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.
Medical marijuana clubs — from compassion clubs, where people can purchase their medical herb, to places where they can hang out and use it — are making headlines across the state.
In Williamstown Township, a sleepy suburb of Lansing, officials from the Tri-County Metro Narcotics Team raided the Green Leaf Smokers Club on Wednesday. The Club’s owner, Fredrick Wayne Dagit, has been charged in 55th District Court with felony drug charges stemming from the raid, the Lansing State Journal reports.
Dagit, 60, was charged with five drug-related counts, including delivery or manufacture of more than 45 kilograms of marijuana. The maximum penalty for that charge is 15 years in prison.
Dagit also is charged with two counts of delivery or manufacture of 5 to 45 kilograms of marijuana, a seven-year felony, as well as maintaining a drug house and possession of marijuana. Maintaining a drug house is considered a high-court misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in jail. Possession of marijuana is a one-year misdemeanor.
Daget opened the club in February to a great deal of fanfare and controversy. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III says officials are still trying to figure out exactly how the club operated.
But the Journal interviewed a criminal expert from Cooley Law School, Ron Bretz, who said the law is hazy about such establishments.
“This has gotten a lot of publicity and it’s angered a lot of people. I’m certain it’s angered a lot of people in Williamston,” Bretz said. “There is a possibility that (the police) did this just to send a message. I hope not.”
Rep. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) is a former Eaton County Sheriff, and he has announced he will introduce legislation to outlaw clubs such as Green Leaf.
In an interview with WLNS, the CBS affiliate in Lansing, Jones had this to say:
“I do have a big problem with people going to a marijuana club, getting high and then getting back on the road where they can run over a child or cause an accident.”
Jones also said if the state does not act to stem the proliferation of such business it will become like California, or “worse yet, we’re gonna be like Holland.”
Meanwhile, the City of Lansing continues to debate how to handle such businesses under its zoning laws.
And in Kimball Township, over near Port Huron, advocates say they are taking their battle to open a compassion club to court.
According to the Port Huron Times Herald, Jim and Debra Amsdill opened a compassion club in that township in March. In April, the township passed a six month moratorium on the opening and operation of medical marijuana related businesses. Jim Amsdill was hit with a ticket by the township for running the compassion center the couple opened and will be in court Wednesday.
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