I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
A Royal Oak traffic stop that lead to the seizure of a licensed medical marijuana patient’s pot is coming under scrutiny.
The Macomb Daily reports on the case of Christopher Frizzo, a 46-year-old Royal Oak man who had his seven grams of medical marijuana seized last month following a traffic stop. Royal Oak police allege Frizzo made an improper lane change, and that was the reason he was pulled over.
When cops found his medical marijuana, along with his handicap license plate, medical marijuana patient card, walker and cane, they seized it because Frizzo was not listed as a patient on any licensed provider’s license. He also, according to the police, refused to tell police where he got it.
“There are only two ways you can have medical marijuana: grow it yourself or get it from a registered caregiver and that person has to list you,” [Royal Oak Police Chief Christopher] Jahnke said. “(Frizzo) told us he got it from someone other than a caregiver. His marijuana — not his medical marijuana — was taken because he got it illegally.”
The American Civil Liberties Union says that’s not accurate.
“I think Royal Oak has it wrong,” [attorney Daniel] 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.”
Korobkin says his client has not decided whether to file a civil suit against the cops in the case.
Meanwhile, Royal Oak police say they have “empathy” for Frizzo, but they stand by their confiscation of his medical marijuana. The police chief noted that is department’s empathy and compassion were demonstrated by the fact that Frizzo was not arrested and charged with marijuana possession.
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