Billionaire Trucking Mogul Hijacks Michigan Medical Marijuana Act

[bobandtorey]

In 2008, the State of Michigan enacted the most protective and liberal medical cannabis law in the nation. The progressive law offered patients and providers near absolute immunity from arrest. 

However judges, prosecutors and police, unwilling to give up control and revenue, steered the law elsewhere. These three groups, the Axis Powers, knowingly and purposely sidestepped the will of 63% of Michigan voters. Today, you are more likely to be charged with a marijuana offense in Michigan than before passage of the 2008 ballot initiative. As Carl Levin said, “you make the law and I’ll make the policy and I’ll win every time”. 

Like slavery, any industry will do anything to protect itself. Truly a police state. Even one that can intimidate the legislature.

Recent legislation in front of the Michigan legislature attempts to curb the bad actions of the triad by providing good steps forward in allowing patients to get their medication and suppliers to supply it without the fear of arrest. The one blaring exception to moving forward with the proposed legislative fixes is that every time the product is moved closer to market it would require an armored truck for shipping the seed to farm, farm to storage, storage to test facility, testing to packaging, then off to the retail store (Pharmacy).

This armored transportation component added by State Senator Steve Bieda is projected to increase medication costs to the consumer by as much as 70% and will most likely drive the business back underground. And to top it off, this armored transportation is reserved for one single company. 

Senator Bieda says it’s a security issue. “You have to be concerned about the security of, it’s almost like an armored truck (is required) when you think of the value of the items being transported. It’s possible people transporting the product could be targets for robbery.”

The only robbers to date has been the Axis Powers. 

Not surprising to some, Bieda’s largest corporate citizen within his senate district is CenTra Inc, the billion dollar trucking company owned by billionaire Matty Maroun. It is suggested that Mr. Maroun’s trucking company, which also has a monopoly on the bridge to Canada, would benefit from this unnecessary component to the statute and enjoy total distribution control over the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

Michigan patients cannot afford to pay more for their medicine. Senator Bieda should not be pushing monopolistic schemes that drive up prices but instead remembering that his individual citizens come first.

Urge your state leaders to remove Mr Bieda’s monopolistic (armor car) fix (to a problem that does not exist).

 

http://marijuanapatients.org/billionaire-trucking-mogul-hijacks-michigan-medical-marijuana-act/

[Wild Bill]

Exactly what I've been saying for years, if you want to get in the marijuana business you need to have MONEY! Your $10,000 investment in a grow room is not going to cut it.

 

You've got to be able to play with the big boys or you'll end up with bruises.

[Restorium2]

In 2008, the State of Michigan enacted the most protective and liberal medical cannabis law in the nation. The progressive law offered patients and providers near absolute immunity from arrest. 

However judges, prosecutors and police, unwilling to give up control and revenue, steered the law elsewhere. These three groups, the Axis Powers, knowingly and purposely sidestepped the will of 63% of Michigan voters. Today, you are more likely to be charged with a marijuana offense in Michigan than before passage of the 2008 ballot initiative. As Carl Levin said, “you make the law and I’ll make the policy and I’ll win every time”. 

Like slavery, any industry will do anything to protect itself. Truly a police state. Even one that can intimidate the legislature.

Recent legislation in front of the Michigan legislature attempts to curb the bad actions of the triad by providing good steps forward in allowing patients to get their medication and suppliers to supply it without the fear of arrest. The one blaring exception to moving forward with the proposed legislative fixes is that every time the product is moved closer to market it would require an armored truck for shipping the seed to farm, farm to storage, storage to test facility, testing to packaging, then off to the retail store (Pharmacy).

This armored transportation component added by State Senator Steve Bieda is projected to increase medication costs to the consumer by as much as 70% and will most likely drive the business back underground. And to top it off, this armored transportation is reserved for one single company. 

Senator Bieda says it’s a security issue. “You have to be concerned about the security of, it’s almost like an armored truck (is required) when you think of the value of the items being transported. It’s possible people transporting the product could be targets for robbery.”

The only robbers to date has been the Axis Powers. 

Not surprising to some, Bieda’s largest corporate citizen within his senate district is CenTra Inc, the billion dollar trucking company owned by billionaire Matty Maroun. It is suggested that Mr. Maroun’s trucking company, which also has a monopoly on the bridge to Canada, would benefit from this unnecessary component to the statute and enjoy total distribution control over the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

Michigan patients cannot afford to pay more for their medicine. Senator Bieda should not be pushing monopolistic schemes that drive up prices but instead remembering that his individual citizens come first.

Urge your state leaders to remove Mr Bieda’s monopolistic (armor car) fix (to a problem that does not exist).

 

http://marijuanapatients.org/billionaire-trucking-mogul-hijacks-michigan-medical-marijuana-act/

Hey, they are stealing my talking points!

[Restorium2]

Exactly what I've been saying for years, if you want to get in the marijuana business you need to have MONEY! Your $10,000 investment in a grow room is not going to cut it.

 

You've got to be able to play with the big boys or you'll end up with bruises.

Don't forget that a few of those Michigan Big Boys have served some time since '08 and many $10,000 grow rooms are still truckin'. Marijuana is a game of inches and not for hogs.

[solabeirtan]

One reason there's no money to fix our roads...

 

RE: Ambassador Bridge

 

"After many years of legal battles, activism by local people against neighborhood truck traffic, and stalling by Matty Moroun, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) took over the I-75/I-96 on-ramp project and opened the ramps in September 2012 after a six-month construction period.

 

 One possible motive for the Gateway Project delays is Moroun's desire to route traffic past his lucrative duty-free store and fuel pumps,  one of only two border locations to sell untaxed fuel (the other is International Falls, Minnesota). Critics of the duty-free fuel operation object that sixty cents from each U.S. gallon goes not to paving Michigan's underfunded highways but instead directly to Matty Moroun."

[beourbud]

Thanks for posting this Bob.

Are these guys bonded for Canada? They prolly been transporting black market all along and looking to keep their piece of the pie.

[t-pain]

yeah thats exactly what i was thinking. matty sez dont stop matty's trucks going over matty's bridge. whos gonna argue with him?

[zaphod]

One reason there's no money to fix our roads...

 

RE: Ambassador Bridge

 

"After many years of legal battles, activism by local people against neighborhood truck traffic, and stalling by Matty Moroun, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) took over the I-75/I-96 on-ramp project and opened the ramps in September 2012 after a six-month construction period.

 

 One possible motive for the Gateway Project delays is Moroun's desire to route traffic past his lucrative duty-free store and fuel pumps,  one of only two border locations to sell untaxed fuel (the other is International Falls, Minnesota). Critics of the duty-free fuel operation object that sixty cents from each U.S. gallon goes not to paving Michigan's underfunded highways but instead directly to Matty Moroun."&.60/galatty's extra

So "wee da  peeple" get to cover the cost of Matty's $.60/gal extra profit.  I AM living in michissippi.

[Wild Bill]

Don't forget that a few of those Michigan Big Boys have served some time since '08 and many $10,000 grow rooms are still truckin'. Marijuana is a game of inches and not for hogs.

 

I'm speaking only about the "taxed and regulated" market. The one Tim Beck and friends are gung ho about. You know, the one everyone thinks is such a great idea, like Minnesota.

 

The unregulated "black market" will do just fine as it has for centuries.

 

Like Milton Friedman said, "See, if you look at the drug war from a purely economic point of view, the role of the government is to protect the drug cartel. That’s literally true."