55,000 Pot Applications:

COUNTY LEADERS CALL ON STATE TO CLARIFY LAW ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Oakland County's top officials - County Executive. L. Brooks
Patterson, Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Cooper and Sheriff Michael
Bouchard - came together Monday at The Oakland Press to speak out
about medical marijuana, urging the state Legislature to fix this law.

"I see (medical marijuana) as a direct threat on the quality of life
in Oakland County," said L. Brooks Patterson,

He referred to a convention promoting medical marijuana scheduled
earlier this year at the Silverdome. That convention has been canceled.

"I don't want Oakland County to be the center of medical marijuana."

Cooper said her primary interest in amending the law revolved around
children and medical marijuana. She said children can be issued
patient cards with two doctors' approvals.

"Children can be in the home when people (are smoking marijuana),"
she said. "They are inhaling and learning from that. That is a grave concern."

By contrast, Cooper said, tobacco is regulated.

"We regulate all sorts of things," she said. "(With medical
marijuana) there is no regulation whatsoever. There needs to be some
legislative fixes to this act. We need to bring pressure to bear."

The officials reported nearly $480,000 was recovered at a Ferndale
dispensary after a raid.

"It's people looking at this as a business," Patterson said.

Bouchard referred to recent efforts by communities to figure out how
to zone dispensaries or medical marijuana clubs.

"You can't zone a crack house," he said, comparing dispensaries to
other drug operations.

He pointed out that the Michigan Department of Community Health
specifies on its website that "there is no place in Michigan to
legally purchase medical marijuana."

In November 2008, Michigan voters approved a ballot proposal that
included physician-approved use of marijuana by registered patients
with debilitating medical conditions and allowed that registered
individuals could grow limited amounts of marijuana for qualified
patients. The proposal passed by 63 percent.

He noted regulatory problems, including the fact no photo is required
on medical marijuana patient cards.

"There is no verification process," he said. "People are out there
berating law enforcement (for recent drug raids), but many of these
people have an agenda to legalize marijuana."

The officials said 55,000 people have received medical marijuana applications.

Bouchard also mentioned a Sept. 30 robbery attempt at an Ann Arbor
medical marijuana dispensary where two armed men entered the building
and bound seven of the people inside at the time with duct tape,
police said. The victims were both clinic customers and employees. No
injuries were reported.

Bouchard again stressed the Legislature should approach medical
marijuana regulations in the same manner as members did when casino
gaming was approved in Michigan.

It took three to four months of working through details, he said.

Bouchard, who said he is part of a legislative work group looking
into medical marijuana regulations, said he doesn't see any rush on
the part of legislators to amend the act.

Lawmakers did recently ban K2, a synthetic form of marijuana.

"It's like them to have that sense of urgency," Bouchard said.

Cooper said courts may have to wait until a decision is provided by
the Michigan Supreme Court.

"We as prosecutors will proceed through the legal system," Cooper
said, admitting that is often a cumbersome route.

But she still urged legislators to take action simultaneously on
clarifying details in the act.

Jeffrey Perlman, a Southfield-based attorney who defends medical
marijuana patients, disagrees the law should be changed.

"I like the law the way it's written," he said.

"If they leave patients and caregivers alone, there won't be a black
market (for marijuana) as there is now."

Patterson said he believes voters envisioned medical personnel would
be involved in distributing medical marijuana.

Voters didn't believe people would be going to a gas station
converted into a dispensary to get marijuana, he said.

"They've made a mockery of the whole thing," Patterson said. "We need
to clear up this mess."