This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on November 6, 2015.
In 2008, the State of Michigan enacted the most protective and liberal medical cannabis law in the nation. The progressive law offered patients and providers near absolute immunity from arrest.
However judges, prosecutors and police, unwilling to give up control and revenue, steered the law elsewhere. These three groups, the Axis Powers, knowingly and purposely sidestepped the will of 63% of Michigan voters. Today, you are more likely to be charged with a marijuana offense in Michigan than before passage of the 2008 ballot initiative. As Carl Levin said, “you make the law and I’ll make the policy and I’ll win every time”.
Like slavery, any industry will do anything to protect itself. Truly a police state. Even one that can intimidate the legislature.
Recent legislation in front of the Michigan legislature attempts to curb the bad actions of the triad by providing good steps forward in allowing patients to get their medication and suppliers to supply it without the fear of arrest. The one blaring exception to moving forward with the proposed legislative fixes is that every time the product is moved closer to market it would require an armored truck for shipping the seed to farm, farm to storage, storage to test facility, testing to packaging, then off to the retail store (Pharmacy).
This armored transportation component added by State Senator Steve Bieda is projected to increase medication costs to the consumer by as much as 70% and will most likely drive the business back underground. And to top it off, this armored transportation is said to be reserved for one single company.
Senator Bieda says it’s a security issue. “You have to be concerned about the security of, it’s almost like an armored truck (is required) when you think of the value of the items being transported. It’s possible people transporting the product could be targets for robbery.”
The only robbers to date has been the Axis Powers.
Not surprising to some, Bieda’s largest corporate citizen within his senate district is CenTra Inc, the billion dollar trucking company owned by billionaire Matty Maroun. It is suggested that Mr. Maroun’s trucking company, which also has a monopoly on the bridge to Canada, would benefit from this unnecessary component to the statute and enjoy total distribution control over the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.
Michigan patients cannot afford to pay more for their medicine. Senator Bieda should not be pushing monopolistic schemes that drive up prices but instead remembering that his individual citizens come first.
Urge your state leaders to remove Mr Bieda’s monopolistic (armor car) fix to a problem that does not exist.
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