A Michigan lawmaker is planning to quickly introduce a bill to legalize medical marijuana dispensaries to counter a Michigan Supreme Court, (MSC), ruling outlawing them.
Michigan voters approved medical marijuana, (MM), in 2008. Under that law the legislature was suspiciously silent on allowing dispensaries, and a case out of Mt. Pleasant made it to the MSC in February 2013 where these legal gas bags ruled dispensaries were forbidden under law.
Ever since voters approved MM in 2008, Michigan lawmakers, and communities across the state have been throwing up roadblocks, moratoriums, and other legal maneuvers to hamper MM patients from obtaining the substance. It's been a legal zoo to say the least.
"Republican Representative Mike Callton of Nashville, Michigan says he's concerned cancer patients and others won't have access to the drug without dispensaries," reported michiganradio.org.
Michigan has 131,861 active registered qualified MM patients as of 2-28-2013 according to the Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs. Many of them can't grow their own, and not enough caregivers to grow it for them. Hence, many are left to seek pot on the street illegally.
What is striking is that a marijuana medical option was approved by voters for folks who obtained relief using the drug from a myriad of serious conditions, yet no provisions were put into law for these patients to get the drug if unable to grow it themselves. And there are many who can't grow it because they do not know how, nor could they afford the equipment to do so.
Fortunately, there are representatives like Mike Calton stepping in to fix a system that was broke from the beginning.
With the Michigan Supreme Court forbidding MM dispensaries last month, this bill now has more significance than ever.
Hopefully, this bill will pass so some semblance of structure, and law can be put in place to help those people who need this substance to maintain a decent quality of life.
Peace...
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"One person dies every 19 minutes from a drug overdose in the United States and that trend is being driven by prescription (Rx) painkillers." (drugfree.org)
If you or a loved one needs help with any type of drug abuse/addiction problem, contact these sites depending on where you live. SEMCA (Wayne County residents), CARE (Macomb County residents), PACE (Oakland County residents), Drug Free Detroit (City of Detroit residents). For those residing outside the State of Michigan, contact SAMHSA for assistance. For assistance with medical marijuana issues contact The Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, Michigan Medical Marijuana Certification Center, or greentreesdetroit.com, phone number: (313) 967-9999, or (248) 677-2888
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