Repost:it's Just A Lame Duck

[Wild Bill]

This was originally posted in the Members forum. I'm re-posting so everyone can see it.

 

 

It’s Just a Lame Duck - by Ben Horner

 

For over two years the medical marijuana community has been working on legislation to regulate marijuana dispensaries. The main bill is HB 4271, started as the “Local Option Bill” and is now called the “Provisioning Center Bill.” In order to solve the issues related to edibles and concentrates, another bill (HB 5104) has been virtually tied to the dispensary bill; although some believed these bills would be passed into law in the first half of the year, it is obvious that this belief is false.

 

     The bills were first drafted with the help of Karen O’Keefe from MMP and leaders from the now dispersed Michigan Association of Compassion Centers (MACC). Their belief was that in order to pass these bills, putting the regulations in the hands of the local municipalities was imperative to passing the bills. This theory proved to be incorrect. Currently, the bills have passed the house, passed committee in the Senate and are ready to be amended. When MACC dispersed Kevin McKinney, from McKinney & Associates, contract was bought from MACC by a new group based out of Detroit called the National Patient Rights Association (NPRA) and Robin Schneider was hired as their legislative liaison.

 

     The Cannabis Stakeholders Group (CSG) was started in the beginning of this year and has been working alongside the NPRA and others to support the bills’ passage. It was CSG that first raised concerns about the bill going to lame duck in November if the NPRA wouldn’t embrace help from the rest of the MMJ community. Having CSG been instrumental in getting the favorable House vote and getting favorable results in committee, there was great hope that these two groups would be able to work together to pass these bills. NPRA was reluctant to work with CSG claiming that CSG was derailing the process, so CSG postponed lobbying till after this legislative session to allow NPRA to work with whom they choose.

 

     In late September, Robin Schneider informed activists that progress on the bills were becoming increasingly more difficult, as the negotiations with the Governor’s office were becoming more cumbersome:

 

     “If we can get the new language agreed upon before they break the second week of October, it’s possible we may still have a vote before break with the concurring vote and Gov. (Governor’s) signature after the election. If that does not happen, it will be November. With the amendments in the S-1 version from the last committee, the bills will not take effect until April 1st 2015 regardless of whether the vote happens before or after the election.”

 

     Many supporters of the bills are confused why the NPRA has refused to work with other groups like CSG, who has the ability to push these bills through before the November election. After the November election, the current administration can radically change the bills or easily prevent them from passing all together. Representative Michael Callton, the main sponsor of the Provisioning Center bill, has confirmed rumors of a new lobbying group representing Canadian commercial growing and distribution companies are negotiating with the NPRA and the current administration. There is now a real possibility that these bills will crush the current caregiver system and put medical marijuana into the hands a few companies that are controlled by the state, and not a local option.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Wild Bill

[imiubu]

Anyone paying any attention should not be surprised (albeit, disgusted) by this.

 

 

There is now a real possibility that these bills will crush the current caregiver system and put medical marijuana into the hands a few companies that are controlled by the state, and not a local option.

[imiubu]

Exactly Zap, I should have clarified

 

However, do you believe the threat to our grow rights is an actuality ?

[Wild Bill]

Look at what happened during the last lame duck session.

 

It certainly wouldn't hurt to contact your representatives to let them know your feelings on this matter.

[solabeirtan]

Maybe it's time to visit Lansing ? 

[Hayduke]

Ben Horner is flat out not being truthful in his editorial.  In fact, last fall up until the House vote in December, he  was no where to be seen.  He had nothing to do with the House bills or votes.  Last Spring he and his lobbyist, Bill Zaagman, injected themselves in trying to become relevant in the process.  They sponsored a fundraiser for Sen Richardville, that NPRA heavily funded.  He threatened to hold things up unless he got to vet the whole process.  

 

Luckily, he ran out of willpower to spend money on his lobbyist, and he was not longer an invitee in the sausage making without a lobbyist working for him.

 

Now he makes these nonsensical claims as if he is the "straw that stirs the drink"....  when in fact he quit the work at critical mass.... 

 

He can write all he wants, he can brag all he wants, he can whine all he wants.  It really doesn't matter.  The work goes on...

 

IMIUBU, you know me, I don't bs.  Hear me loud and clear, presently, grow rights are not going away, and in fact, that is not even one of the remaining topics we are working on at the Gov's request.  Whether it happens next session or the next session et al, no one really knows, but we are vigilant and totally supportive of grow rights.

 

Interestingly enough, within the next six months a great bill will be introduced to protect employment rights for medical marihuana patients.  That one will be hard sledding, but, it is all part of the long range process.

 

People who talk about how great they are inevitably don't have much going for themselves.

[Wild Bill]

Hear me loud and clear, presently, grow rights are not going away, and in fact, that is not even one of the remaining topics we are working on at the Gov's request.  Whether it happens next session or the next session et al, no one really knows, but we are vigilant and totally supportive of grow rights.

 

That's good to know. Although I don't trust the legislature any further than I could throw he capital building.

The last lame duck session locked journalists and the public out of the building there could be no input.

 

What are the remaining topics that concern the Governor?

[bobandtorey]

Thanks Wild Bill for reposting i knew what was going to happen if the real people doing the work for us would read it 

[Hayduke]

That's good to know. Although I don't trust the legislature any further than I could throw he capital building.

The last lame duck session locked journalists and the public out of the building there could be no input.

 

What are the remaining topics that concern the Governor?

Since all is fluid, I withhold comment pretty much.  I can say in hb 5104, we want the packaging and labelling requirement moved to hb 4271 so it does not affect patients and caregivers, and we want the affirmative defense put back in for unregistered patients.  That is about it in that bill.  hb 4271 has so many moving parts it is better to give a no comment, and allow the dust to settle a bit.  Overall the tone is to let the State do more of the regulatory work and only allow locals to formally "opt in" (rather than the current version which allows locals to formally "opt out"...

 

Suffice to say there is more work to go, and it is going into the lame duck guaranteed, as the last day of session before the election is tomorrow....

[t-pain]

The last lame duck session locked journalists and the public out of the building there could be no input.

the legislature could at any time have the votes to completely remove the MMMA law.

anything could happen. but i'm not going to waste time worrying about it.

 

roll with it, and contact every senator/rep you can!

[Hayduke]

true enough t-pain.  and anytime our govt wishes to play hard ball and amend bills with no more input, well it can be a bummer, and they can do it.  

 

but sometimes it is better to just keep trying and not focus on the potential for failure.

 

what did Bob Dylan say?  "there is no success like failure, and failure is no success at all"

[+Malamute]

Yeap.

 

 Ben.

 

 The greatest lies are shrouded in the truth.

 

 Just recall that Ben has been active the last few years with the atrocious ordinances that came out of Flint.  Ya know, the one where CG's , as I recall(it has been while) could only have 24 plants, had to get a license and blah blah blah, as long as his dispensary and grow facilities were allowed.  He has seemed more than willing to lick the oppositions huevos and give them anything they request.  He acts spineless, clueless, delusional and harmful.

 

And yea,... I probably shouldn;t have written that publically, but occasionally a call out is in order.

 

It was Ben who was incapable of making logical suggestions or cordially working with the other community groups in any way.  Ben has wanted to corner the market by having the dispensaries, the testing facilities, the physician services and the major grow facilities for his own selfish reasons.  *shrug* 

 

 He couldn't deny those things, but likely make excuses for them.

 

 And yea... wtvr. 

 

 But to be fair,... he did help get the local ordinance decrim ballot questions in several cities.  So there ya go. 

[+Malamute]

Add on:

 

 I am not part of NPRA or anything like that.  I am with CPU and we simply watch what happens and do our best to dissuade damage to the Act and make sure the patients are the priority. :-)

[bobandtorey]

Yeap.

 

 Ben.

 

 The greatest lies are shrouded in the truth.

 

 Just recall that Ben has been active the last few years with the atrocious ordinances that came out of Flint.  Ya know, the one where CG's , as I recall(it has been while) could only have 24 plants, had to get a license and blah blah blah, as long as his dispensary and grow facilities were allowed.  He has seemed more than willing to lick the oppositions huevos and give them anything they request.  He acts spineless, clueless, delusional and harmful.

 

And yea,... I probably shouldn;t have written that publically, but occasionally a call out is in order.

 

It was Ben who was incapable of making logical suggestions or cordially working with the other community groups in any way.  Ben has wanted to corner the market by having the dispensaries, the testing facilities, the physician services and the major grow facilities for his own selfish reasons.  *shrug* 

 

 He couldn't deny those things, but likely make excuses for them.

 

 And yea... wtvr. 

 

 But to be fair,... he did help get the local ordinance decrim ballot questions in several cities.  So there ya go. 

 

Thanks

did you forget about the 5 Nano for being impaired 

[+Malamute]

No. I stopped myself from continuing. 

[Hayduke]

well Ben volunteered the 5 nanograms at a meeting with the MSP... for what reason?

 

To hear his own voice and potentially try and curry favor from the MSP....

 

Do I hear the phrase "self serving" when saying Ben Horner?

[resinxtractor]

Not to get too far off topic but..

Does anyone have links to any kind of THC impairment studies. Just curious because several friends including myself have been daily smokers for 10-20 years, and all ride/race off road motorcycles. We medicate before riding almost every time. Fat joints, and hash. I barely ever crash or even fall down, can hit 80+ft jumps to my hearts content and won the last 3 moto's I raced. When people ride with us they are totally blown away we can ride so good while smoking so much.

 

I would just so love to be apart of a study to shut down all the BS concerning impairment.

 

Apparently the Federal government says its ok for Irv Rosenfeld to smoke cannabis while driving.

[bobandtorey]

I also have seen him driving

[Broken]

Not to get too far off topic but..

Does anyone have links to any kind of THC impairment studies. Just curious because several friends including myself have been daily smokers for 10-20 years, and all ride/race off road motorcycles. We medicate before riding almost every time. Fat joints, and hash. I barely ever crash or even fall down, can hit 80+ft jumps to my hearts content and won the last 3 moto's I raced. When people ride with us they are totally blown away we can ride so good while smoking so much.

 

I would just so love to be apart of a study to shut down all the BS concerning impairment.

 

Apparently the Federal government says its ok for Irv Rosenfeld to smoke cannabis while driving.

I'm the same way but the problem is if someone who hardly ever smokes or hasnt in years smokes a joint of 25% herb they shouldnt be driving they'll be all f'd up. 

[jamieuke]

Fwiw: From someone else who has been paying attention to this-

 

Hayduke and Malamute are right on- not only about the misinformation in Ben's article, but the reasoning for his being a liability to this process and other scenarios in which he has been involved. Unfortunately, the list goes beyond what has been mentioned here.