This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on December 5, 2012.
Today a group of protesters organized in front of the St. Clair County courthouse as 6 individuals faced a preliminary exam hearing in a medical marijuana case. The Michigan Attorney Generals office is bringing charges, contending that 3 dispensaries in the Port Huron area had violated State law. Charges that could bring as much as 24 year prison sentences.
The defendants, owners and employees of the Blue Water Compassion Centers in St. Clair, Sanilac and Tuscola counties were raided by State police in November 2011. Charges include operating a criminal enterprise, a 20 year sentence, and intent to distribute marijuana, a lesser 4 year felony.
Blue Waters’ attorney Paul Tylenda stated, ” The Attorney General is targeting my clients for his own bias, his actions go against what the voters outlined, and unfortunately it has impacted my clients in the process. We are ready to fight this and are optimistic.”
The Attorney General has long been a foe of medical marijuana. Prior to his gig as Michigan’s Attorney General, Bill Schuette was a judge and lawyer, former State and Federal House Rep, heir to the Dow Chemical fortune and prior to 2008 led the fight against passage of the Act and continues to lead that campaign today against medical marijuana patients. His attacks on marijuana patients, growers, dispensaries and doctors has been no secret to any one in Michigan involved with medical marijuana.
With no structure in place regarding distribution, record keeping and the other safeguards that usually accompany regulation, regulating market(s) properly becomes an issue. This concept holds true with strawberry farmers the same as it does marijuana gardeners, grow to much and it can effect other things and other markets.
With the absence of regulation, fear is often a great substitute, some claim a better method, ask the Chinese. It goes without saying that our Attorney General has done an excellent job in providing that fear throughout our unregulated years.
This Blue Water dispensary case, while it appears ideal for a prosecutor with an axe to grind, it does put real people with real lives and futures at risk. For what?
This case will not help the plight of our Attorney General, case law does not support squat when 60% are wanting to legalize it recreationally, with that said, no one will fear you any less if this holiday season you were to show an ounce of compassion, and let this medical marijuana case or a few of it’s hostages go.
What a complete and total waste of time and money by this devil. What I would do if i got my hands on him.
He will be put out of office soon enough even Snyder does not like this mean man. His behavior must not be tolerated.
Bill, Just because you took bong hits of pot in High school and swore to family to quit does not mean you would have ended up a meth addict. You stopped smoking pot Bill and look at what wonderful things you have acomplished. I smoke and have also had a great life and family. Go back to your church and examine your insecurities and stop meddling in my life. You do not have the right nor the authority. And please let these and other patients enjoy their freedom and rights.
I don’t think people like him should try and stop something that has already been approved by the people and the LAW to wast our tax payer $$$$$$$ its a shame also com on these stiff sentences are stupid and this is why we have to let violent people out early because the jails and prisons are full so start letting these people who don’t cause any harm to no one and turn them lose and keep the violent ones in jail and prisons.
With the new laws about growing and the court rulings these owners may be in serious doo doo. They had a greenhouse with way more than 72 plants. No one should suffer for marijuana, but given the law and Bill Schuette’s hunt for blood these owners may pay the price. God bless them.
You can say that again it’s going to be a long time and a lot of court date’s for these good people