Compassion Club Guidelines and Expectations

As a Michigan Medical Marijuana Association sanctioned club, local clubs are semi-autonomous groups and will be required to adhere to our guidelines and meet our expectations to remain sanctioned.

Guidelines

1] Compassion Clubs must be open to everyone over the age of 18, minor’s will be allowed if accompanied by a parent

2] Compassion Club meetings must be held at least once every 30 days at a regular location

3] Compassion Clubs must operate within the law of the State of Michigan

4] The primary focus of Compassion Clubs is to educate and inform community members about the legal and political issues surrounding medical marijuana in Michigan, and to provide local feedback to MMMA so we can fully address all the concerns raised by Michigan's medical marijuana community.

5] Compassion Club meetings must be structured to include a minimum of 20 minutes of MMMA discussion materials at least once every month. This material will be sent to the club each month, or can be downloaded directly from our website. The balance of each official meeting should include discussion about specific issues that directly effect the members of your group, and local issues that effect them such as, which physicians are receptive to writing a medical marijuana recommendation, encounters with law enforcement, occurances of discrimination, and most importantly, the safety of group members.

Expectations

• Sanctioned MMMA Compassion Clubs must be self-sustaining and may raise funds through
• dues/meeting fees, sales of MMMA memberships and merchandise, donations, and fundraisers.
• No open use of medical cannabis, smoked or otherwise, can be allowed during our meetings.
• Keep the focus on patient outcomes. What is best for the patient must always be the #1 priority and the primary focus.
• We are about medical cannabis, not the larger issues of Prohibition or responsible adult use. Do not stray too far into those areas. Refer people to MI NORML if they wish to pursue those important issues.
• Avoid exaggerated claims of the medical efficacy of cannabis. The MMMA position is, “marijuana TREATS the SYMPTOMS of many diseases”.
• Do not claim cannabis or cannabinoids CURE any disease. Do not claim that cannabis or cannabinoids treat the disease itself. This is non-negotiable.
• No one knows all the answers about the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. Be sure the information you impart to anyone is accurate.
• Don’t pretend to know things you don’t, if you’re asked a question you don’t have an answer for, tell people you don’t know but you will find out, or tell them where to find the information.
• Be honest with people and they will respect your leadership and want to follow you.
• Always stay on the MMMA message
• Positive patient outcomes is the number one priority
• Keep it legal in all you do, and respect both the liberties and the limits of the Act.

Compassion Club sponsors are required to ensure all this happens. The sponsor may delegate the duty of showing up and leading the meeting to others within the club, but it remains the responsibility of each club sponsor to make sure our guidelines are followed.

Please stay in regular contact with the state MMMA office for updates. We are here to serve you and the more communication flowing back and forth the better. Keep it flowing, and by the same token, if you need to hear from us, please contact us, all MMMA Directors are accessible 7 days a week.