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Michigan Bill to Allow Medical Marijuana Sales Filed

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #772)

A little more than a week after the state Supreme Court ruled that Michigan's medical marijuana law doesn't allow for dispensaries, a state lawmaker is ready to file a bill that would allow cities and counties to approve them via local option.

State Rep. Mike Callton (R-Nashville) said Monday he would introduce House Bill 4271 Tuesday. The bill already has bipartisan support, with eight Democrat and eight Republican cosponsors.

A similar bill died in committee last year, and medical marijuana foe Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) has said no further medical marijuana bills are needed this year, but Callton told the Lansing State Journal he thought the measure would fare better this time around.

"I'm a Republican and I'm from a conservative area, but I've seen growing support from a lot of other legislators for this from both parties," Callton  said. "And now, with this court ruling, it becomes much more important. I want people to be able to take a recommendation for (marijuana) from their doctor and be able to go to what we're calling a provisionary center."

Not only has Schuette come out against any new medical marijuana bills, his office will this week send out letters to all 83 county prosecutors instructing them to shut down anything resembling a dispensary, his office said on Friday.

Between the state Supreme Court ruling and Schuette's aggressive posture, Michigan dispensary operators -- there may be as many as a hundred statewide -- are running scared. Many have closed their doors, while others remain open only on the down low.

"Nobody I know in this state is advertising this service anymore -- it's all going to be word-of-mouth from now on," Holice Wood, owner of a compassion club, told the State Journal.

The state's 125,000 registered medical marijuana patients now must grow their medicine themselves, rely on a caregiver (limited to no more than five patients), or resort to the black market. Patients need safe access to their medicine, they said.

"It's cost-prohibitive to grow this yourself, and it's labor intensive," said Alec McKelvey Jr., 41, of Warren, a state-registered patient who uses marijuana to fight the side effects of cancer treatments. "You have to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and really know what you're doing to get a quality plant that has no parasites or mold -- that would make my health worse," McKelvey said.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Karen I Tracey (not verified)

Schuette should do his job and keep his personal views to himself. Its his job to enforce laws, not pass judgment on them

Mon, 02/18/2013 - 9:13pm Permalink
for the people (not verified)

Bill does not care for the actual people of Mi, if he did who would understand the people have spoken. and they will vote him right out of office if he keeps up. 

Tue, 02/19/2013 - 11:37am Permalink
Barron K. BROWN (not verified)

   Another tyrant who only care about his view not the people he govern. We the people past bill. Now he want us to go back to drug dealers and unsavory environment and make illegal drug activities. Take the chance of getting shot or going to jail if we caught in drug raid. And if you Black you have to face trump up charges and twice as much jail time. We can spend hundred of dollar growing our own wait 3-4 month and not yield any crop. I'm disable and don't have cash or time to lose, We the people want a safe legal life with safe legal means of medication.

Thu, 02/21/2013 - 5:12pm Permalink
Anne of Gaia (not verified)

We the People MUST come together and get these traitors OUT OF OFFICE. You can learn more at www.sovereigntyinternational.info, and/or www.soverieignty.net. You can also look up Rice Mcleod and his book call 'The Redemption Manual'. Another crucial book is 'A Concise History of Common Law' by Thomas Pluckett I think. Study and research is a MUST if we are going to prevail against these tyrants that work for Big Pharma... 

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 3:26pm Permalink
Anony mous (not verified)

Bill Schutte once said if the Marihuana bill of 2008 were to pass, there would be despensaries in every neighborhood. Affecting the security of our families.

Once the bill passed, Billy boy said despensaries were not provided for in bill. HHmmm.

Seems Bill and ole L.Brooks (hicup!) don't understand what "We the people" represents.

He don't own us and we don't own him. BUT we do own the office! Bubye Billy Boy!

And drink up! LBP by all means.

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:11pm Permalink

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