NEW THOMAS TOWNSHIP-BASED MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT COMPASSION CLUB
'IS NOT ABOUT SMOKING'

THOMAS TWP. - The Great Lakes Bay Region is now home to at least two
medical marijuana patient compassion clubs.

John F. Roberts, who was the leader of the Bay City-based Tri-City
Compassion Club, left the group three weeks ago to form an offshoot,
which has retained the Tri-City Compassion Club name and meets at his
Saginaw County home.

The group he left has taken the name Mid-Michigan Tri-City Compassion
Club.

Roberts' club meets Mondays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at his
home, 7247 McCliggot in Thomas Township. Roberts said the meetings,
which kicked off with about 15 participants, have dwindled to about
four or five attendees.

Mid-Michigan Tri-City Compassion Club has more 300 members, according
the its president, Kim M. Zimmer. She said her club granted Roberts
the right to use its former name when he left.

Roberts said that club, which meets at 316 S. Henry in Bay City, is a
"dispensary."

Zimmer declined an opportunity to respond to Roberts' allegations or
speak about club matters, but a link referencing the compassion club
on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association website says: "Our club
meets monthly to discuss issues that (affect) the medical marijuana
community in Michigan. Topics include the law, how to become a
qualifying patient, how to find a caregiver, how to grow marijuana,
where to buy marijuana, seeds or clones and many other topics that
will answer your questions and help you locate the resources you need."

The Saginaw News couldn't confirm the existence of a third,
invitation-only compassion club named the Bay City Compassion Club,
which Roberts said also meets in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Roberts, 49, gained name recognition in medical marijuana circles
after his home was raided by Saginaw County sheriff's deputies and
federal agents April 15, and a second time July 6 by Drug Enforcement
Administration agents, days after he organized a medical marijuana
rally and protest near the Saginaw County Governmental Center.

Federal agents seized harvested marijuana, grow equipment, computers
and marijuana-derived products during the second raid. Roberts has not
faced charges associated with the raids, though representatives for
the DEA say the case is not closed.

"A lot of people are very nervous and very scared because of the
raids," Roberts said. "It's put a lot of things underground."

Roberts' Tri-City Compassion club focuses on networking patients with
caregivers, education and is "not about smoking," he said.

"If you are looking at medical marijuana and you want to heal
yourself, why would you want to do something that's not conducive to
your lungs and wastes 60 percent of the medicine," Roberts said.
"Granted, smoking does provide relief and does have medicinal value,
but why not use more beneficial methods?"

Roberts said the use of edibles, topical oils and Rick Simpson hemp
oil - a concentrated extract from the cannabis plant - are his passions.

The club plans to move from Roberts' home to another a building in
coming weeks, he said.

Roberts said smoking of marijuana, sales or exchange are prohibited at
meetings.