HUNDREDS PROTEST AT HEARING FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEFENDANTS

Waterford Township - Buoyed by signs and words of support from
several hundred chanting demonstrators, 10 people appeared in court
Thursday to be assigned future dates to challenge multiple charges of
delivery of manufactured marijuana.

The 10 were among 16 Metro Detroiters arrested Aug. 25 across Oakland
County and charged with violating the state's medical marijuana act.
All are free on bond and facing charges in Bloomfield, Ferndale and
Waterford district courts.

Waterford District Judge Richard Kuhn Jr. set a Nov. 4 exam date for
Michael Danto, 23, of West Bloomfield; and Nov. 19 dates for William
J. Teichman, 51; and his wife, Candace, 45, both of White Lake
Township; Laval Crawford, 38, of Waterford Township; Todd Phillip
Robinson, 34, Southfield; Kirk Swafford, 28, of Waterford; Jennifer
Zuck, 29, of Waterford; Matthew Miller, 26, of Waterford, Brian
Vaughan of Waterford; and Max Brochert of Birmingham.

All were arrested and charged following raids and seizures by the
Oakland County Sheriff's Narcotics Enforcement Team at a Ferndale
medical marijuana clinic and a Waterford "compassion club" and its
related dispensary.

The Waterford club and dispensary were owned and operated by the
Teichmans, investigators said.

"This is really unbelievable," William Teichman said, looking at
supporters outside the court. "It means a lot to us."

A Michigan Court of Appeals judge last month urged lawmakers to
clarify the state's medical marijuana law, saying the "inartfully
drafted" measure has resulted in confusion and arrests that some have
called an enforcement nightmare.

Several communities are currently wrestling with applications and
interpretations of the law, which was intended to provide marijuana
to qualified individuals requiring it for medical reasons.

Under the law, people who have obtained physician approval and
state-issued cards are permitted to possess and use marijuana.

Licensed caregivers are permitted to grow up to 12 plants in
controlled situations and sell marijuana to up to five patients.

Medical records, various quantities and types of marijuana -
including in candy form - were seized during the raids by NET
officers, who said they were able to purchase the herb without proper
identification and also witnessed open sales and exchanges between
unlicensed persons.

One of those charged, Bryan Vaughan, said he was the doorman of the
compassion club and personally "kicked" the officers out of the
building on a previous occasion for not having the proper cards and
paperwork to attend.

"It will come out in court," Vaughan said. "They fabricated ID to get
in and buy marijuana."

Vaughan finds it ironic that he was working at the club as a
volunteer to meet the community service sentence for having been
driving while intoxicated on pain medication for a knee injury.

"It was sanctioned by my probation officer for four weeks," he said.