Medical Marijuana Leaders To Open Dispensary

[bobandtorey]

Mark Johnson (989) 732-1111 mjohnson@gaylordheraldtimes.com | Posted

7 hours ago

GAYLORD — Law enforcement raids, court dates and pending legal action did not hinder two medical marijuana caregivers from continuing to follow their passion of providing medicine to patients who need it as they prepare to open their own dispensary.

 

Chad Morrow, 36, and Alan Witt, 27, both former employees at Gaylord Provisions — a medical marijuana dispensary located at 115 S. Wisconsin Ave. — plan to officially open their own dispensary Monday at a location they are renting at 2631 Old 27 South.

“I'm excited to continue helping people that actually need the medicine and putting smiles on the faces of people we can help,” Witt said.

This ardor for providing medicine to medical marijuana patients has not wavered for either man, despite the raids and legal action Witt is currently dealing with.

Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement raided Gaylord Provisions and seven additional Otsego County medical marijuana dispensaries May 27, confiscating marijuana, cash, vehicles and weapons.

Witt faces two felony counts of delivering and manufacturing marijuana and one count of maintaining a drug house, though he is fighting the charges in 46th Circuit Court.

Since the raids, both men have led a petition initiative calling for a medical marijuana ordinance in Gaylord that would regulate the industry in Gaylord.

Through the experience of the raids and participating in the initiative, Witt and Morrow have reviewed and studied the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and said they are confident their dispensary will be operated within the confines of the law.

“It is going to be safe access, it is going to be secure access, it is going to be access that is going to be right in uniform with state regulations,” Morrow said.

Cloud 45 — named after the 45th Parallel — will feature items commonly found in dispensaries, including the medicinal marijuana itself, extracts, concentrates and edibles.

Something they say will make the dispensary unique and potentially valuable to Northern Michigan caregivers are clones, or baby marijuana plants, they plan to supply, which can be provided to other caregivers to grow and eventually harvest to provide medicine to their patients.

Morrow said clones are not offered by any dispensaries in the area, forcing caregivers to travel long distances elsewhere to obtain them and deal with strict transportation regulations included in the medical marijuana law.

As for the clones and other marijuana products they will have to start their business, Morrow and Witt said almost everything has been obtained from Northern Michigan medical marijuana farmers.

“Everything we are working with is 100 percent local,” Witt said. “It all comes out of this community. You are helping out so many people, from the farmers to the patients and everybody else. It puts a lot of people on the payroll and creates employment.”

As for employment opportunities at the new dispensary, Witt said Cloud 45 plans to employ four to five caregivers, and it will soon be looking to hire registered caregivers.

It will be around a month before the dispensary will be fully functional as work remains to be done, including interior remodeling, the installation of a security system and moving in several items like display cases and desks.

The grand opening is set for Monday, Oct. 12, and Morrow and Witt said the first 45 clients will receive a free shirt and those patients will receive a free “joint” — medical marijuana cigarette — for life, each day they come to the dispensary wearing the shirt.

It was evident both men were excited to begin this venture, and Morrow said he was looking forward to continuing to make a difference.

“If I come into work every day and knowing there are so many people relying on you for help, it gives you an even better feeling,” he said. “You're not just going to work every day, you're going to do something good.”

Follow @Mark_JohnsonGHT on Twitter.

The dispensary opens Monday and the first 45 patients will receive a free shirt and free medical marijuana cigarettes for life.

 

http://m.petoskeynews.com/gaylord/featured-ght/top-gallery/medical-marijuana-leaders-to-open-dispensary/article_d281ee4d-387e-566e-850e-8a79a9ac54b4.html?mode=jqm

 

[Chauncy Gardner]

Mmmm... yeah. We'll see how that works out.

 

I really do admire and respect people like this who will put their own lives on the line to stand up for a principle. It takes guts to do this kind of thing and to stick your middle finger in the faces of  the unenlightened Orcs who run the show.

[trichcycler]

and then....a plea bargain, more rules, patient pain

[bobandtorey]

 

MARTYR

 

a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle

[trichcycler]

lots of martyrs  in prison surely, big heros to their fatherless children at home ?  prolly not  when their homes get raided in the middle of the night, I wonder how  heroic the family feels bound naked while their possessions get looted for hours, dildo play, verbal abuse, physical abuse,  not to mention the ensuing court rape.

would they be in the business if there was no money it? 

stay tuned for the gofundme accounts, court proceedings, further changes to the law.... I hope not, but we've seen this time and time again. to see whats in front of you, just look back.

[AmishRnot4ganja]

lots of martyrs  in prison surely, big heros to their fatherless children at home ?  prolly not  when their homes get raided in the middle of the night, I wonder how  heroic the family feels bound naked while their possessions get looted for hours, dildo play, verbal abuse, physical abuse,  not to mention the ensuing court rape.

would they be in the business if there was no money it? 

stay tuned for the gofundme accounts, court proceedings, further changes to the law.... I hope not, but we've seen this time and time again. to see whats in front of you, just look back.

 

If they can make money doing this, legally, given the "Gray law" that we have, then more power to them. At some point juries are going to have had enough of this BS and they too are going to stick their middle finger into the faces of the prosecutors and judges and then real change will come about.

[trichcycler]

Jury nullification you say?  yeah, right, ever seen this with a drug charge?   judge tells jurors they must find defendant guilty if evidence proves it. he is very stern when he says that, and the jury abides accordingly most often. Supposed to be there to keep us from going to jail for spitting on the judges sidewalk, but it don't work the way its supposed to I think.

 

There was a pivotal point in the history of this tragic court tactic, I wish someone would point me to the case. I believe it was a slavery case??

[bobandtorey]

I agree judge say's to the jury

 

judge tells jurors they must find defendant guilty if evidence proves it. and the is the first thing you say if someone ends up in Court you must say you had cannabis or where growing cannabis eather Sec 4 or sec 8 you must admit it

[zachw]

Yeah, jury nullification is ALWAYS a possibility but they are NEVER told so by the judge.

 

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/zenger/nullification.html

[trichcycler]

wow, as in- nobody seems suitable during the (sympathetic) jury selection to the prosecutor?  

 

however, has a jury found a medical marijuana defendant not guilty yet ?

[outsideinthecold]

If jury nullification was allowed to be mentioned at a mmj trial prohibition of cannabis would be ended tomorrow.

 

Sadly, it is not.

[trichcycler]

so the real question is - has a jury found a medical marijuana patient not guilty in our courts yet?

[Restorium2]

so the real question is - has a jury found a medical marijuana patient not guilty in our courts yet?

Sure. I'm surprised you don't remember this recent one;

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/49294-man-files-25-million-lawsuit-against-bay-city-claiming-police-violated-his-rights-in-pot-seizure/?hl=%2Bbay+%2Bcity+%2Bjury

[trichcycler]

good link thanks!  would you happen to know how many medical marijuana jury trials have ensued, along with how many were found not guilty, by chance?

 

thanks again. trying to get a picture of the juries in these medical cases, also including the federal ones, which technically were not "medical" trials if they weren't allowed to mention medical use/cards/registry. 

[bobandtorey]

how many were found not guilty, by chance?  Maybe that one i just haven't seen the any paper work from his case

 

 also including the federal ones, None

 

I do know him because he was or is again running for Governor of the State of Michigan am glad he won and am not taking anything away for that a win is a win but it means nothing to us unless you are busted in the same town and just happen to get the same Judge It make no case Law in witch it would help us all 

 

I hope he get's the $$$ so i can be his campaign manager or just work in Lansing and have a Big office  and make phone calls to other Governors sounds like fun to me

 

Thanks

[trichcycler]