodies outdoor crop got raided and the cops are having a hay day selling it to dispensaries.

[trichcycler]

maybe it behooves leo to drive medical cannabis users and sellers and growers back to the  to the black market

[trichcycler]

I wonder if the snitching caregivers are high fiving there now that they have all the extra patients to register?  or if the dispensaries pizzed them off with organized universal  low balling price controls?  

[outsideinthecold]

The police wouldn't release a deliberately misleading story trying to intimidate legal caregivers, would they?

 

No dispensary can compete or pose a threat to a compassionate caregiver, can it?

 

On the face of it the idea any caregiver would complain seems non-sensible, doesn't it?

Edited October 16, 2015 by outsideinthecold

[trichcycler]

I'd think dispensary narcing cg's would be more intimidating to dispensaries than to other cg's.

Notice this system is loosely based on this type of narc. Perhaps a cg was pinched, told the story, and was let loose for the info, seems most likely to me.

 

Every story here is subject to the same qualification, but notice they mostly end up in a plea bargain, even with all the fake police

reporting....plea bargains are ruling our Act even when the police lie in the original stories

[bobandtorey]

“They treated us like criminals when we are patients. We are here to help the community.” 

Controversy continues tonight after police raids at medical marijuana dispensaries in Benzie County.

The Traverse Narcotics Team and the Benzie County Sheriff's Department arrested four people from three dispensaries yesterday. 

All are along U.S. 31 in Benzie County.

Two are in Benzonia and one is in Interlochen.

The four people arrested are not formally charged yet.

Northern Michigan’s News Leader pulled court documents showing the people are charged with felonies for manufacturing and delivering marijuana.

“We are trying to be a legitimate business,” says Aaron Fast, the manager of 31 Head Shop. Their business is in the same building as the 31 Provisioning Center, which was raided yesterday.

He say they did nothing wrong.

“They came in here like they were looking for drug dealers when we are more considered pharmacists. The state of Michigan has made this legal who are they to decide that it's not,” says Fast.

While details are limited on this case, by law any person running a dispensary is limited to a certain number of patients.

“At a dispensary I suppose one person could run the dispensary and allow their five patients to come there, but those would be the only five people who would legally be allowed to buy marijuana from that caregiver,” says Benzie County Prosecutor Sara Swanson.

Reverend Steve Thompson advocates for marijuana reform. He argues the law is too gray and the 5 patient rule doesn't always apply.

“In order to own a dispensary you have to be a medical marijuana patient yourself that entitles you to transfer any medical legitimate medical marijuana patient there is,” says Rev. Thompson.

But the prosecutor says the law is black and white.

“The law was not that clear when it was written so it's been interpreted quite a few times by the court of appeals and Michigan Supreme Court and it's still ongoing at this time, though the way the law stands patient to patient transfers are not legal,” says Swanson.

The four people arrested will be arraigned next Thursday.

 

 

http://www.9and10news.com/story/30272961/benzie-county-dispensary-raids-create-controversy

 

 

Reverend Steve Thompson advocates for marijuana reform. He argues the law is too gray and the 5 patient rule doesn't always apply. ? if only we all knew when it applies and when it doesn't 

[Restorium2]

Reverend Steve Thompson advocates for marijuana reform. He argues the law is too gray and the 5 patient rule doesn't always apply.

“In order to own a dispensary you have to be a medical marijuana patient yourself that entitles you to transfer any medical legitimate medical marijuana patient there is,” says Rev. Thompson.

[Restorium2]

Been wanting that ^ amendment since '08.

[trichcycler]

just doesn't seem likely to happen now that the moneybags are in their gaming mode, road warriors salivating at the idea of pot hole repair, politicians ripening for the possible windfall, local municipalities inventing new regs and fees...

[Restorium2]

We have a close version of the Rhode Island Medical marijuana Law. Rhode Island amended their law to include patient transfers WITHOUT remuneration ($) . You can gift it. The wording has been written and ready to use since the beginning for us. 

I always felt that when our law went into effect it tipped the scales and the prohibitionists and greed heads all got together and said that marijuana is Their Baby now and everyone else can get flogged. There have been very few altruistic changes after that point. Maybe none.

[trichcycler]

well stated^

[bobandtorey]

All we can hope for now is that their continuously displayed incompetence will outpace their greed and hatred, and that yet again nothing happens.

 

 

Hope was what i needed to even start growing cannabis for medical reasons it hasn't happen yet because the Government we have in Lansing can't control  cannabis  unless they grow it  all them selfs 

[Willy]

Hope was what i needed to even start growing cannabis for medical reasons it hasn't happen yet because the Government we have in Lansing can't control  cannabis  unless they grow it  all them selfs 

And that IS there plan now,, The call from legislature... we can  grab that money now boys!! 

Edited October 16, 2015 by Willy

[bobandtorey]

I  do agree but most will grow cannabis any ways just as they where before the Law but a  lot more , more people grow marihuana then ever before and they can't lock everybody up the jails

 

are already full Lansing waited way to long to do anything in favor of caregivers and patients we could have helped long ago but know they ( Leo ) wanted to fight the people that voted to keep

 

the War on the sick going and money flowing into the pockets of the police even still today they still can take your stuff without you being guilty sure the Bills that passed was a step forward

 

but they couldn't allow even its people to know where the money came from or who's going to get it 

 

 Grab that money now boys!! <<<< well said

 

Thank you

[trichcycler]

I am a lifetime user of cannabis, had indoor grow rooms even. I never grew cannabis before my card arrived. I had too much to lose and the wrath of my wife scared the bjeez's out of me anytime I thought about sneaking one in the corner. I bet the majority of card holders were not cultivators before their cards . would be nice to know the real stats on that one.

[Restorium2]

I am a lifetime user of cannabis, had indoor grow rooms even. I never grew cannabis before my card arrived. I had too much to lose and the wrath of my wife scared the bjeez's out of me anytime I thought about sneaking one in the corner. I bet the majority of card holders were not cultivators before their cards . would be nice to know the real stats on that one.

Because of your wife? You been married your whole life?

 

Now I always thought every smoker sprouted a seed or two over their lifetime. A little experimentation, trial, and error. Maybe half hearted but everyone sprouts a few seeds. Or tosses them into a flower bed and comes back later for a look see. That's the world I live in ....

[trichcycler]

whatever. I was not a cannabis user in my childhood, and didn't become one until I moved out of my home at 16, worked full time, and graduated school. I met my wife in high school, 10th grade actually. I've been with her more years than without. Had I not met her when I did I'm confident my life would not be here spent with your banter as entertainment Resto

At 16 I had nowhere in my living arrangement, or my mind to consider sprouting seeds. I watched my parent imprisoned for doing so. I don't judge people for doing so of course, I grew up with cannabis all around me from day one. Maybe "most" legal growers of today grew illegally before, maybe bobntory is right, who knows. But I did not.

[imiubu]

I never tried to sprout a seed prior to getting my card and then... it took me 3 more years to be in a situation where I could really give it a go in earnest.

I do recall years ago finding a couple little sprouts in one of my house plants that I am certain was from a friend dropping a few seeds in the dirt cuz it

wasn't me

 

Why I am saying this is; I think it is often too easy to view the world through our own experiences and sometimes forget that not all of us lived the same

experiences.

[Restorium2]

Marijuana use can be a social thing for a lot of us. People tell stories. Most have a story about trying to grow at some point. That's my world. I'm relating about thousands of people over the years ...... not living under a rock. LOL

[imiubu]

I am not scolding you for your opinion resto.  I am only making my own observations.

When I am directly talking to some one I quote them or mention them in my post.

 

Pigeon holing "all" / "most" / "many" people based on our own experiences imho is narrow thinking.

[Restorium2]

I am not scolding you for your opinion resto.  I am only making my own observations.

When I am directly talking to some one I quote them or mention them in my post.

 

Pigeon holing "all" / "most" / "many" people based on our own experiences imho is narrow thinking.

Right. I was just rambling mostly. Relaying more of my experiences. It's all good. 

[beourbud]

Thinking dropping a few beans preteen in the name of curiosity or science would qualify you today as a prodigy.

Its a plant folks, get over it.

 

The pos GOP leadership here in Michigan has swallowed nut sac et all to screw the Voters of this great state.

 

On the bright , this is looking to be the best outdoor harvest EVER.

Sortalika phaque from GOD to the GOP.

 

And now it is obvious why So many prodigy grow pros were justifiably skeptical of getting on a list(MMMP). They are not going to go along with this GOP scam.

If you want full and enthusiastic participation, there needs to be a simple and fair playing field...Decriminalization

Edited October 17, 2015 by beourbud