Cops Seize Patient's Marijuana

source: dailytribune.com

"ROYAL OAK — Christopher Frizzo has a state-issued card to use medical marijuana, but it wasn't enough to prevent police from seizing his leafy relief for multiple sclerosis during a routine traffic stop."

I think it's fair to say that even though many states have medical marijuana laws in place, many of them are convulted at best. Restrictions, rules, barriers, etc. keep many people from obtaining the medicine they need.

Don't get me wrong, the gains of the past 14 years have been amazing. But until the barriers have been removed nationwide, it will always be an imperfect system.

"The 46-year-old Royal Oak man isn't listed with a registered caregiver — someone authorized to grow marijuana for patients — so police said they had no choice but to confiscate the 7 grams Frizzo had when he was pulled over last month for an improper lane change.

Police Chief Christopher Jahnke said the marijuana Frizzo possessed wasn't for medical use in the eyes of the law."

See? The man is clearly disabled, but they took 7 GRAMS of weed from him. Talk about kicking a man while he's down.

In comes the ACLU:

""I think Royal Oak has it wrong," Korobkin said. "If you have less than 2.5 ounces, it doesn't matter whether you got it from a supplier who isn't registered or it dropped from the sky. If you're a registered patient, it can't be taken from you. You can't be arrested. You can't be prosecuted. It's not contraband."

Frizzo said he hasn't decided whether or not to file a lawsuit. He does think police went too far because he was carrying only a small amount of marijuana — about a tenth of what a patient can possess — and he had a cane and walker in his car that has a license plate for disabled drivers."

But why do people have to jump through all these hoops? I know tons of people who drop off a script at Walgreens and come back and get their meds in about a half hour, even hardcore pain pills. But this guys gets his weed jacked?

"The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act passed in 2008 is creating enforcement and zoning issues around the state. In addition to the possession questions surrounding Frizzo's case, some communities passed or are considering ordinances to limit dispensaries to business districts or ban them outright as businesses in violation of a federal law, which makes dispensing marijuana illegal."

So cities can negate state law because of federal law, and men like Mr. Frizzo are screwed out of their medication. We must change the system at all levels. Everyday is a fight.

See my blog at http://potheadpundit.blogspot.com/