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Friday, September 9, 2016

Firefighters and Sheriffs in Michigan Benefit from Legal Marijuana Sales with Proposed New Legislation

By Richard C. Clement - Friends of Cushingberry

"Legislation will fund County Governments and Public Servants"

Michigan’s effort to legalize marijuana by legislative procedure is going to benefit counties, substance abuse agencies, and local governments.  The following package of bills passed by the Senate will create job opportunities for software vendors to bid on supplying the Marijuana Tracking System for all Cannabis business must have to continue to participate in the program. When it becomes operational, your card will be used to track the amount of marijuana each patient has purchased over time.  You will be able to possess 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana at any time in the State of Michigan.

The major beneficiary of these set of bills is the State of Michigan's 1st Responder Presumed Coverage Fund at the tune of $500,000 from the proceeds of the Medical Marijuana Program.  The next beneficiaries are the County Governments like Wayne County who will receive 35% of all revenue from Marijuana sales. Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napolean and the 82 other county sheriffs will enjoy this cash cow on the backs of Marijuana users as soon as it becomes the law. Local governments will receive 25% of the proceeds from Marijuana for their use.

Cities like Detroit could use the money for things like rebuilding recreation centers and create green jobs in manufacturing and, education. Cities will also have the abilities to place caps on the number of businesses in their locality. Caps must be anti-discriminatory and be in compliance with Federal Zoning Laws.

The legislation places a 50 ounce limit for each Medical Marijuana Center with a valid license. Currently the City of Detroit  Building Safety and Engineering Department (BSEED) is granting conditional waivers to new marijuana business owners on the grounds that the owner works to bring the location up to code. BSEED is very generous and confident that business owners will do the right thing to be legal.

A brief analysis of the bills are as follows:

HB 4209 - license and regulate medical marijuana growers, processors, provisioning centers, secure transporters, and safety compliance facilities;  This bill creates a marijuana licensing board, an automated tracking system, an advisory panel, provisions for forfeiture, defines tax rate,  and sets civil fines. This bill grants powers to State and Local Governments to define duties regarding Marijuana in the community

HB 4210 – Gives specific definition of the content of medibles (non smoke able) Marijuana. Also spells out procedures for violations of the provisions of the card:
  •       16 Ounces of Solid Medible Marijuana (brownies, cakes,  etc.)
  •          7 Grams for using in a vaporizing pen
  •       72 Fluid Ounces of liquid marijuana

Outdoor growing is allowed as long as the medicine is out of sight from the street, in a secure location and locked.  Security could be a dog, camera and lights so that other people don’t rip you off. Companion Senate Bill 0141 introduced by Senator Coleman Young seeks to address the inequities of this bill like vehicle transport and other issues that must be worked on by the House of Representatives for a compromise.

HB 4827 – This bill will allow software companies to bid on the Marijuana Tracking System because it defines the specifications for the developers to use in designing and implementing the Statewide system.  This bill will track the sales of marijuana between patients and the growers who interact with retail sites.

In summary, these pieces of legislation have a lot to be desired. The transport law that was enacted by former State Senator Virgil Smith has been declared unconstitutional by courts in the State because it exceeds the current Michigan Medical Marijuana Law.  The three tier system for growing will open up opportunities for growers, testers, and manufacturers.  Local law enforcement will be released to go after Meth and Heroin users who are really destroying the neighborhoods and the country with their drug of choice. 


Michigan Supreme Court
Candidate Judge Deborah Thomas
www.judgedeborahthomas.com
To fix this you must vote in the upcoming general election by turning over the ballot and voting for Judges that will make the proper change like Judge Deborah Thomas will if she is elected to the Michigan State Supreme Court. You have until October 11th, 2016 to register to vote in the November 8th General Election.  You can start voting on September 24th, 2016 at 5 locations in the City of Detroit or, your local City Clerk’s office if you don’t live in the City of Detroit.

1 comment:

Friends of George Cushingberry said...

Elect Richard Clement to the Marijuana Licensing Board 2016