BIPARTISAN SUPPORT TO PREVENT FELONS FROM PROVIDING POT

Legislation awaiting a hearing in the Michigan House of
Representatives Health Policy Committee would amend Michigan law to
bar anyone convicted of any felony from serving as a caregiver who can
provide medical marijuana to registered patients.

Currently, state law prohibits only felons who have been convicted of
a drug-related offense from being medical marijuana caregivers.

House Bill (HB) 6299, introduced by state Rep. Marty Knollenberg
(R-Troy), has a series of co-sponsors from the lakes area, including
state Reps. Eileen Kowall (R-White Lake, Waterford), Chuck Moss
(R-Orchard Lake), and Gail Haines (R-Waterford, West
Bloomfield).

"I just think, if you have a felony (on your record), it's one of the
things you shouldn't be allowed to do, whether (the felony) is violent
or non-violent," Knollenberg said.

"You need to have some standards on who is dealing medical marijuana,"
Kowall said.

Moss echoed similar sentiments.

"They didn't make 'Cheech and Chong' movies about aspirin," he
said.

Knollenberg said the idea for the proposed change came from a case in
which a convicted sex offender went before a judge after he had failed
to reregister for the state's sex offender registry. When the judge
asked the man what he did for a living, he reportedly told the judge
he was a medical marijuana caregiver, according to
Knollenberg.

Knollenberg said the bill has strong bipartisan support.

"Based on the fact that there is bipartisan support, I think it's a
common-sense bill," he said. "It's good public policy."

However, some advocates of the marijuana law are a bit more skeptical
that the bill will pass, because it's amending a voter-approved law,
which requires a 75 percent majority in the House and Senate to pass,
as well as the governor's signature.

"It's going to be tough for them to do," said Perry Belcher, executive
of public relations and media for the Medical Marijuana Academy, who
also has been a professor in the past.

Because of the ongoing budget debates in the state Legislature to
close a looming gap between spending and revenues, Kowall said she
doesn't believe the legislation is a top priority for lawmakers.

State Rep. Lisa Brown (R-West Bloomfield, Commerce, Wolverine Lake)
couldn't be reached for comment prior to press time.