LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
going to have to report it for deletion its a little late to delete now :D
The War on Medical Marijuana in MI Super Thread, NEWS,BUST,LAWS <<<<Updated Often>>>>
going to have to report it for deletion its a little late to delete now :D
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Michigan man gets 2-4 years in Nebraska prison for role in hauling 730 pounds of marijuana
LINCOLN, Nebraska — A 41-year-old Michigan man has been sent to prison in Nebraska for helping to haul 730 pounds of marijuana.
Online court records say Marcel Bud, of Taylor, Michigan, on Thursday was given two to four years behind bars. He'd pleaded guilty to attempted possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Prosecutors had lowered the charge and dropped another in exchange for Bud's plea.
The Nebraska State Patrol says troopers found the pot in the back of a semitrailer they stopped in November 2013 on Interstate 80 just east of Lincoln. Bud and the other driver, Julio Pena Sanchez, of La Palma, California, had drug convictions on their criminal records. The pot was found amid produce in the truck's trailer.
Sanchez also has been given two to four years in prison.
2-4 years for 730 pounds? Who he flip on?
LINCOLN, Nebraska — A 41-year-old Michigan man has been sent to prison in Nebraska for helping to haul 730 pounds of marijuana.
Online court records say Marcel Bud, of Taylor, Michigan, on Thursday was given two to four years behind bars. He'd pleaded guilty to attempted possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Prosecutors had lowered the charge and dropped another in exchange for Bud's plea.
The Nebraska State Patrol says troopers found the pot in the back of a semitrailer they stopped in November 2013 on Interstate 80 just east of Lincoln. Bud and the other driver, Julio Pena Sanchez, of La Palma, California, had drug convictions on their criminal records. The pot was found amid produce in the truck's trailer.
Sanchez also has been given two to four years in prison.
2-4 years for 730 pounds? Who he flip on?
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Poll Shows Higher Support Among Michigan Voter For Taxing Marijuana Verses Raising Sales Tax For Road And School Funding
FLINT, Mich., Jan. 24, 2015 /NEWS.GNOM.ES/ — The Michigan voters will return to the polls to decide whether or not to increase the Michigan sales tax rate from six to seven percent. According to a recent SurveyUSA Poll commissioned by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Report, Michiganders would rather tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
The poll indicates that the majority of Michigan voters are against raising state sales tax to pay for roads and schools. A raise on sales tax was approved by the legislature and Governor Rick Snyder during last years in lame duck session, and will be voted on this May in a special statewide election. Of the 500 registered Michigan voters surveyed, only 43% support raising sales tax to pay for roads. 49% opposed the hike and 8% were not sure.
The poll shows 64% of Michigan adults would likely vote in favor of taxing and regulating Marijuana, as opposed to raising taxing across the board. 28% of respondents opposed regulating marijuana like alcohol, and 8% was not sure.
“The road tax proposal is in serious trouble. Voters are suspicious of more taxes imposed upon the general population. There are other, more creative ways to generate revenue to fund roads and schools. Regulation and taxation of marijuana is an alternative voters seem to prefer,” Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair.
“In these tough economic times when Michigan citizens look at other states like Colorado which is taking in tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue by regulating marijuana like alcohol and wonder, why we are not doing it here,” states Ben Horner from the Cannabis Stakeholders Group.
Support for regulating marijuana was highest amongst voters that identified themselves as independents (68% yes), where as democrats (65% yes) and republicans (57% yes) was less. Of all the demographics in favor of raising the Michigan sales tax the young adults between the ages of 18-34, showed the greatest support for increasing the sales tax (49% yes). This poll of 500 registered voters was conducted on January 20, has a margin of error of 4.5%. Approximately one third of the participants answered questions from cell phones and two-thirds by landlines.
http://mmmrmag.blogspot.com
Media Inquires:
Ben Horner, Cannabis Stakeholders Group Director
Phone: 810-338-5645
email: [email protected]
Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair
Phone: 313-414-2058
Email: [email protected]
Statement of Support
Reid Murdoch, director from Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP):
“It’s not surprising that Michigan voters would rather tax and regulate cannabis like alcohol to pay for schools and roads, rather than increase sale tax,” said Reid Murdoch, who directs a chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at the University of Michigan Law School and serves on SSDP’s national Board of Directors. “Michigan is watching states like Colorado and Washington, whose tremendously successful tax-and-regulate programs have generated multimillions in revenue for spending on schools. Cannabis regulation is a bipartisan issue in Michigan, and would be a major windfall as our state struggles to fund its schools. Improved social outcomes and reduced criminal justice spending are further reasons for fiscally responsible Michiganders to join Students for Sensible Drug Policy in supporting this important reform.”
Allen F. St. Peirre, executive director for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML):
“With state and local budgets all over the US under strain, notably in Michigan, and the need for infrastructure repair and improvement in the state is great. Rather than increase taxes on everyone in Michigan, why not tax the state’s cannabis cultivators, sellers and consumers? Other states, notably Colorado and Washington State, are now taking in tens of million annually in new taxes. The Michigan voters recently polled seem to strongly agree with the premise that new cannabis taxes are better than increased sales taxes on everyone.”
SOURCE MMM Publications
http://mmmrmag.blogspot.com
FLINT, Mich., Jan. 24, 2015 /NEWS.GNOM.ES/ — The Michigan voters will return to the polls to decide whether or not to increase the Michigan sales tax rate from six to seven percent. According to a recent SurveyUSA Poll commissioned by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Report, Michiganders would rather tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
The poll indicates that the majority of Michigan voters are against raising state sales tax to pay for roads and schools. A raise on sales tax was approved by the legislature and Governor Rick Snyder during last years in lame duck session, and will be voted on this May in a special statewide election. Of the 500 registered Michigan voters surveyed, only 43% support raising sales tax to pay for roads. 49% opposed the hike and 8% were not sure.
The poll shows 64% of Michigan adults would likely vote in favor of taxing and regulating Marijuana, as opposed to raising taxing across the board. 28% of respondents opposed regulating marijuana like alcohol, and 8% was not sure.
“The road tax proposal is in serious trouble. Voters are suspicious of more taxes imposed upon the general population. There are other, more creative ways to generate revenue to fund roads and schools. Regulation and taxation of marijuana is an alternative voters seem to prefer,” Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair.
“In these tough economic times when Michigan citizens look at other states like Colorado which is taking in tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue by regulating marijuana like alcohol and wonder, why we are not doing it here,” states Ben Horner from the Cannabis Stakeholders Group.
Support for regulating marijuana was highest amongst voters that identified themselves as independents (68% yes), where as democrats (65% yes) and republicans (57% yes) was less. Of all the demographics in favor of raising the Michigan sales tax the young adults between the ages of 18-34, showed the greatest support for increasing the sales tax (49% yes). This poll of 500 registered voters was conducted on January 20, has a margin of error of 4.5%. Approximately one third of the participants answered questions from cell phones and two-thirds by landlines.
http://mmmrmag.blogspot.com
Media Inquires:
Ben Horner, Cannabis Stakeholders Group Director
Phone: 810-338-5645
email: [email protected]
Tim Beck, Safer Michigan Coalition Chair
Phone: 313-414-2058
Email: [email protected]
Statement of Support
Reid Murdoch, director from Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP):
“It’s not surprising that Michigan voters would rather tax and regulate cannabis like alcohol to pay for schools and roads, rather than increase sale tax,” said Reid Murdoch, who directs a chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at the University of Michigan Law School and serves on SSDP’s national Board of Directors. “Michigan is watching states like Colorado and Washington, whose tremendously successful tax-and-regulate programs have generated multimillions in revenue for spending on schools. Cannabis regulation is a bipartisan issue in Michigan, and would be a major windfall as our state struggles to fund its schools. Improved social outcomes and reduced criminal justice spending are further reasons for fiscally responsible Michiganders to join Students for Sensible Drug Policy in supporting this important reform.”
Allen F. St. Peirre, executive director for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML):
“With state and local budgets all over the US under strain, notably in Michigan, and the need for infrastructure repair and improvement in the state is great. Rather than increase taxes on everyone in Michigan, why not tax the state’s cannabis cultivators, sellers and consumers? Other states, notably Colorado and Washington State, are now taking in tens of million annually in new taxes. The Michigan voters recently polled seem to strongly agree with the premise that new cannabis taxes are better than increased sales taxes on everyone.”
SOURCE MMM Publications
http://mmmrmag.blogspot.com
Tony69
- 83
- 18
Taxing MJ, bad idea. Every time their is a budget short fall, which is all of the time. We'll just lean on... Lets raise the Cig tax because they are bad for you, how about raising the taxes on MJ because it is bad for you... Can you hear the excuses yet? People need to stop using the windfall of tax revenue in to the coffers of government to justify legalizing MJ. Here is a great idea, do the work and win people over to your side by selling them on the positive sides of MJ, not the you just won the lottery mentality. Who the hell thinks more government intervention into your life is a great idea?
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
The problem is the money has to come from somewhere... You wanna pay an extra 1% sales tax on everything you buy ( minus food so far )
Taxes can kiss my ass the people in charge need to take a pay cut and start paying for all these pet projects they wanna build...
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
I know i posted this once... But im posting it again.. Taxes fucking SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tim Skubick: 'Pot for potholes' has a nice ring, and a majority of Michiganders agree
Even if you did not indulge during the drug-ravaged 70’s, you must admit the slogan is a dandy: Pot for potholes.
With 64 percent of the citizens saying they would vote to tax marijuana to fix the roads, compared to only 43 percent who would raise the sales tax to do it, maybe the governor should take a second look at his May ballot proposal.
Of course, he can’t, because that die is already cast. Besides, he doesn’t like the other idea.
“I don’t see marijuana being the solution,” he opines after getting a peek at the first statewide poll on how to fix the roads.
The survey was conducted for a pro-marijuana coalition, and when asked about the sales tax, 49 percent said forget it.
Now the governor is correct in stating that “we’re early in the process,” but his proposal is under water. Normally if you are pushing any ballot proposition, you want support in the high 60’s so that when the opposition starts to bang away, there is room for your support to come down but still not fall below 50 percent needed for passage.
The CPA governor rejects this notion, saying, “I’ve never necessarily subscribed to conventional wisdom."
Either way, if the survey is right, he’s got a real challenge, and one group that might help him has already bailed.
If the sales tax passes, there’s a $200 per pupil increase that goes to the schools. So wouldn’t you think the teacher’s union would be all over this?
Think again.
“We don’t have the money," reports Steve Cook, who runs the largest teacher’s union, the Michigan Education Association.
He indicates the union is coming off an expensive election last fall, and when Republicans blocked the schools from collecting union dues, that forced the union to shell out its own money to do it. Hence he adds in case the governor missed it the first time, "The cupboard is bare."
The MEA may urge a yes vote next May, but the governor needs cold hard cash in addition.
But back to the survey. There isn’t one age group that backs the sales tax hike. It is most popular with those between 18 and 34, but everybody knows they're way too busy fiddling with their iPhones to vote.
Not even women, who are usually sympathetic to schools, back the plan.
The governor says he will not let the survey results get him down.
“It doesn’t deter me,” he optimistically asserts.
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/01/tim_skubick_pot_for_potholes_h.html
Tim Skubick: 'Pot for potholes' has a nice ring, and a majority of Michiganders agree
Even if you did not indulge during the drug-ravaged 70’s, you must admit the slogan is a dandy: Pot for potholes.
With 64 percent of the citizens saying they would vote to tax marijuana to fix the roads, compared to only 43 percent who would raise the sales tax to do it, maybe the governor should take a second look at his May ballot proposal.
Of course, he can’t, because that die is already cast. Besides, he doesn’t like the other idea.
“I don’t see marijuana being the solution,” he opines after getting a peek at the first statewide poll on how to fix the roads.
The survey was conducted for a pro-marijuana coalition, and when asked about the sales tax, 49 percent said forget it.
Now the governor is correct in stating that “we’re early in the process,” but his proposal is under water. Normally if you are pushing any ballot proposition, you want support in the high 60’s so that when the opposition starts to bang away, there is room for your support to come down but still not fall below 50 percent needed for passage.
The CPA governor rejects this notion, saying, “I’ve never necessarily subscribed to conventional wisdom."
Either way, if the survey is right, he’s got a real challenge, and one group that might help him has already bailed.
If the sales tax passes, there’s a $200 per pupil increase that goes to the schools. So wouldn’t you think the teacher’s union would be all over this?
Think again.
“We don’t have the money," reports Steve Cook, who runs the largest teacher’s union, the Michigan Education Association.
He indicates the union is coming off an expensive election last fall, and when Republicans blocked the schools from collecting union dues, that forced the union to shell out its own money to do it. Hence he adds in case the governor missed it the first time, "The cupboard is bare."
The MEA may urge a yes vote next May, but the governor needs cold hard cash in addition.
But back to the survey. There isn’t one age group that backs the sales tax hike. It is most popular with those between 18 and 34, but everybody knows they're way too busy fiddling with their iPhones to vote.
Not even women, who are usually sympathetic to schools, back the plan.
The governor says he will not let the survey results get him down.
“It doesn’t deter me,” he optimistically asserts.
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/01/tim_skubick_pot_for_potholes_h.html
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Think ahead... When and i mean WHEN michigan goes full Legal, do you really wanna see us end up like fucking washington state is ? there sitting on over 30 thousand pounds of pot they cant get rid of atm, if they can move it retail its like 40+% Taxed... You wanna see that shit in michigan?
You guys wanna see the price of your shit flop from 2800 + down to the price of bananas? cause thats whats going to happen..
The markets going to flood, the black markets going to thrive but your prices will be drove down due to over supply and under demand at that point..
Just vote fucking no to any god damn taxes and tell the governer to stick the bill up his shiney spoon fed asshole :D
You guys wanna see the price of your shit flop from 2800 + down to the price of bananas? cause thats whats going to happen..
The markets going to flood, the black markets going to thrive but your prices will be drove down due to over supply and under demand at that point..
Just vote fucking no to any god damn taxes and tell the governer to stick the bill up his shiney spoon fed asshole :D
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
BITCOIN FINDS ITS NICHE IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES
Medical marijuana users will be among the earliest users of bitcoin, according to bitcoin entrepreneur Peter Klamka. Klamka’s Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company, Bitcoin Brands, has placed a bitcoin ATM machine at one medical marijuana dispensary and is in the process of placing another two in the Grand Rapids area.
Klamka’s bitcoin ATM machine, made by Portland, Ore.-based Skyhook, provides the customer a QR code which they get scanned at the checkout counter by a clerk using a bitcoin payment tablet.
“The (payment) technology is like a gift card,”
Klamka says. The Copenhagen, Denmark-based bitcoin processor Coinify processes the payment. Not all bitcoin processors, including Bitpay and Coinbase, will handle marijuana purchases, Klamka says.
Payment Tablets for Dispensaries
Klamka has provided his three medical marijuana dispensaries with bitcoin payment tablets to facilitate bitcoin transactions.
“You can buy your bitcoin, buy whatever you want to buy in the dispensary, pay and leave,”
says Klamka, who calls his bitcoin payment system “bitMD.” As the name of his service indicates, he envisions pharmacies signing on to accept bitcoin payments for prescriptions and medical testing services.
The dispensary gets a percentage of the sales from the bitcoin ATM machine, Klamka says. Since his first ATM machine has only been on site for two months, he did not wish to release sales figures. Klamka has provided the bitcoin processing tablets free to his first three medical marijuana dispensaries to encourage them to have bitcoin ATM machines. “It is a very modest investment for me building this business,” he says. He does not know how much longer he will provide the tablets for free as the business grows.
Locations Have a Choice
Klamka also offers to sell the bitcoin ATM machine to locations (machines go for $1,500), but so far, they have preferred to take a commission and let Klamka operate the machine. Medical marijuana dispensaries are receptive to bitcoin because they realize some customers view bitcoin as a more private way to pay than using a credit or debit card, Klamka says. In addition, marijuana merchants have had trouble getting credit card companies to authorize marijuana purchases.
If and when credit card acceptance becomes easier for medical marijuana buyers, Klamka says bitcoin transactions are still faster and don’t have transaction fees or potential chargebacks.
Also read: Houston, Texas receives first bitcoin ATM
Market Needs Education
Klamka got the idea to focus on medical marijuana after trying to place bitcoin ATM machines and realized there is a general lack of understanding of the benefits bitcoin offers merchants. In addition to marijuana dispensaries, he has found interest in some martial arts gyms. He also expects gaming businesses to be receptive to bitcoin ATM machines.
“It (bitcoin ATM vending) really needs to be in niche markets, and it’s got to be sold. It really hasn’t evolved into a business yet.”
Klamka estimates there are about 300 bitcoin ATM machines globally. He thinks his business has a good future as the medical marijuana industry grows.
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-finds-niche-medical-marijuana-dispensaries/
Medical marijuana users will be among the earliest users of bitcoin, according to bitcoin entrepreneur Peter Klamka. Klamka’s Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company, Bitcoin Brands, has placed a bitcoin ATM machine at one medical marijuana dispensary and is in the process of placing another two in the Grand Rapids area.
Klamka’s bitcoin ATM machine, made by Portland, Ore.-based Skyhook, provides the customer a QR code which they get scanned at the checkout counter by a clerk using a bitcoin payment tablet.
“The (payment) technology is like a gift card,”
Klamka says. The Copenhagen, Denmark-based bitcoin processor Coinify processes the payment. Not all bitcoin processors, including Bitpay and Coinbase, will handle marijuana purchases, Klamka says.
Payment Tablets for Dispensaries
“You can buy your bitcoin, buy whatever you want to buy in the dispensary, pay and leave,”
says Klamka, who calls his bitcoin payment system “bitMD.” As the name of his service indicates, he envisions pharmacies signing on to accept bitcoin payments for prescriptions and medical testing services.
The dispensary gets a percentage of the sales from the bitcoin ATM machine, Klamka says. Since his first ATM machine has only been on site for two months, he did not wish to release sales figures. Klamka has provided the bitcoin processing tablets free to his first three medical marijuana dispensaries to encourage them to have bitcoin ATM machines. “It is a very modest investment for me building this business,” he says. He does not know how much longer he will provide the tablets for free as the business grows.
Locations Have a Choice
Klamka also offers to sell the bitcoin ATM machine to locations (machines go for $1,500), but so far, they have preferred to take a commission and let Klamka operate the machine. Medical marijuana dispensaries are receptive to bitcoin because they realize some customers view bitcoin as a more private way to pay than using a credit or debit card, Klamka says. In addition, marijuana merchants have had trouble getting credit card companies to authorize marijuana purchases.
If and when credit card acceptance becomes easier for medical marijuana buyers, Klamka says bitcoin transactions are still faster and don’t have transaction fees or potential chargebacks.
Also read: Houston, Texas receives first bitcoin ATM
Market Needs Education
Klamka got the idea to focus on medical marijuana after trying to place bitcoin ATM machines and realized there is a general lack of understanding of the benefits bitcoin offers merchants. In addition to marijuana dispensaries, he has found interest in some martial arts gyms. He also expects gaming businesses to be receptive to bitcoin ATM machines.
“It (bitcoin ATM vending) really needs to be in niche markets, and it’s got to be sold. It really hasn’t evolved into a business yet.”
Klamka estimates there are about 300 bitcoin ATM machines globally. He thinks his business has a good future as the medical marijuana industry grows.
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-finds-niche-medical-marijuana-dispensaries/
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Higher Ground: Detroit dispensary debate
"This is not going away, every community organization that I'm aware of in this city is looking for the same thing, and it's to not have Detroit become the Wild West city in the state of Michigan for medical marijuana," says Jim Ward, president of the Green Acres radio patrol (GWCRP), a community watch group.
Ward has been attending meetings with other Detroiters concerned with what they see as the over-proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. Maybe, just as the creation of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act was, this is a case of citizens stepping in where the state has failed to perform.
"We're not trying to outlaw it or starting any campaigns or debate about the properties of marijuana; that's water under the bridge," says Ward. "But we do want it regulated."
I wrote about this in my last Higher Ground column focusing on City Councilman James Tate's efforts to come to grips with the situation after the state legislature failed to act on it in the 2014 session. A couple of days later, The Detroit News ran a related story; a few days laterthe Freep did the same on the cover.
Ward says that he's communicated with Council President Brenda Jones on the issue via email and that a goal of the group he's been meeting with is to get this in front of the mayor for action.
One area Michigan has been remiss about with medical marijuana is on dispensaries. One thing that Tate said is that he's pushing for state action on medical marijuana dispensaries. Maybe it will help, but it's not like the state legislature has cared much what Detroit has to say about anything in recent years.
Ward points out that there seem to be a lot of dispensaries on the Detroit side of Eight Mile Road. That would probably be due to the hard line that Oakland County has taken against medical marijuana and a history of busting dispensaries. Owners court fewer problems locating in Wayne County.
When I spoke to Tate, he reported that there are some 180 dispensaries in Detroit. Since then, there have been media reports of as few as 50. That's part of the problem, nobody really knows because there is no legal distinction on the city books for a marijuana dispensary.
"Any mind-altering chemical, I don't care if it's beer, liquor, or whatever, I can't just open a store and start selling beer," says Ward. "I have to get a license. That's the concern, the proliferation of stores in the city and they're not regulated."
He's got a point there. If nobody knows if there are 50 dispensaries, or more than three times that number in the city, it might be a good idea to know that as you develop policy. Hey, it's good to know because when people fear something, all kinds of ideas start circulating, and it's best to have real facts in the discussion.
For instance, Pam Weinstein of Rosedale Park asks, "Do we want the kind of business that invites holdups and robbery and gunplay?"
Not one of the community members interviewed for any of these stories had a complaint against any of the Detroit marijuana storefronts other than the fact that they exist and there is something scary about that.
Before I get into this let me say that I know Pam and have worked with her in the past around urban agriculture issues. For that matter, I know Ward, and I'm a member of the GWCRP.
But Pam's question echoes the point of view that caused the injustice of 6-month-old Bree Green being taken from her parents for six weeks in 2013. Because her parents are medical marijuana patients and had a grow room, a worker from the Michigan Children's Protective Services deemed the home unsafe for the child because someone might break in to get the marijuana.
I'm not sure what people would say if a diamond store opened in their neighborhood with all kinds of security deployed to keep the diamonds safe, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't say it was inviting gunplay.
Still, I can't blame people for being concerned based on what they've been told about marijuana all their lives. And why not be concerned about what's going on in your community?
As Ward says, "We don't want to wait until we do have a problem."
Most folks want to see this resolved — municipalities, community residents, would-be entrepreneurs, and medical marijuana patients. Can the city do anything? Will the state act? Stay tuned.
Michigan Marijuana Majority
Michigan has officially joined the marijuana majority.
In response to the question would you "vote for a ballot proposal that would legalize marijuana used for adults 21 and over, create a system of licensed dispensaries to distribute the marijuana, and tax its sale," 50 percent of Michiganders responded yes and 46 percent responded no. That's not an overwhelming lead, but it's three points better than a similar poll conducted in 2013 and mirrors the national trend of a more positive attitude toward marijuana.
The poll of 600 voters conducted in December was commissioned by the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and conducted by EPIC MRA. The strongest support was from male Democrats with 70 percent; the strongest opposition was male Republicans with 63 percent reporting a likely no vote.
The Marijuana Majority concept is that the idea of regulating marijuana sales and stopping arrests for it is not a fringe idea; it is supported by the majority of Americans.
http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/higher-ground-detroit-dispensary-debate/Content?oid=2295459
"This is not going away, every community organization that I'm aware of in this city is looking for the same thing, and it's to not have Detroit become the Wild West city in the state of Michigan for medical marijuana," says Jim Ward, president of the Green Acres radio patrol (GWCRP), a community watch group.
Ward has been attending meetings with other Detroiters concerned with what they see as the over-proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. Maybe, just as the creation of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act was, this is a case of citizens stepping in where the state has failed to perform.
"We're not trying to outlaw it or starting any campaigns or debate about the properties of marijuana; that's water under the bridge," says Ward. "But we do want it regulated."
I wrote about this in my last Higher Ground column focusing on City Councilman James Tate's efforts to come to grips with the situation after the state legislature failed to act on it in the 2014 session. A couple of days later, The Detroit News ran a related story; a few days laterthe Freep did the same on the cover.
Ward says that he's communicated with Council President Brenda Jones on the issue via email and that a goal of the group he's been meeting with is to get this in front of the mayor for action.
One area Michigan has been remiss about with medical marijuana is on dispensaries. One thing that Tate said is that he's pushing for state action on medical marijuana dispensaries. Maybe it will help, but it's not like the state legislature has cared much what Detroit has to say about anything in recent years.
Ward points out that there seem to be a lot of dispensaries on the Detroit side of Eight Mile Road. That would probably be due to the hard line that Oakland County has taken against medical marijuana and a history of busting dispensaries. Owners court fewer problems locating in Wayne County.
When I spoke to Tate, he reported that there are some 180 dispensaries in Detroit. Since then, there have been media reports of as few as 50. That's part of the problem, nobody really knows because there is no legal distinction on the city books for a marijuana dispensary.
"Any mind-altering chemical, I don't care if it's beer, liquor, or whatever, I can't just open a store and start selling beer," says Ward. "I have to get a license. That's the concern, the proliferation of stores in the city and they're not regulated."
He's got a point there. If nobody knows if there are 50 dispensaries, or more than three times that number in the city, it might be a good idea to know that as you develop policy. Hey, it's good to know because when people fear something, all kinds of ideas start circulating, and it's best to have real facts in the discussion.
For instance, Pam Weinstein of Rosedale Park asks, "Do we want the kind of business that invites holdups and robbery and gunplay?"
Not one of the community members interviewed for any of these stories had a complaint against any of the Detroit marijuana storefronts other than the fact that they exist and there is something scary about that.
Before I get into this let me say that I know Pam and have worked with her in the past around urban agriculture issues. For that matter, I know Ward, and I'm a member of the GWCRP.
But Pam's question echoes the point of view that caused the injustice of 6-month-old Bree Green being taken from her parents for six weeks in 2013. Because her parents are medical marijuana patients and had a grow room, a worker from the Michigan Children's Protective Services deemed the home unsafe for the child because someone might break in to get the marijuana.
I'm not sure what people would say if a diamond store opened in their neighborhood with all kinds of security deployed to keep the diamonds safe, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't say it was inviting gunplay.
Still, I can't blame people for being concerned based on what they've been told about marijuana all their lives. And why not be concerned about what's going on in your community?
As Ward says, "We don't want to wait until we do have a problem."
Most folks want to see this resolved — municipalities, community residents, would-be entrepreneurs, and medical marijuana patients. Can the city do anything? Will the state act? Stay tuned.
Michigan Marijuana Majority
Michigan has officially joined the marijuana majority.
In response to the question would you "vote for a ballot proposal that would legalize marijuana used for adults 21 and over, create a system of licensed dispensaries to distribute the marijuana, and tax its sale," 50 percent of Michiganders responded yes and 46 percent responded no. That's not an overwhelming lead, but it's three points better than a similar poll conducted in 2013 and mirrors the national trend of a more positive attitude toward marijuana.
The poll of 600 voters conducted in December was commissioned by the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and conducted by EPIC MRA. The strongest support was from male Democrats with 70 percent; the strongest opposition was male Republicans with 63 percent reporting a likely no vote.
The Marijuana Majority concept is that the idea of regulating marijuana sales and stopping arrests for it is not a fringe idea; it is supported by the majority of Americans.
http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/higher-ground-detroit-dispensary-debate/Content?oid=2295459
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Investigation Leads Ludington Police To Pot Dealer
An investigation that started in 2014 netted Ludington police a pot dealer. The 38 year-old was discovered with an undisclosed amount of the drug along with items used to package and distribute the weed. A warrant was executed by local authorities accompanied by members of SSCENT at the perps house. The marijuana was discovered along with scales, packaging and sealers.The amount of weed must have been substantial as a certain weight is required to distribute effectively.
Charges
The man will be charged with possession and intent to deliver charges. Those charges can result in up to four years in jail. A $20k fine can accompany the jail sentence. The house was located on the 100 block of East Whittier.All charges are felonies and very serious.
Northern Michigan has experienced a rash of Marijuana –related busts recently, with another large one a few weeks prior. Marijuana isn’t the only problem in the area as meth also presents challenges for officers.
Not Legal
Medical marijuana is legal in the state but not recreational weed. The police have been dealing with dispensaries that are selling without permission, creating more issues. As recently as a month prior a dispensary was ordered shut down by a local judge. Despite the order the dispensary kept its doors open. It proves difficult for law enforcement teams to monitor dispensaries as they are required to have users provide state-approved documentation to purchase the drug.
Long Investigation
The investigation started in the fall of 2014. Through hard work the team was able to get a search warrant and the pot was discovered and they found success finally with the bust.
SSCENT is a task force of 6 officers that works in conjunction with local departments to investigate drug operations. The team cooperates with seven county departments in four regions. As states move to legalize recreational marijuana use and possession the public becomes bolder in their habits.
http://www.mmjobserver.com/investigation-leads-ludington-police-to-pot-dealer/3410/
An investigation that started in 2014 netted Ludington police a pot dealer. The 38 year-old was discovered with an undisclosed amount of the drug along with items used to package and distribute the weed. A warrant was executed by local authorities accompanied by members of SSCENT at the perps house. The marijuana was discovered along with scales, packaging and sealers.The amount of weed must have been substantial as a certain weight is required to distribute effectively.
Charges
The man will be charged with possession and intent to deliver charges. Those charges can result in up to four years in jail. A $20k fine can accompany the jail sentence. The house was located on the 100 block of East Whittier.All charges are felonies and very serious.
Northern Michigan has experienced a rash of Marijuana –related busts recently, with another large one a few weeks prior. Marijuana isn’t the only problem in the area as meth also presents challenges for officers.
Not Legal
Medical marijuana is legal in the state but not recreational weed. The police have been dealing with dispensaries that are selling without permission, creating more issues. As recently as a month prior a dispensary was ordered shut down by a local judge. Despite the order the dispensary kept its doors open. It proves difficult for law enforcement teams to monitor dispensaries as they are required to have users provide state-approved documentation to purchase the drug.
Long Investigation
The investigation started in the fall of 2014. Through hard work the team was able to get a search warrant and the pot was discovered and they found success finally with the bust.
SSCENT is a task force of 6 officers that works in conjunction with local departments to investigate drug operations. The team cooperates with seven county departments in four regions. As states move to legalize recreational marijuana use and possession the public becomes bolder in their habits.
http://www.mmjobserver.com/investigation-leads-ludington-police-to-pot-dealer/3410/
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Support growing for weed legalization in Michigan
More Michiganians want to legalize it.
In the latest marijuana polls, a growing number of residents agree that, in Michigan, marijuana should be taxed and regulated the same way as alcohol.
According to a SurveyUSA poll released Jan. 22, 64 percent of Michiganians would vote “yes” on a ballot proposal that would tax and regulate the drug to increase school and road funding.
The survey, which was given to 500 state residents and sponsored by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Report, also asked for approval of the legislature’s plan to increase the sales tax by 1 percent to increase the school and road funding.
Jason Eastman, a sociology professor at Coastal Carolina University, said there are theories that could potentially explain the reasons behind and increasing acceptance toward the regulation of the drug.
“One thing we do kind of notice is that increasingly individualism has become more and more of a central part of the American culture,” Eastman said. “I guess you can say there’s a cultural idea that people should be able to do what they want as long as it’s not hurting anyone.”
Eastman said the support of businesses in this matter has been important too.
Another survey was commissioned in December by the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The survey indicated that 50 percent of Michiganians agreed to legalize marijuana and would support it on a ballot proposal to legalize and tax it.
The survey was conducted by phone and has an error rate of 4 percent.
“Clearly, a bare majority of Michigan voters would vote ‘yes’ on a proposal to legalize the possession and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana for adults age 21 or older,” the polling memo says.
Lansing-based survey research firm EPIC-MRA president Bernie Porn said the trend in Michigan is that more residents want to legalize it, or at least are leaning toward a “yes” vote.
According to the polling memo, 39 percent voted they would definitely vote in favor of the taxation and the legalization of the drug, 9 percent said they would probably vote in favor and 2 percent said they were leaning toward a positive vote.
Porn’s firm conducted a similar survey in September 2013 in which 47 percent of the respondents said they were in favor to “legalize marijuana by taxing and regulating it like alcohol.” In the same survey, 26 percent of the respondents said they wanted to “continue our present system of state criminal penalties for marijuana offenses.”
The decriminalization and legalization of marijuana in Michigan appears to be an ongoing issue with no clear resolution in sight.
In East Lansing a proposal that would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess or transfer 1 ounce or less of marijuana on private property was submitted by the Coalition for a Safer East Lansing to be voted upon on the November 2014 ballot. The ballot proposal will now be included in the May 2015 special election.
“Unless there is a massive social problem that starts popping out ... the trend would probably continue until we start to see some negative consequences from it,” Eastman said.
http://statenews.com/article/2015/01/michiganmarijuana
More Michiganians want to legalize it.
In the latest marijuana polls, a growing number of residents agree that, in Michigan, marijuana should be taxed and regulated the same way as alcohol.
According to a SurveyUSA poll released Jan. 22, 64 percent of Michiganians would vote “yes” on a ballot proposal that would tax and regulate the drug to increase school and road funding.
The survey, which was given to 500 state residents and sponsored by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Report, also asked for approval of the legislature’s plan to increase the sales tax by 1 percent to increase the school and road funding.
Jason Eastman, a sociology professor at Coastal Carolina University, said there are theories that could potentially explain the reasons behind and increasing acceptance toward the regulation of the drug.
“One thing we do kind of notice is that increasingly individualism has become more and more of a central part of the American culture,” Eastman said. “I guess you can say there’s a cultural idea that people should be able to do what they want as long as it’s not hurting anyone.”
Eastman said the support of businesses in this matter has been important too.
Another survey was commissioned in December by the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The survey indicated that 50 percent of Michiganians agreed to legalize marijuana and would support it on a ballot proposal to legalize and tax it.
The survey was conducted by phone and has an error rate of 4 percent.
“Clearly, a bare majority of Michigan voters would vote ‘yes’ on a proposal to legalize the possession and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana for adults age 21 or older,” the polling memo says.
Lansing-based survey research firm EPIC-MRA president Bernie Porn said the trend in Michigan is that more residents want to legalize it, or at least are leaning toward a “yes” vote.
According to the polling memo, 39 percent voted they would definitely vote in favor of the taxation and the legalization of the drug, 9 percent said they would probably vote in favor and 2 percent said they were leaning toward a positive vote.
Porn’s firm conducted a similar survey in September 2013 in which 47 percent of the respondents said they were in favor to “legalize marijuana by taxing and regulating it like alcohol.” In the same survey, 26 percent of the respondents said they wanted to “continue our present system of state criminal penalties for marijuana offenses.”
The decriminalization and legalization of marijuana in Michigan appears to be an ongoing issue with no clear resolution in sight.
In East Lansing a proposal that would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess or transfer 1 ounce or less of marijuana on private property was submitted by the Coalition for a Safer East Lansing to be voted upon on the November 2014 ballot. The ballot proposal will now be included in the May 2015 special election.
“Unless there is a massive social problem that starts popping out ... the trend would probably continue until we start to see some negative consequences from it,” Eastman said.
http://statenews.com/article/2015/01/michiganmarijuana
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
CITY OF SOUTH LYON
PLANNING COMMISSION
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE is hereby given that the City of South Lyon Planning Commission will
hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the South Lyon
City Hall located at 335 S. Warren Street, South Lyon, Michigan to consider the following proposed ordinance amendment:
An Ordinance to amend the City of South Lyon Code of
Ordinances, Chapter 102 - Zoning, Article VII - Supplemental
District Regulations, by adding Division 5, Section 102-494
through 102-502 setting forth the regulations concerning the
medical use of marijuana and related land uses and activities.
All interested persons are invited to attend. Any comments can be directed to
the Planning Commission at this public hearing and written comments may be submitted to the Clerk’s Office at 335 S. Warren Street, South Lyon, Michigan 48178 until the close of business on the date of the public hearing.
The proposed Ordinance is available for inspection in the Clerk’s Office at City
Hall during regular business hours. For further information or to make arrangements for accessibility and impairment concerns, please contact the City Clerk at (248) 437-1735.
Lisa Deaton,
City Clerk
PLANNING COMMISSION
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE is hereby given that the City of South Lyon Planning Commission will
hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the South Lyon
City Hall located at 335 S. Warren Street, South Lyon, Michigan to consider the following proposed ordinance amendment:
An Ordinance to amend the City of South Lyon Code of
Ordinances, Chapter 102 - Zoning, Article VII - Supplemental
District Regulations, by adding Division 5, Section 102-494
through 102-502 setting forth the regulations concerning the
medical use of marijuana and related land uses and activities.
All interested persons are invited to attend. Any comments can be directed to
the Planning Commission at this public hearing and written comments may be submitted to the Clerk’s Office at 335 S. Warren Street, South Lyon, Michigan 48178 until the close of business on the date of the public hearing.
The proposed Ordinance is available for inspection in the Clerk’s Office at City
Hall during regular business hours. For further information or to make arrangements for accessibility and impairment concerns, please contact the City Clerk at (248) 437-1735.
Lisa Deaton,
City Clerk
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Detroit police arrest 34 in sweep
Detroit — Police conducting a sweep of the city’s Ninth Precinct on Wednesday resulted in the arrests of 34 individuals plus the confiscation of guns, suspected narcotics and $50,000 in cash.
Tagged “Winter Elite,” the sweep was part of Operation Restore Order, a partnership of uniformed and plain clothes officers along with other local police agencies.
According to a DPD press release, “the goal of this operation was to attack the criminal element within the community and to provide a safe environment for all law-abiding citizens.”
Police said it was in response to an increase in robbery and aggravated assaults in the precinct, which was also identified as having 77 active felony warrants in the community.
Over 200 officers participated in the warrant sweeps as well as conducting home inspections for parole and probation violators. They also targeted locations that were known for the sale of narcotics.
The sweep produced a total of 34 arrests (24 felonies and 10 misdemeanors) plus the seizure of eight illegal handguns and four long guns.
Police issued 418 citations and impounded 30 vehicles, along with 10.3 grams of suspected cocaine, 3.4 grams of suspected heroin, 71.6 grams of suspected marijuana, nearly 21,00 pills and over $50,000 in cash.
Police put the street value of the narcotics at nearly $238,000.
Police also raided the Ninth Precinct in November 2014 during “Operation Wild Turkey” which resulted in 42 felony and 17 misdemeanor arrests, the seizure of five illegal weapons and narcotics with an estimated street value of $52,000.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...5/01/29/detroit-police-arrest-sweep/22526853/
Detroit — Police conducting a sweep of the city’s Ninth Precinct on Wednesday resulted in the arrests of 34 individuals plus the confiscation of guns, suspected narcotics and $50,000 in cash.
Tagged “Winter Elite,” the sweep was part of Operation Restore Order, a partnership of uniformed and plain clothes officers along with other local police agencies.
According to a DPD press release, “the goal of this operation was to attack the criminal element within the community and to provide a safe environment for all law-abiding citizens.”
Police said it was in response to an increase in robbery and aggravated assaults in the precinct, which was also identified as having 77 active felony warrants in the community.
Over 200 officers participated in the warrant sweeps as well as conducting home inspections for parole and probation violators. They also targeted locations that were known for the sale of narcotics.
The sweep produced a total of 34 arrests (24 felonies and 10 misdemeanors) plus the seizure of eight illegal handguns and four long guns.
Police issued 418 citations and impounded 30 vehicles, along with 10.3 grams of suspected cocaine, 3.4 grams of suspected heroin, 71.6 grams of suspected marijuana, nearly 21,00 pills and over $50,000 in cash.
Police put the street value of the narcotics at nearly $238,000.
Police also raided the Ninth Precinct in November 2014 during “Operation Wild Turkey” which resulted in 42 felony and 17 misdemeanor arrests, the seizure of five illegal weapons and narcotics with an estimated street value of $52,000.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...5/01/29/detroit-police-arrest-sweep/22526853/
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Wyoming keeps cannabis possession criminal
Even if they don’t support legalization, more and more states are changing or considering changing marijuana possession laws from criminal to ticket offenses.
But not all state legislators are ready to make that move. In a floor vote last week, the Wyoming house killed Bill 49. Sponsor Jim Byrd, a Cheyenne Democrat, wanted the state to turn cannabis possession cases into civil offenses: Fine anybody with up to a half ounce $50 and anybody with a half ounce to an ounce $100.
Currently, in Wyoming, a person caught with up to three ounces of pot faces a misdemeanor conviction with a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000. A third conviction can carry a five-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.
Byrd reminded his colleagues that the state is filling courtrooms and jails with young people on possession offenses while wasting the state’s money, he told his fellow legislators. It costs $10,000 to prosecute each possession case, and even more to incarcerate offenders. It was enough to convince the House Judiciary Committee to pass the bill 7-2 to send to the full house.
In a floor vote last week, lawmakers voted 38-22 to kill the bill. Another one that would have allowed medical marijuana for patients suffering from long-term pain, glaucoma or migraines was voted down at the same time. And lawmakers are now considering House Bill 187, which would prohibit any new bills or discussion of marijuana policy while the state spends $15,000 on a study of the drug’s impacts on the criminal justice system, public health and state revenue.
On a national level, on Jan. 8, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 was introduced in the Senate as S. 134 by a coalition of bipartisan senators, including Republicans Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and Democrats Jeff Merkley and RonWyden. In the House, H.R. 525 was introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and our own Jared Polis, who has been working on this issue for years. It has a staggering 47 co-sponsors.
The bills would build on the landmark legislation enacted in last year’s farm bill. Section 7606 of that act, the Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research, made industrial hemp distinct from marijuana and allows colleges and research facilities in states where hemp is legal to begin research and pilot programs to develop hemp varieties. Since hemp hasn’t been grown in the U.S. for many decades, new varieties and strains are desperately needed for production to resume.
“The federal ban on hemp has been a waste of taxpayer dollars that ignores science, suppresses innovation and subverts the will of states that have chosen to incorporate this versatile crop into their economies,” Polis said in a press release. “I am hopeful that Congress will build on last year’s progress on hemp research and pilot programs by passing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act to allow this historical American crop to once again thrive on our farmlands.”
The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 would simply amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from marihuana (yes, the government still officially spells it this way) and allow production to begin again. America imports most of its hemp from China and Canada and is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t allow hemp production.
Currently, three states — Kentucky, Colorado and Vermont — have begun planting research hemp crops, and another 18 — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and West Virginia — can do so.
Here’s how simple the amendment really is. Basically, it would change a few words in the Controlled Substances Act. “Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) is amended — in paragraph 16 by adding at the end: ‘The term marihuana does not include industrial hemp,’ and by adding at the end the following: ‘The term industrial hemp means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.’
“Industrial hemp determination by States Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘If a person grows or processes Cannabis sativa L. for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with State law, the Cannabis sativa L. shall be deemed to meet the concentration limitation under section 102, unless the Attorney General determines that the State law is not reasonably calculated to comply with section 102.’”
That’s it. That’s all it would take to get industrial hemp, which should never have been on a list of controlled substances in the first place, back in U.S. fields, where it once was and should be. A couple of punctuation changes and a couple of sentences. (That’s all it would really take to amend the Controlled Substances Act to take marihuana off its Schedule 1 designation, too.)
However, the first time I checked S. 134 on Govtrack.us, which allows citizens to track the progress of bills, the Senate version, which is in the Judicial Committee, was given an 11 percent chance of becoming law. When I checked again, those odds were down to 5 percent.
You can hear Leland discuss his most recent column and Colorado cannibis each Thursday morning on KGNU. http:// news.kgnu.org/weed
http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-13956-wyoming-keeps-cannabis-possession-criminal.html
Even if they don’t support legalization, more and more states are changing or considering changing marijuana possession laws from criminal to ticket offenses.
But not all state legislators are ready to make that move. In a floor vote last week, the Wyoming house killed Bill 49. Sponsor Jim Byrd, a Cheyenne Democrat, wanted the state to turn cannabis possession cases into civil offenses: Fine anybody with up to a half ounce $50 and anybody with a half ounce to an ounce $100.
Currently, in Wyoming, a person caught with up to three ounces of pot faces a misdemeanor conviction with a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000. A third conviction can carry a five-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.
Byrd reminded his colleagues that the state is filling courtrooms and jails with young people on possession offenses while wasting the state’s money, he told his fellow legislators. It costs $10,000 to prosecute each possession case, and even more to incarcerate offenders. It was enough to convince the House Judiciary Committee to pass the bill 7-2 to send to the full house.
In a floor vote last week, lawmakers voted 38-22 to kill the bill. Another one that would have allowed medical marijuana for patients suffering from long-term pain, glaucoma or migraines was voted down at the same time. And lawmakers are now considering House Bill 187, which would prohibit any new bills or discussion of marijuana policy while the state spends $15,000 on a study of the drug’s impacts on the criminal justice system, public health and state revenue.
On a national level, on Jan. 8, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 was introduced in the Senate as S. 134 by a coalition of bipartisan senators, including Republicans Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and Democrats Jeff Merkley and RonWyden. In the House, H.R. 525 was introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and our own Jared Polis, who has been working on this issue for years. It has a staggering 47 co-sponsors.
The bills would build on the landmark legislation enacted in last year’s farm bill. Section 7606 of that act, the Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research, made industrial hemp distinct from marijuana and allows colleges and research facilities in states where hemp is legal to begin research and pilot programs to develop hemp varieties. Since hemp hasn’t been grown in the U.S. for many decades, new varieties and strains are desperately needed for production to resume.
“The federal ban on hemp has been a waste of taxpayer dollars that ignores science, suppresses innovation and subverts the will of states that have chosen to incorporate this versatile crop into their economies,” Polis said in a press release. “I am hopeful that Congress will build on last year’s progress on hemp research and pilot programs by passing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act to allow this historical American crop to once again thrive on our farmlands.”
The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 would simply amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from marihuana (yes, the government still officially spells it this way) and allow production to begin again. America imports most of its hemp from China and Canada and is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t allow hemp production.
Currently, three states — Kentucky, Colorado and Vermont — have begun planting research hemp crops, and another 18 — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and West Virginia — can do so.
Here’s how simple the amendment really is. Basically, it would change a few words in the Controlled Substances Act. “Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) is amended — in paragraph 16 by adding at the end: ‘The term marihuana does not include industrial hemp,’ and by adding at the end the following: ‘The term industrial hemp means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.’
“Industrial hemp determination by States Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘If a person grows or processes Cannabis sativa L. for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with State law, the Cannabis sativa L. shall be deemed to meet the concentration limitation under section 102, unless the Attorney General determines that the State law is not reasonably calculated to comply with section 102.’”
That’s it. That’s all it would take to get industrial hemp, which should never have been on a list of controlled substances in the first place, back in U.S. fields, where it once was and should be. A couple of punctuation changes and a couple of sentences. (That’s all it would really take to amend the Controlled Substances Act to take marihuana off its Schedule 1 designation, too.)
However, the first time I checked S. 134 on Govtrack.us, which allows citizens to track the progress of bills, the Senate version, which is in the Judicial Committee, was given an 11 percent chance of becoming law. When I checked again, those odds were down to 5 percent.
You can hear Leland discuss his most recent column and Colorado cannibis each Thursday morning on KGNU. http:// news.kgnu.org/weed
http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-13956-wyoming-keeps-cannabis-possession-criminal.html
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Judge says no to medical marijuana defense for former corrections officers
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A pair of Kent County corrections officers charged with marijuana crimes will not be allowed to avoid prosecution by claiming they possessed the marijuana under the guidelines of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
Todd VanDoorne and Michael Frederick have been charged with illegally possessing marijuana butter. The criminal charges have ended their careers and put their freedom in jeopardy.
Over the last 10 months since the pair were arrested following late night visits by the local drug enforcement team, attorneys for the officers have tried various avenues to get the case dismissed.
The officers should be able to argue at trial that they were not guilty under the provisions of the act, the defense argued.
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber rejected motions by the defense asking that the cases be dismissed because the officers were covered under the provisions of the voter-approved act.
But Leiber said that while the officers may have met some of the provisions of the act, they failed to provide proof that they had a right to the amount of marijuana they had which the Kent County Prosecutor's Office says exceeded the state's guidelines.
VanDoorne admitted in previous hearings that when narcotics officers came to his house, he had about one pound of marijuana butter and a batch of marijuana-butter brownies from a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan.
Frederick testified he had more than four pounds at his house, involving two full small tubs of butter, one partial tub and a batch of brownies.
Leiber heard hours of testimony during a two-day hearing last month.
VanDoorne's attorney, Bruce Block argued, that the amount of butter is misleading because a relatively tiny about of marijuana can produce large quantities of the butter, and most of the resulting product is much more dairy than dope.
"The very purpose of the MMMA was to protect patients like Todd Van Doorne and Michael Frederick," Block said following the judge's written opinion was produced on Jan. 29. "This ruling strips them of any medical marijuana defense at trial."
Block said the officers were doing their level best to follow what virtually everyone admits is a law that has been widely misused by both marijuana users and law enforcement.
Block said the officers have until the end of the month to decide on whether to appeal Leiber's decision to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
VanDoorne is charged with possession of marijuana, punishable by one year in jail, and maintaining a drug house, a two-year offense.
Frederick is charged with delivery and manufacturing of a controlled substance, a four-year offense.
Both were fired from their jobs and remain free on bond. No trial date has been set.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rap...ge_says_no_to_medical_marij.html#incart_river
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A pair of Kent County corrections officers charged with marijuana crimes will not be allowed to avoid prosecution by claiming they possessed the marijuana under the guidelines of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
Todd VanDoorne and Michael Frederick have been charged with illegally possessing marijuana butter. The criminal charges have ended their careers and put their freedom in jeopardy.
Over the last 10 months since the pair were arrested following late night visits by the local drug enforcement team, attorneys for the officers have tried various avenues to get the case dismissed.
The officers should be able to argue at trial that they were not guilty under the provisions of the act, the defense argued.
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber rejected motions by the defense asking that the cases be dismissed because the officers were covered under the provisions of the voter-approved act.
But Leiber said that while the officers may have met some of the provisions of the act, they failed to provide proof that they had a right to the amount of marijuana they had which the Kent County Prosecutor's Office says exceeded the state's guidelines.
VanDoorne admitted in previous hearings that when narcotics officers came to his house, he had about one pound of marijuana butter and a batch of marijuana-butter brownies from a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan.
Frederick testified he had more than four pounds at his house, involving two full small tubs of butter, one partial tub and a batch of brownies.
Leiber heard hours of testimony during a two-day hearing last month.
VanDoorne's attorney, Bruce Block argued, that the amount of butter is misleading because a relatively tiny about of marijuana can produce large quantities of the butter, and most of the resulting product is much more dairy than dope.
"The very purpose of the MMMA was to protect patients like Todd Van Doorne and Michael Frederick," Block said following the judge's written opinion was produced on Jan. 29. "This ruling strips them of any medical marijuana defense at trial."
Block said the officers were doing their level best to follow what virtually everyone admits is a law that has been widely misused by both marijuana users and law enforcement.
Block said the officers have until the end of the month to decide on whether to appeal Leiber's decision to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
VanDoorne is charged with possession of marijuana, punishable by one year in jail, and maintaining a drug house, a two-year offense.
Frederick is charged with delivery and manufacturing of a controlled substance, a four-year offense.
Both were fired from their jobs and remain free on bond. No trial date has been set.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rap...ge_says_no_to_medical_marij.html#incart_river
oscar169
Farming 🌱
Supporter
- 2,729
- 263
I sure hope Block Appeals this crap ruling
FiveAM
- 803
- 143
Anyone a lawyer round here? Do you know if they appeal, and/or delay it long enough until edibles get legal with they have a better chance? Or does that 4lb weight still fuck them?
Bill Murry
- 337
- 93
oscar169
Farming 🌱
Supporter
- 2,729
- 263
Detroits/Highland Parks Finest Hard at work stopping crime one snore at a time.
That's Great Stuff, Poor over worked Cop anyways..:D
LittleDabbie
Supporter
- 11,813
- 438
Marijuana leaves legal experts confused, looking to state Supreme Court to clear the haze
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - You don't have to be stoned to have trouble understanding the hazy tapestry of laws and ordinances governing marijuana in Michigan.
Not that long ago, understanding marijuana law was easy. It was illegal and possessing it could land a first-time offender in jail for anywhere from 93 days to one year.
Now, someone pulled over by police on Grand Rapids' S-curve with marijuana in the car could face a spectrum of consequences depending on whether the cop is a Grand Rapids Police officer or a Michigan State Police trooper, and whether the driver has a Michigan medical marijuana card and if the card holder has the marijuana in the trunk or in the glove box.
Defense attorneys like Bruce Block, marijuana advocates, law enforcement and prosecutors like William Forsyth agree that following the law is a challenge for everyone - those seeking to enforce it as well as those seeking to adhere to it.
Grand Rapids passed its own ordinance changing possession of marijuana from a misdemeanor crime to a civil infraction.
But that law is now headed to the state Supreme Court because Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth says the local ordinance cannot co-exist with a state law that calls for possession to be a crime punishable by jail.
Forsyth said he would be in favor of a law that would make first-time possession a civil infraction but he says that law needs to come from the state Legislature, not a mish-mash of local ordinances.
"Charitably speaking, marijuana laws are confusing and inconsistent," Forsyth said.
Meanwhile, Kent County continues to aggressively prosecute people accused of violating Michigan's Medical Marijuana Act, an act so popular it passed in every county in Michigan but still has resulted in jail for those who say they honestly tried to follow it, including four employees of the Kent County Sheriff's Department.
It is hoped that the Michigan Supreme Court will clear up conflicting decisions coming out of the circuit and appeals court as it considers three cases expected to define whether people can use the Medical Marijuana Act as a defense against criminal prosecution.
These cases are seen as central to whether the Michigan Medical Marijuana Acthas any real value at all when it comes to allowing people to possess marijuana. If the Michigan Supreme Court reverses the lower court ruling, dozens of convictions could be affected.
"You have people doing everything they can - but he law is a moving target," Block said. "Just give us some rules we can follow."
A shirt on display as part of the West Michigan Medical Marijuana Conference at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 7, 2014. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)Cory Morse
It is an area where the defense attorney and the county prosecutor agree.
"If you are legitimately trying to comply with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, it's not easy to do," Forsyth said.
Judges and law enforcement say the problems stem from a poorly-worded ballot initiative passed in 2008.
"Portions of the law are so poorly drafted and vaguely written that no one can easily determine a meaning," Forsyth says. "Unfortunately, its vagueness also provides a shield for those who attempt to use it as a means to engage in illegal marijuana trafficking."
Block says the problem is not with the law, but with law enforcement opposed to the very idea of legal marijuana use.
#grayscale'); -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); background: url() -390px 0px no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255);">The legal climate has not followed the will of ‘we, the people,’ - Attorney Bruce Block
"I don't think the act was very complex. It was pretty plain English," said Block, who represents one of the former officers charged with violating the law. "The Court of Appeals just made a mess of it."
Block says the will of the people in overwhelmingly passing the law is being ignored by police and prosecutors. Forsyth says his job is to enforce the law as it exists, whether or not he agrees with it.
The ruling by the state Supreme Court, likely to come this summer, is also awaited by city officials who are wondering how to address medical marijuana in their municipalities.
Wyoming had its restrictive medical marijuana provision struck down by the state Supreme Court last year and has not put anything new in its place until it can receive direction from the court.
"Let's see how it all sorts out," said Wyoming City Attorney Jack Sluiter, adding that currently marijuana dispensaries are simply illegal in Wyoming until further notice.
But all of these legal wranglings could be solved in one fell swoop if voters here passed a provision like those in Colorado and the state of Washington, essentially legalizing marijuana.
It is an idea opposed by Forsyth, who said legalization would open a Pandora's Box of problems.
But it is seen as inevitable by Block, who said the wave of public sentiment is clearly moving in the direction of legalization, especially among younger voters.
"The legal climate has not followed the will of 'we, the people,'" Block said. "There's no doubt in my mind the genie's out of the bottle."
The idea is opposed by Forsyth, who said Grand Rapids has already seen an increase in home robberies where people are growing marijuana in conformity with the ordinance. He says legalization would create a new set of problems for society and law enforcement.
An EPIC-MRI poll of Michiganders in December showed 50 percent of Michigan voters would be likely to support a future ballot proposal to legalize the possession or cultivation of marijuana by adults 21 years of age or older, and allow taxable sales at state-licensed stores.
That favorable number rises to 69 percent with respondents between the age of 18 and 34. Democratic men were the group most in favor at 70 percent, followed by independent men at 56 percent and Democratic women at 55 percent. The poll also found that 39 percent of Republican women were in favor, which is slightly higher than the 35 percent support among Republican men.
For what it's worth, the pro-marijuana publication High Times listed Michigan as one of eight states most likely to legalize marijuana next.
But currently, there is no serious push to put the question of legalization on the statewide ballot and pro-legalization groups seem more focused on a "city-by-city" approach.
"It's just like Prohibition in the 1930s. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when," Block said. "You can't hold back the tide."
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/02/marijuana_leaves_legal_experts.html
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - You don't have to be stoned to have trouble understanding the hazy tapestry of laws and ordinances governing marijuana in Michigan.
Not that long ago, understanding marijuana law was easy. It was illegal and possessing it could land a first-time offender in jail for anywhere from 93 days to one year.
Now, someone pulled over by police on Grand Rapids' S-curve with marijuana in the car could face a spectrum of consequences depending on whether the cop is a Grand Rapids Police officer or a Michigan State Police trooper, and whether the driver has a Michigan medical marijuana card and if the card holder has the marijuana in the trunk or in the glove box.
Defense attorneys like Bruce Block, marijuana advocates, law enforcement and prosecutors like William Forsyth agree that following the law is a challenge for everyone - those seeking to enforce it as well as those seeking to adhere to it.
Grand Rapids passed its own ordinance changing possession of marijuana from a misdemeanor crime to a civil infraction.
But that law is now headed to the state Supreme Court because Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth says the local ordinance cannot co-exist with a state law that calls for possession to be a crime punishable by jail.
Forsyth said he would be in favor of a law that would make first-time possession a civil infraction but he says that law needs to come from the state Legislature, not a mish-mash of local ordinances.
"Charitably speaking, marijuana laws are confusing and inconsistent," Forsyth said.
Meanwhile, Kent County continues to aggressively prosecute people accused of violating Michigan's Medical Marijuana Act, an act so popular it passed in every county in Michigan but still has resulted in jail for those who say they honestly tried to follow it, including four employees of the Kent County Sheriff's Department.
It is hoped that the Michigan Supreme Court will clear up conflicting decisions coming out of the circuit and appeals court as it considers three cases expected to define whether people can use the Medical Marijuana Act as a defense against criminal prosecution.
These cases are seen as central to whether the Michigan Medical Marijuana Acthas any real value at all when it comes to allowing people to possess marijuana. If the Michigan Supreme Court reverses the lower court ruling, dozens of convictions could be affected.
"You have people doing everything they can - but he law is a moving target," Block said. "Just give us some rules we can follow."
A shirt on display as part of the West Michigan Medical Marijuana Conference at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 7, 2014. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)Cory Morse
It is an area where the defense attorney and the county prosecutor agree.
"If you are legitimately trying to comply with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, it's not easy to do," Forsyth said.
Judges and law enforcement say the problems stem from a poorly-worded ballot initiative passed in 2008.
"Portions of the law are so poorly drafted and vaguely written that no one can easily determine a meaning," Forsyth says. "Unfortunately, its vagueness also provides a shield for those who attempt to use it as a means to engage in illegal marijuana trafficking."
Block says the problem is not with the law, but with law enforcement opposed to the very idea of legal marijuana use.
#grayscale'); -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); background: url() -390px 0px no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255);">The legal climate has not followed the will of ‘we, the people,’ - Attorney Bruce Block
"I don't think the act was very complex. It was pretty plain English," said Block, who represents one of the former officers charged with violating the law. "The Court of Appeals just made a mess of it."
Block says the will of the people in overwhelmingly passing the law is being ignored by police and prosecutors. Forsyth says his job is to enforce the law as it exists, whether or not he agrees with it.
The ruling by the state Supreme Court, likely to come this summer, is also awaited by city officials who are wondering how to address medical marijuana in their municipalities.
Wyoming had its restrictive medical marijuana provision struck down by the state Supreme Court last year and has not put anything new in its place until it can receive direction from the court.
"Let's see how it all sorts out," said Wyoming City Attorney Jack Sluiter, adding that currently marijuana dispensaries are simply illegal in Wyoming until further notice.
But all of these legal wranglings could be solved in one fell swoop if voters here passed a provision like those in Colorado and the state of Washington, essentially legalizing marijuana.
It is an idea opposed by Forsyth, who said legalization would open a Pandora's Box of problems.
But it is seen as inevitable by Block, who said the wave of public sentiment is clearly moving in the direction of legalization, especially among younger voters.
"The legal climate has not followed the will of 'we, the people,'" Block said. "There's no doubt in my mind the genie's out of the bottle."
The idea is opposed by Forsyth, who said Grand Rapids has already seen an increase in home robberies where people are growing marijuana in conformity with the ordinance. He says legalization would create a new set of problems for society and law enforcement.
An EPIC-MRI poll of Michiganders in December showed 50 percent of Michigan voters would be likely to support a future ballot proposal to legalize the possession or cultivation of marijuana by adults 21 years of age or older, and allow taxable sales at state-licensed stores.
That favorable number rises to 69 percent with respondents between the age of 18 and 34. Democratic men were the group most in favor at 70 percent, followed by independent men at 56 percent and Democratic women at 55 percent. The poll also found that 39 percent of Republican women were in favor, which is slightly higher than the 35 percent support among Republican men.
For what it's worth, the pro-marijuana publication High Times listed Michigan as one of eight states most likely to legalize marijuana next.
But currently, there is no serious push to put the question of legalization on the statewide ballot and pro-legalization groups seem more focused on a "city-by-city" approach.
"It's just like Prohibition in the 1930s. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when," Block said. "You can't hold back the tide."
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/02/marijuana_leaves_legal_experts.html
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