Michigan Begins Issuing MMJ ID Cards
April 3rd, 2009 by Rick
Ever since Michigan’s Medical Marijuana law went into effect Dec. 4, 2008, there seems to have been confusion among Medical Marijuana patients. Under the law, patients who have a note from their doctor, are allowed to have 12 plants. Unfortunately the police are not on the same page, when it comes to the law.
Police Chief Kevin Sagan said:
The law calls for an ID card. So the letter may not be enough.
The new ID cards, for those patients that have a doctor’s note allowing them to use medical marijuana, are being issued by the Michigan Department of Community Health, beginning Saturday, April 4th. Patients that have the note can then request an application to receive the ID card. Once the application is filed, the MDCH staff has 15 days to issue the ID.
120 people have already contacted the MDCH, asking about the applications and the doctor’s note. Some even thought that the health department would distribute medical marijuana.
San Bernardino Faces Lawsuits Over MMJ Cards
January 7th, 2009 by Perry
San Bernardino County, CA is being sued over its refusal to issue medical marijuana cards.
An activist is suing the county for its failure to comply with Prop. 215, which mandates cards for medical marijuana patients and created the dispensary system that operates in most counties where local legislators have not made it illegal.
San Diego also refused, and recently lost a decision in appellate court regarding its card policy. San Bernardino deputies have been told to arrest those found with marijuana regardless of whether they have cards.
Legal MMJ User Jailed for 21 Days in SLO
December 23rd, 2008 by Perry
Following a smell complaint from his landlord, San Luis Obispo sheriffs raided Richard Steenken’s apartment and took 43 plants, marijuana and hash.
The only problem is, Steenken had doctor’s permission and a state county ID card. He showed an expired doctor’s note, but had a valid county card with online verification which only takes a few minutes.
In the past, SLO County Sheriff Patrick Hedges has a reputation locally for testing the protections of Prop. 215 and the protections offered under Senate bill 420.
However, Charles Lynch’s conviction made California re-assess its policy and guidelines addressing these gaps were given out by the attorney general. Sheriff Sgt. Rick Neufeld, who said checking Steenken’s patient status would generally be part of procedure, however Steenken was over the limit allowed by law, regardless.
It brings up the legality of grow limitations, which are different in most of the 13 states where MMJ is legislated. Both sides say the problem is the limits are ambiguous those who take care of multiple patients and when more than one patient lives together, an issue has been repeatedly challenged by both sides while it awaits clarity.
An investigation into the incident has yet to uncover why Steenken’s card was not verified while he waited in jail for three weeks.
