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

 

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