Sheriff's Officials Receive Grant For Medical Marijuana Enforcement

[bobandtorey]

TRAVERSE CITY — A state grant could help Grand Traverse County sheriff's officials buy equipment and pay for two detectives' time spent enforcing medical marijuana laws.

Grand Traverse County commissioners on Wednesday will be asked to approve receipt of a $35,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

State officials in March already signed off on a Grand Traverse County sheriff's department application for the grant. Sheriff's Capt. Randy Fewless said it's designed to reimburse wages and equipment costs the department pays to enforce the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

 

"It’s not a matching grant where the county has to put in money," he said.

County board Chairwoman Christine Maxbauer said she had yet to fully review the packet for Wednesday's meeting. She said generally speaking that commissioners should do anything that would help police officers enforce the law.

"Medical marijuana is the law in the state of Michigan," she said.

 

The grant materials state two sheriff's detectives are assigned to the Traverse Narcotics Team, which investigates potential violations by medical marijuana cardholders and caregivers, as well as medical marijuana dispensaries. It calculates about $16,000 in anticipated expense for those two detectives' time enforcing that law.

Fewless said the detectives may not spend that much time, but it will help offset the cost of putting detectives into TNT. He said sheriff's officials likely will apply for the grant next year.

 

"This is the first year that we’ve applied for it," he said.

Grant documents also calculate about $19,000 in expected equipment costs. The equipment listed includes computers, software and various surveillance tools.

Fewless said that equipment will help with medical marijuana enforcement, but can be used for other investigations.

 

http://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/sheriff-s-officials-receive-grant-for-medical-marijuana-enforcement/article_f04bead5-a5dc-5a95-b735-4741cead6c14.html

[Smallbiz]

They shouldn't be getting any money from Lara at all we need to stop this now. How do they think that money is their for them.

[Smallbiz]

I know zap, doesn't mean they should just because they can right? Sheriffs office doesn't have to fill out the app do they, they don't have to take the money do they? Maybe we need to focus on sheriffs elections a lot more. I know bla bla bla.........

[imiubu]

So, they get our $$ to 'enforce' mmj law against us. 

 

Why enforcement instead of educating and enacting the law first? bah.

[imiubu]

That's true. 

It is still so wrong to take the $$ we paid in to be 'protected' to use against us.

[Smallbiz]

Hey zap how do they decide what the fee is to LARA?

[trichcycler]

where does the money come from when they lose a brutality case?    surreal

[Wild Bill]

They are supposed to educate too, but who are they educating, and what are they saying?

 

They'll teach us not to vote in a law they don't like.

[williams2311]

They'll teach us not to vote in a law they don't like.

Very well put wildbill