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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Help a Lame Duck walk straight in Lansing Michigan in 2012.

Two Bills SB 321 and HB 4834 - designed to dismantle and sabotage the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008


Engaging the Michigan Senate in 2012


These are two bills that can be modified to the benefit of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program. House Bill 4834 can have language added that will bring the program to the 21st Century regarding customer service. Program participants will be able to use the Department of Licensing and Regulations’ website to enroll, make caregiver changes, and certify patients. No more filling out of paper applications and compatible with your I pad.


Senate Bill 321 - 420 Analysis:
 
This is a request from my patients who want the following changes to the upcoming bills for the common good. First, please remove the following lines from page 3 of Senate Bill 321 as it discriminates against an entire class of Michigan Citizens.

16 (B) AN INSURER SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR
17 THE MEDICAL USE OF MARIHUANA OR FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO THE MEDICAL
18 USE OF MARIHUANA 


Michigan is the only state that gives Drug Companies immunity to manufacture and distribute products that are faulty without fear or prosecution in a court of law. Insurance companies should not be able to dictate to people how to defy and break State and local laws voted on and supported by your constituents who are their customers. States rights and discrimination are two issues supported by the Attorney General with great passion. This is truly a States’ Rights and discrimination issue because medical marijuana patients need protection from employers and insurers from being treated like second class citizens. We need an affirmative action from the Office of Attorney General to end and prevent discrimination against the Civil Rights of law-abiding citizens who choose to use Marijuana as their medicine.

HB 4834 – Amend to add a patient photograph on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Card. 420 Analysis

How is it that the State of Arizona has pictures on their Medical Marijuana cards in less than one year and the State of Michigan is giving excuse after excuse on why we CAN’T do same the job?
Michigan was long before Arizona in Medical Marijuana reform and they have pictures on their cards already. Click Here to See the State of Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Program Information.
An Arizona resident can use their card to cash checks at a bank because it is a valid government ID similar to a Drivers License. Not bad for a State that voted for Mitt Romney.

We can do better in Michigan by adding the entire registration process to Dept. Of L.A.R.A.'s website so that citizens can apply and pay for their registration online. Do we not have the talent to do this? All of these people passed a drug test? Come on man! We spend massive amounts of money in State Government on Information Technology Services and if this is the best we can do, then it is time for an overhaul. Removing drug testing for Marijuana in a person’s body for employment with the State would cut spending and, raise revenue in the form of adding people to the workforce that can pay taxes instead of cutting all of the time.

Therefore it is high time to get the technology in order by amending bill 4834 to allow for a process to place the picture of the participant on the card. This should be done with immediate effect. Given that LARA has improved the turnaround time for processing applications, the reprinting everyone’s card with a picture on it should be less than 60 days. If you are a patient or caregiver this is of importance because you want to streamline government, create revenue to fly over the fiscal cliff.
Contact Senator Geoff Hansen in Room 420 (and his Senator Friends) at the Farnum Building in Lansing Michigan and ask him to get the State's technology needs in order to get the job done. GOP caregivers, patients, and cannabis lovers are encouraged to contact their senators. Share the medicine across party lines.

Let’s help this Lame Duck walk to the end.

Richard C. Clement – Patient Advocate - Lansing Compassionate Care Commission
Past Director of Minority Affairs and Outreach Programs 2008-2011
Michigan Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

 

Demand States Rights support for Medical Marijuana patients and caregivers from the Office of Attorney General staff now!.

Contact your State Senator in Lansing Michigan Today at www.senate.Michigan.gov

Patients deserve protection from the State's top Law Enforcement Official.



Michigan Medical Marijuana participants deserve protection from Federal law regarding the dreaded 100 plant rule. With Marijuana being accepted by the will of the people, this artificial barrier must be removed or raised to accommodate patients. Currently, if you are in possession of 100 or more plants, you will be charged with Manufacturing and distribution of between 100-999 plants or 100-999 kilograms and a penalty between 5 - 40 years in prison. These charges may include forfeiture of property and assets. Patients in Michigan are in need of protection and support from the top law enforcement official in the State to enforce 10th amendment of the US Constitution regarding State’s Rights.
 
 
 
This artificial rule has been used by law enforcement to arrest people and seize property with reckless abandon. The 100 plant rule is a tax or extortion fee used by county prosecutors to force people to plead guilty to something they were doing legally under State law. In some cases, driving privileges are suspended for up to 1 year and the additional cost of being monitored by a probation officer is costly to the citizen/taxpayers of the State.
 
 
It is legally impossible to be guilty of a Federal crime when the State of Michigan legally allows caregivers to have 5 patients at 12 plants each. This is a disadvantage to two or more caregivers who share utility expenses to drive down the cost of growing and maintaining a plant. The vote in Colorado, Washington State, and 5 cities in Michigan is causing the Mexican Government to rethink their opposition to Marijuana. Officials there are asking their government “why are we stopping something that is legal in the USA”?
In addition to that, recent yes votes in Detroit, Ypsilanti, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo to allow for possession and use of Marijuana has changed the legal landscape so much as to force government officials in United States to rethink their Marijuana policies. In the State of Washington, judges have been dismissed 220 misdemeanor cases of Marijuana possession at a cost savings to their government and taxpayers.

 
We need sound and competent leadership from the Office of Attorney General regarding Marijuana reform. All Marijuana manufacturing cases in the State of Michigan should be dismissed immediately on the basis of Legal Impossibility saving the Michigan Taxpayers at least 2 million dollars on a two billion dollar budget in the Department of Corrections. Purging these people from the department’s oversight is necessary to keep the State of Michigan from going off the fiscal cliff. Resources dedicated to killing jobs and disregarding the intent of your constituents can be re-directed so that no one has to suffer from poor quality cannabis, K2 synthetic Marijuana, or any other imitations to the plant from GOD.


 
If you can take 15 minutes of your time, please make clear to Attorney General Bill Schuette that State Resources must be stopped being used to dismantle and sabotage the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program. This would greatly aid in discontinuing costly recall efforts against the current occupant in the Office of Attorney General. There have been seven attempts to recall Mr. Schuette to make him aware of his conduct regarding Medical Marijuana. The states of Washington and Colorado went to full legalization this November. It is also coincidental that President Barack Obama won these states on November 6th in a margin so big that he can show Donald Trump his Electoral College transcripts.
 
Therefore we want you to perform the following actions for Medical Marijuana Program participants:

 
Amend House Bill 4834 to allow for photographs to be placed on Michigan Medical Marijuana participant cards including online registration, card verification, renewal, and change. If it is good enough for the Secretary of State’s office then it is good for Department of LARA.
 
 
Vote no on HB 4856 regarding the lock and sealed container requirement for Medical Marijuana transportation within a car. This mean spirited legislation designed to be a cash cow job stimulus for Defense Attorneys and County Prosecutors on the backs of program participants. There is no requirement for mainstream corporate drugs to be treated like a Concealed Weapon therefore; this bill discriminates against the cannabis plant. Cannabis deserves equal treatment under the civil rights law of the land.
 
 
Finally, we want the Office of Attorney General to represent the patients and caregivers against the 100 plant rule from the Federal Government as being legally impossible.
Contact your Senator Today  www.senate.Michigan.gov
 
Richard C. Clement - Michigan Medical Marijuana Patient Advocate
Past Director of Minority Affairs and Outreach Programs
Michigan Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws