New medical marijuana clinic coming to Ann Arbor
MediSwipe CEO Michael Friedman said his company is opening their trial locations in Ann Arbor because the community is "very lenient" toward caregivers providing medical marijuana.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com file photo
MediSwipe recently moved its headquarters from Florida to Birmingham, Mich., and is planning to open two offices in Ann Arbor before the end of March.
The first Ann Arbor location will be a doctor’s office with three physicians who will be able to write medical marijuana prescriptions after creating a “continuous one-on-one relationship” with patients, CEO Michael Friedman said.
“Up until now a lot of the practice has been patients will come in and say ‘I suffer from Chrone's disease, or I suffer from glaucoma,’ and the doctor would just sign the certificates after briefly meeting with the patient,” he said.
“The state wants a stronger more continuous relationship between doctor and patient and that’s what this center will be providing.”
Friedman said that once a doctor writes a prescription for medical marijuana, it can be filled for up to 21 days, after which the patient gets a state identification card. Once acquired, the cards can be used for up to two years.
In addition to functioning as a doctor's office, the center will be a “patient certification center.” A staff of six to eight people will handle the administration of the office where patients will be assisted with the paperwork necessary to acquire the state ID card.
“MediSwipe has nothing to do with the medicine, we’re completely agnostic about it,” Friedman said. “We will not be dispensing anything, we are just streamlining the process and helping patients fill out paperwork to get their ID cards.”
MediSwipe’s second Ann Arbor location will be a “virtual office space” designed to function as a safe meeting place for patients who have prescribed medical marijuana and their designated “caretakers.”
According to state law, each caretaker can be responsible for themselves and up to five other patients.
“Without dispensaries it’s going to go back to how it was before where you were seeing a lot of parking lot deals,” Friedman said.
“Patients don’t necessarily want to go to a caregiver’s home and they’re carrying cash. Caregivers don’t want to go to patient’s home carrying meds, there’s a lot of liability on both sides of the transaction. So we’re providing them with a place to meet.”
MediSwipe will charge the caretakers for use of the rooms but will not take a cut of any transactions that occur in the building, Friedman said. Caretakers will be able to pay a fee to use one of the 25-30 offices and also will gain access to MediSwipe’s database software to keep track of their patients.
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that medical marijuana dispensaries can be considered a "public nuisance."
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo
“We expect to gain 10 percent of the caregivers, several hundred in the Ann Arbor area right off the bat,” he said. “Based on the new legislation [House Bill 4271] there will be a closing of all dispensaries.”
The leases on the two spaces have not been finalized, but the locations of the offices should be public by the end of the week. Friedman said the doctor’s office and patient certification center will be approximately 1,500 square feet and the meeting space for caregivers and patients is about 10,000 square feet.
MediSwipe is a publically traded company that also specializes in electronic transaction processing. Friedman said that currently credit card companies are not accepting transactions that deal with medical marijuana, making it a cash-only enterprise.
“We do have the technologies set up to handle that if those rules change though,” he said.
MediSwipe also is developing technologies and mobile apps to help patients navigate state laws and match them with doctors and caregivers.
In addition to the two Ann Arbor offices, the company also is opening a similar space in Wayne County.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2
Comments
Paul
Wed, May 8, 2013 : 6:19 p.m.
I got an idea that could save tax payers money, reduce overcrowding in jails and prisons, add some tax revenue and let us all evolve towards a more logical culture - Legalize Marijuana and regulate it like alcohol. Bam! Problem Solved. I'll also throw in there provide birth control and education to poor people. Bam! were moving forward.
Kittykat
Fri, Mar 29, 2013 : 10:41 p.m.
Michael Friedman or his real name Barry M Friedman was convicted of Cocaine Trafficking and this is who is going to help with what? http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?
sinsy
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 3:13 a.m.
Ben, i hope you take time to read this. first friedman is completely wrong is he says the doctor writes a prescription. that is not the case. the doctor writes a letter saying in his opinion the patient would benefit from using marijuana. otherwise the new law requires a relationship between doctor and patient, so tests and files are now the law. what is hopeful is that mediswipes does rent a place for caregivers to sell to patients. called a safe transfer place because no one is going to call the police and call it a drug deal. oh yeah, washtenaw county and ann arbor take a very stern view and make a defendant spend a lot of money on attorneys to make the prosecutor actually follow the law.
simone66
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 1:21 a.m.
Good luck to them, I hope they are not forced to close down due to some crazy legal loop holes against medical marijuana in Ann Arbor. People who need this product need a safe, viable, and legitimate place to visit.
Sam S Smith
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 1:56 p.m.
Sounds like a way to get money from people who need medical mj to me.
Sam S Smith
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.
"MediSwipe has nothing to do with the medicine, we're completely agnostic about it," Friedman said. "We will not be dispensing anything, we are just streamlining the process and helping patients fill out paperwork to get their ID cards." I'm confused. How much is this going to cost people for this service? If doctors can't write prescriptions for medical mj then why have doctors there?
Geez
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 5:02 p.m.
I would like to know who is policing the storage and use of patient medical records with these pop up offices? The one in Adrian made copies of many of the documents I had brought with me "for their file" and said I had to give them these copies. Where are they now?
treetowncartel
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 3:56 p.m.
Unless physicians are the sole owners of the professional corporation/company, Mediswipe and the three doctors may want to look at the corporate practice of medicine doctrine before Bill Schutte's office introduces it to them.
Tom Todd
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 5:16 a.m.
Only in America can the two party government decide not to end the madness and make MJ legal. How many more billions need to be wasted trying stop this war.
Tru2Blu76
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 6:36 a.m.
One good way to "stop this war" would be for the minority to just stop smoking MJ. It's funny that people who insist on having it aren't described as addicts because they certainly act that way. There's no demonstrated need to smoke MJ in order to arrive at work on time, to fly a plane or operate a motor vehicle of any kind. There's no demonstrated need to smoke MJ to be able to vote, buy groceries or graduate from high school. So, other than personal craving, what is the need?
aa1940
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 8:52 p.m.
GYRE - Yes the marinol worked but only after experimenting with the doseage. I had hot flashes from a homone shot to reduce the size of my elarged prostate.
ypsi
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 7 p.m.
After you visit these Dr's and pay the fee,you will get a paper to send to the State Of Michigan with a 100.00 fee to register.Does that make the state drug dealers?You don't really think that the state wouldn't get $$ out of this?Legalize it !!!!!!
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 6:21 p.m.
Wait, is this story about another Cheech and Chong movie?
AAbob43
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 6:03 p.m.
I am a licensed MMJ patient in both Michigan and Colorado, pursuant to Rx's from highly-regarded MD's with whom I've treated for decades. Colorado's regimen is a further reminder of Michigan's (and Bill Schuette's) continuing march backwards. On Monday, in Colorado, I was scheduled for and underwent orthopedic surgery to reattach a tendon. I knew post-surgical pain would be an issue, and didn't want to take opiates. Years ago, pursuant to major shoulder surgery, I took Oxycontin, which rendered me a drooling, unconscious, constipated idiot. (sound like an Oxycontin-loving conservative blovinator we all know?) I wanted to skip that. I went to my Colorado dispensary. They reviewed alternatives, and I settled on a taffy-like edible (cost: $10), that handled the pain for days. It was concentrated in cannabidiol, which addresses pain. The "get high" part was minimal, and compared to Oxycontin was nonexistent. I was fully functional at all times. So let's review: Oxycontin, or pot? Time for the "Reefer Madness" crowd to stop throwing money, police-state resources, and angst at something that is logical, ultimately. This post is from a highly regarded professional, employer and community member. Really. Find some logical thing to be afraid of. Idea: try fear of fracking.
AAbob43
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 12:44 a.m.
Grye, whom are you protecting, and against what perceived "abuse"?
grye
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 8:02 p.m.
Finding a way to extract the active portion of marijuana and putting it into a deliverable product is much more acceptable than handing someone several joints for their impending pain. There needs to be more research in this area but govt is not willing to allow it. In a regulated environment and in adispensable format, the drug has a potential for good. But in the state that most people prefer, it is subject to abuse, especially if it is grown your as own "medicine".
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 6 p.m.
"Friedman said there are 27,000 caregivers registered in the state and 127,000 registered patients." But: "Any person who smokes marijuana — including medical marijuana — is prohibited from owning a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3)." Some laws... actually make sense. :-)
Tru2Blu76
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 6:15 a.m.
@Robert: not quite true. There are plenty of laws which restrict alcohol consumption for those carrying sidearms or long guns. Michigan has had a law which prohibits concealed or open carrying of pistols in bars since the 1920s, I believe. A more recent law says that, if stopped by law enforcement for speeding, a concealed carry licensee must not have .02 BAC (1/4 the level for driver licensees). There's a distinction between federal and state laws. Obvious: federal laws apply nationally and supersede state laws. Gun laws - are in fact "layered" with some federal laws (such as licensing for machine guns) and there's a patchwork of wildly varying state gun laws. As far as I can determine, most states have some fairly strict laws regarding drinking while armed. It's just common sense - and well informed shooters will tell you that studies prove that, like drivers, alcohol impairs gun users. Competitive shooters avoid drinking even the day before a shooting competition for that reason. So 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3). is recognition of the marijuana smoking problem on the federal level. The reason is that there's no protection of "the right to grow, bale, carry and smoke marijuana." :-)
Robert Granville
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 4:13 a.m.
Drinking.... totally fine.
aa1940
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 5:18 p.m.
When I got my prscription for MARINOL it cost my insurance provider $ 900 . Go figure.
Robert Granville
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 4:13 a.m.
No wonder nobody wants it... that and it feels terrible.... nothing like the real thing.
grye
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 7:56 p.m.
Did Marinol work for you?
Bogie
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:45 p.m.
Hey, I think I will open a "pain clinic" next door. Forget that! The rents too high in A2, I'll just run it, out of a RV in a parking lot (just like they do, in Florida truck stops). American society, a race to the bottom.
cornelius McDougenschniefferburgenstein jr. 3 esq.
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:35 p.m.
VERY LENIANT COMMUNITY?i dont think so they NEVER use cival infraction city ordinance+ALWAYS prosecute under STATE CRIMINAL LAW.a2 prosecuter also said i know surronding courthouses process traffic tickets w out issuing points,but we dont do that in ann arbor.COOL CITY?i dont think so.
kt rix
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:23 p.m.
"Friedman said that once a doctor writes a prescription for medical marijuana, it can be filled for up to 21 days, after which the patient gets a state identification card. Once acquired, the cards can be used for up to two years." The only thing correct in this statement is that the cards are now valid for two years. 1. If any doctor anywhere writes a prescription for medical marijuana they will lose their license. Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it cannot legally be prescribed. If your doctor recommends that you should use medical marijuana, they sign a piece of paper saying the state should allow it. The state then approves you to use medical marijuana. There is no prescription. 2. Once all of the paperwork is in order it must be sent to the state for approval. The 21 day waiting period starts when the state cashes the $100 fee they collect per patient. If they do not deny you in the 21 days that they are supposed to be getting your plastic card to you, then you're legally allowed to "fill your recommendation." Also, thanks A2.com for using my picture in an article that has absolutely nothing to do with me.
amlive
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:41 p.m.
"Based on the new legislation [House Bill 4271] there will be a closing of all dispensaries." Is this actually true? Although counties now have the legal ability to shut down dispensaries, it still seems entirely up to the individual counties to decide whether or not to pursue shut shutdowns. My understanding (grapevine information / take-for-what-it's-worth) is that no one in Washtenaw county government has any intentions to pursue this in the foreseeable future. Anyone else have any insight on this?
Robert Granville
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 4:11 a.m.
They aren't closing here. That's for sure.
amlive
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:41 p.m.
Good point Billy, and thanks ffej440. I wonder if existing dispensaries may be able to legally stay open by shifting their business model to a co-op or shared office spaces sublet to individual caregivers. Seems like this could sidestep the issue by making every exchange of money/marijuana a straight caregiver-patient deal, and the former dispensary would then simply be a property manager. I have no direct stake in any of this, but am still quite interested in whether our existing local dispensaries will be shut down in the near future or not. Guess there's no clear forecast, and we'll just have to wait and see.
ffej440
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:09 p.m.
Not just up to the counties. AG Schutte has already advised ALL should be closed.If county prosecuters don't comply, he could use the MSP to shut them at the state level.
Billy
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:07 p.m.
Law enforcement isn't in the habit of publicizing raids until AFTER the fact so I doubt they would get anything out of them.
amlive
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:43 p.m.
Perhaps someone with AA.com could go to the county prosecutor (or whoever would be in position to determine such choices) and give us some insight to the county's plans and position on this.
cinnabar7071
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:33 p.m.
Can I get cocaine for a toothache at this clinic?
clownfish
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:25 p.m.
hehehehe,...more posts, from people that want government out of our lives, objecting to people running their lives without the government interfering. More posts from people that say they want job growth and entrepreneurs , complaining about a company that will add jobs and revenue to the state. More posts from people that come around and write about listening to The People, but did not hear them when they spoke on MJ. Legalize it. End the madness.
clownfish
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 4:36 p.m.
EYE, sorry you want to put words in my mouth. What I grasp is that the voters of MI passed a couple of laws recently that were ignored by the GOP, supposedly the party of less government. When it comes to their Agenda they have no problem with bigger government.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 5:02 p.m.
Since you appear to have a tough time, I'll type slow. Nobody on either side of the aisle is for NO laws. Sorry you can't grasp that.
1bit
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:13 p.m.
@clownfish. You should have just stuck to your last sentence. It should either be legal or not. It needs to happen at a federal level.
clownfish
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:23 p.m.
Eye, thanks for the opening to show the rampant hypocrisy of the American Right Wing. Opposing business owners and adults making decisions about their own lives is often not enough of an example, good to throw in some adult situations brought to us by the same folks that brought us the Moral Majority, the Family Research Council and that tell us married straight people are more moral than gay married people.
clownfish
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:10 p.m.
Almost funny, EYE, except that Newt sweet talked some pretty young things (while married), Gov Sanford went for a stroll down the App Trail, Arnold sweet talked his maid into some extra workouts, and Rep Hyde, one of Clinton's chief witch hunters, had an affair with a married woman. Family Values are for Other People?
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:04 p.m.
"But then, Jesus was OK hanging with whores, and apparently so are many GOP politicians" I guess they just aren't smooth enough to talk some sweet young thing into staining her blue dress in the oval office, so they have to pay for it.
clownfish
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
If The People pass a law allowing whorehouses, and the people working there are fine with their career choice, then Libertarianism says it would be fine. The problem would arise when those that attempt to worship Ayn and Jesus at the same time have to choose between their opposing ideologies. (But then, Jesus was OK hanging with whores, and apparently so are many GOP politicians)
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:34 p.m.
I guess the same could be said for opening a whorehouse.
whojix
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:25 p.m.
About time, my glaucoma is running wild
WalkingJoe
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 1:31 p.m.
Here's an idea. Have this clinic open next door to Insomnia Cookies. Anybody see why this is a perfect fit? ;-)
AAW
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:02 p.m.
lol good one!!!
A A Resident
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.
Will Obamacare pay for medical marijuana prescriptions?
Tom Todd
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 5:07 a.m.
Can we get W to start another war.
Jack Gladney
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 9:32 p.m.
If it can get the Democrat political machine more votes to further its death grip on America, it will be covered with a small deductible.
deborah fuleky
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:31 p.m.
Probably
Dirty Mouth
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 1:16 p.m.
Oh please, this organization will be shut down weithin months of opening. As it should. Ann Arbor a community that is NOT "very lenient" toward caregivers providing medical marijuana. - NIMBY
kirkers
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 1:14 p.m.
The dance continues around a fractured system. I wonder how long it will take for marijuana to become a regulated substance like alcohol: from production to retail to use? This is just another issue that our culture seems incapable of addressing logically. Until then, the two step goes on.
amlive
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:48 p.m.
Well said. Couldn't have put it any better.
Tom Joad
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
Medical marijuana is a colossal canard for people who just want to get high. The state, cities and localities are falling over each other to jump on the bandwagon for increased revenues. Caregivers solicit 'patients' so that they may grow a certain amount of plants and offer the patient only a token amount. The rest they sell to dispensaries or illegally to customers. Dispensaries are still operating in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti even though they have no legal basis in state law with which to operate. How can a city be complicit in sanctioning these illegal sellers? They want the revenue. The medical marijuana industry has been taken over by profiteers and MediSwipe is certainly hoping to cash in by facilitating an easy medical appraisal to prescribe marijuana where the medical efficacy is questionable at best and bordering on criminal and ethical malpractice. The citizens of Michigan were duped into passing the medical marijuana statute but as it has worked out the abuses are naked and widespread. Marijuana is a potent psychoactive drug that has extremely limited medical use. It should be reserved only for the most debilitating and terminal diseases--it certainly is not a panacea for every ailment under the sun. MediSwipe is a shameless prescription mill.
Tom Todd
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 5:06 a.m.
we are not talking about Heroin and Crack.
grye
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 7:53 p.m.
Because Wiener, we have enough problems today. Do we need to add more? Do we need more people with limited abilities jumping behind the wheel to satisfy their their evening or nightly munchie problem? Do we need people getting high and ignoring their crying babies? Do we need all the other problems that will come to fruition because people only want to get high?
Paul Wiener
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:20 p.m.
So what if people want to get high without being harrassed by uptight, brain-dead, mean-spirited, bullying, bigoted fools?
thinker
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 12:30 p.m.
Will these "doctors" require medical records from the patient's REAL doctor verifying the patient's diagnosis, or will these "doctors" say, "Gee, it sounds like that's what you have"?
Reason
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 9:26 p.m.
Yes but ffej440, many of these illnesses are not diagnosed thru a regular physical exam. Glaucoma requires special testing to measure eye pressure and Crohn's would require a colonoscopy and/or biopsy. The other problem is that most people wanting medical marijuana are there for vague problems like "pain" or "fibromyalgia" which don't even have confirmatory testing.
ffej440
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:13 p.m.
Without records a full exam is required and maybe some tests to confirm. The doctor that gives a "pass" can and will be prosecuted. The MSP send undercover in to pretend illnesss. I have not seen one go all the way through the court yet, but some are already being prosecuted.
Craig Lounsbury
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 12:17 p.m.
"The first Ann Arbor location will be a doctor's office with three physicians ....In addition to functioning as a doctor's office, the center will ..." If I had a sore throat or maybe needed 6 stitches in my hand would these "doctors" see me? Or is their sole purpose to collect a fee to write a pot prescription? Because if its the latter then they aren't much more than drug dealers with a curious screening process.
1bit
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:10 p.m.
What BB said. Physicians specialize all the time. This company thinks there is a market for physicians who specialize in the use of marijuana for physical ailments. I get (and share) the cynicism about whether these are "real" patient-doctor relationships but there are truly some people who benefit physically/mentally from marijuana use and if the clinic follows state laws/regulations then so be it.
ffej440
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:04 p.m.
@Cragjjs- Would you take $75 to spend a few moments looking over another doctors work. I would. I was more disturbed by the doctor that charged me $300 to look over my other doctors work. Remember this is NOT coverd by Insurance so price is a factor.
Basic Bob
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:51 p.m.
@Craig, Many physicians are specialists. If you go to a pain clinic, they prescribe opioids. And they collect really nice "fees". A minority of their patients get physically dependent on the medication, which is more than you can say from pot. These doctors also know that in all likelihood some of their patients are scammers and are reselling their prescription medication to others who are physically dependent on opioids, and will end up as full blown heroin junkies stealing mom's jewelry and the neighbor's electronics.
craigjjs
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:18 p.m.
How do the folks who post the "$75 for a Permit" signs and billboards fit into this sophisticated health care delivery system you describe?
ffej440
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:06 p.m.
Craig you just don't get it. Your like someone who never played a game trying to coach I'll try and explain this for you. Your regular doctor knows all your medical history and has tests to prove his diagnosis. The problem ? A) the doc is afraid to recommend pot because he knows nothing about it,B) Is afraid of his reputation (With folks like you) C) The same doc is the health insurance GP from your employer. So what does one do ? You take ALL your records from your doc that you have seen for years and you present them to another doc (Who is not afraid and knows about treatment with pot) Then this doc confirms the diagnosis and makes your pot recomendation. Thats it ! No giant scam involved. Why is this so hard to understand? You could be seen for sore throat or stiches but what would be the point ? My shrink is an MD, I would'nt see him for a sore throat.
1bit
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 12:16 p.m.
First, it's "Crohn's disease" and, secondly, any physician prescribing it for glaucoma should lose their license. With that said, this company seems to be starting a medical clinic that is operating within state laws. That they specialize in marijuana prescriptions is irrelevant. If they are forming patient-doctor relationships to really help I'll patients then that seems to be the intent of the referendum we had. Of course, federal laws still trump state laws and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
1bit
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 4:05 p.m.
@Craig: I should have been more clear: I was referring to their first office space in which licensed physicians will be establishing continuing care relationships with patients. The way the state law works is that doctors make a recommendation for marijuana (they aren't really "prescribing" it as they would lose their DEA license). So, they are finding a niche which most physicians avoid. Their second location as a "virtual office space" - well, I have no idea if that's legal or not, but they really are just setting up a "safe" location for the transaction between caregivers and patients. The irony of that statement speaks volumes. Full Disclosure: I feel the same as you do.
Craig Lounsbury
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 12:23 p.m.
" this company seems to be starting a medical clinic that is operating within state laws." I'm no lawyer but I have read the law a few times. I'm not so sure I agree. It strikes me a bit like someone looking for a loophole. Kind of like a guy who thinks he can dodge ticket scalping laws by selling a pencil for $500 and tossing in 2 free tickets to the big game. Full disclosure: I think scalping tickets should be legal and I am a bit ambivalent about legalizing pot. I do think pot is more dangerous than the pro pot crowd thinks.
Keith
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 12:01 p.m.
What a delightful addition to our community, a modern day opium den.
Basic Bob
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 5:51 p.m.
Marijuana is not considered to cause a physical dependency like opium, alcohol, or nicotine. It can still be addictive, just as gambling, food, or sex can be addictive.
goblue91
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:16 p.m.
that consensus being amongst researchers that have conducted studies on the subject
goblue91
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.
uhhh...general consensus is that 15-30% of marijuana users develop dependency. Saying it's not addictive is incorrect
mady
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:27 p.m.
The difference between opium and marijuana is, opium is ADDICTIVE. marijuana is NOT.
Brad
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:06 p.m.
Contrast that with S. University every weekend night at 2AM and it sounds pretty good.
Craig Lounsbury
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 11:58 a.m.
"The state wants a stronger more continuous relationship between doctor and patient and that's what this center will be providing." No, the State said the law as written made no provision for store fronts. Since it didn't make a provision for store fronts AND since it didn't replace existing laws it only amended them, a store front falls under the older portion of law that said selling marijuana was illegal.
Kittykat
Fri, Mar 29, 2013 : 11:48 p.m.
Review my comment one of last ones.
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:40 p.m.
Buzzkill
smokeblwr
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 11:45 a.m.
Cooool. This is good news since I suffer from...... "cataracts"...yeah.....
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 2:39 p.m.
Me too...that's the ticket
FredMax
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 11:26 a.m.
All this concern for safety and liability don't say anything bad. After all, pretty much anytime I buy beer or pharmacy at the supermarket I'm petrified of being robbed.
clownfish
Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 3:05 p.m.
Ann Arbor police are investigating a robbery Monday morning at the CVS Pharmacy in the 3500 block of Plymouth Road, a police report said- By Lee Higgins Crime and courts reporter, July 28, 2009 Pittsfield Township police say a note-passing robber made off with cash from a CVS Pharmacy Sunday evening,-Aug 30, 2010 Jackson Police officers are investigating a reported armed robbery at a pharmacy at Ganson Street and N. West Avenue. The robbery happened just before 3 p.m. at CVS, 605 N. West Ave. A man demanded prescription medication and showed the butt of a handgun to an employee, said Jackson Police Sgt. Rich Cook. The man was given the medication and then fled the store.-Oct 30, 2011 Michigan State Police and Ingham County Sheriffs were led on a high-speed chase Wednesday by a suspect in a pharmacy robbery.-Lansing State Journal On Saturday at 6:45 p.m., Plymouth Township Police were called to the CVS store on Sheldon Road at Ann Arbor Road in response to an attempted cigarette theft.- Feb 8,2011 On Jan. 31, police chased two women from the CVS store on Ann Arbor Road and Haggerty in Plymouth Township to the intersection of Joy Road and Haggerty after the women left the store with cart full of stolen merchandise, according to police reports.