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Posted on Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 12:06 p.m.

Police raid 2 medical marijuana clinics in Ann Arbor

By AnnArbor.com Staff

082511_NEWS_Pot_Raid_MRM_01.jpgA Postal Inspection Service agent and two police officers load boxes into the back of a van parked in the middle of Main Street in Ann Arbor during a police raid of A2 Go Green Co-Op. on Thursday.

Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com

Michigan State Police drug investigators raided 2 medical marijuana dispensaries in Ann Arbor today, but said the raids had nothing to do with a state appeals court ruling Wednesday that prohibits dispensaries from selling marijuana.

Witnesses said 3 people were taken into custody.

Det. 1st Lt. Wynonia Sturdivant of the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team said MedMar clinic at 1818 Packard St. and A2 Go Green Corp at 206 S. Main St. were raided because their employees allegedly failed to follow guidelines established for operating dispensaries. She declined to be more specific.

Sturdivant said both dispensaries have been under investigation for at least a couple of weeks and the raids are not related to each other. She said she did not know what was seized.

"It's an ongoing investigation," she said.

Police officers dressed in black and wearing masks executed a search warrant at MedMar about noon, seizing computers, cash, boxes, plastic bags and other items.

Shortly after noon today, officers executed a search warrant at A2 Go Green Co-op, seizing boxes of files, computers and brown paper bags. U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents were there, but Sturdivant declined to say why the federal agency was involved. A clinic that had previously operated at the same location was robbed last year.

Police vehicles were parked in the middle lane of Main Street for at least 45 minutes.

Chuck Ream, longtime medical marijuana advocate and partner at MedMar, said two of his employees, were taken away in handcuffs about 10:30 a.m. Another employee was arrested later in the morning.

Ream and 3 other people were holding signs promoting medical marijuana and protesting the police action, yelling at the officers who were carrying items out.

The law enforcement action comes one day after the state appeals court ruled medical marijuana sales are illegal.

Attorney General Bill Schuette's office issued a statement Wednesday saying he would send a letter to county prosecutors "explaining that the ruling clearly empowers them to close dispensaries."

A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office today said she wasn’t aware of any state directive to raid dispensaries, but in general the office doesn’t confirm or deny ongoing investigations.

Ann Arbor Police Chief Barnett Jones said LAWNET informed the city in advance that the two raids were going to be conducted. He said the department's only role was to stand by and provide a uniformed presence as LAWNET conducted the raids.

Jones said he understands there were specific violations of law that attracted LAWNET's attention and it's speculation to say the raids were in reaction to any court ruling. As for the possibility of future raids in Ann Arbor, Jones declined to comment.

"I'm not going to comment because I don't know what the new current law is and I don't know what's going to come up in the future," he said.

Ream said the raid was a disservice to voters who approved making medical marijuana legal in Michigan.

"Our patients are sick," he said. "We need the medicine and we need it now. I really didn't think they'd do this because we have so much support from the voters here."

"What do these patients do now?" he yelled out. "Where do they go?"

Medical_marijuana_raid_Aug_25_2011_2.jpg

Protestors gather outside Chuck Ream's medical marijuana dispensary on Packard as it was being raided at about noon today.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

K.C. James, manager of the Packard Auto Repair shop next to MedMar, said he never had problems with Ream or Ream's dispensary.

"He's a real nice guy," James said. "I feel bad about what's happened. The state gave him the right to do this and then they just shut him down."

Dan Peoples, manager of A2 Go Green Co-Op, said his shop has been doing everything legally. It was in the process of getting its application with the city completed, he said.

Peoples said the dispensary was closed this morning after the appeals court decision was announced. He said he wanted to get everything worked out with his lawyers before opening up again.

"Our lawyer was talking to the prosecutor," he said. "I guess I shouldn't have shown up today either."

Protesters who had been at the raid on Packard arrived on Main Street and walked over to Om of Medicine at 112 S. Main St., but there was no indication of a raid there as of 1:30 p.m.

Medical marijuana activists said they planned to hold a benefit concert tonight at Live At PJ's at 9 p.m. There will be speakers, including attorneys who will talk about what the appeals court ruling means for users.

Reported by Juliana Keeping, Kyle Feldscher, Ryan Stanton and Lee Higgins.

Comments

RJA

Sat, Aug 27, 2011 : 3:49 a.m.

317 comments, time to close eh?

Stwart Jenssen

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 5:13 p.m.

I was previously taking Lexapro for my major depression, but once I started having panic attacks, my doctor switched me to Zoloft. So far, the panic is gone, and my depression has similarly been suppressed. The only problem seems to be the side effects. I can't really eat that much anymore, and have succeeded in losing a fair amount of weight. I also have the &quot;shakes&quot; where my hands tremble. Though, as other people have said, the effectiveness of the medicine outweighs the side effects. <a href="http://goo.gl/vr1IT" rel='nofollow'>http://goo.gl/vr1IT</a>

Mr Blue

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.

Hypocrite Conservatives. Activist Judges. Fascist Cops.

4mytown

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:55 p.m.

As for the possibility of future raids in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Police Chief Barnett Jones declined to comment. &quot;I'm not going to comment because I don't know what the new current law is and I don't know what's going to come up in the future,&quot; he said. I think our police chief should know what the current law is by now, or at least say that his department is not spending their time looking for cases to prosecute. It's a bit unnerving to hear that our city police chief, who makes $100K, does not know what the law says. Maybe his quote was taken out of context.

Mr Blue

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1 p.m.

Barnett is lying. He needs to go and take Stephen Postema with him.

4mytown

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:39 p.m.

I am not a marijuana user nor do I condone its recreational use, but since when do our police officers wear masks? I know they need to protect themselves against retribution, but the black masks are a step in the wrong direction. We are not dealing with the Mafia, are we? Where were these clinics sourcing their marijuana - was it from legal approved sources or from illegal ones?

John Chase

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 5:44 a.m.

As long as the legislature and enforcers - including the judiciary - can build careers and stock portfolios by enforcing, this kind of thing will continue. Until then, patients will get their pot just like the rest of us: Either on the street or grow it yourself.

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 5:04 a.m.

I would wager that many of the &quot;law and order&quot; type folks that have commented here are the same folks that &quot;want government off their backs&quot;. Should we specifically legislate every action that is prohibited? I hope none of you spit on a sidewalk, or throw your cigarette buts out the window of your truck. Lets say smoking cannabis is bad for you, lets say it makes you stupid. So is drinking Budweiser and watching Faux News! They are victimless crimes. What do you care? Oh yeah but we have to be tough! Why don't you show the same sense of moral indignation at the jerks that brought down this economy? Oh yeah, you want government off our backs, regulation is BAD, I almost forgot... Unless of course you are throwing abortion doctors or medical cannabis caregivers in jail. Then the regulations are great and you want more of them. You don't want smaller government, you want righteous government! You want to legislate your morality. Make up your tiny minds! You cant have it both ways.

Snarf Oscar Boondoggle

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:19 a.m.

&quot;Michigan State Police drug investigators raided 2 medical marijuana dispensaries in Ann Arbor (Thursday) today, but said the raids had nothing to do with a state appeals court ruling Wednesday that prohibits dispensaries from selling marijuana.&quot; jackbooted liars!

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:19 a.m.

To anyone who things this is a good use of your local federal and state tax dollars, go drink a bud lite and watch the new episode of Jersy Shore. It should be right at your level. This is a political witch hunt, plain and simple. Law enforcement has likely violated the medical rights of patients. Of course there will be hateful ignorant unhappy people that say things like &quot;good shut them down&quot; or &quot;enforce the laws&quot; while the fat cats that brought down our economy and bankrupt old ladies pensions sail around in their yachts and rape hotel maids. This is the state of &quot;law enforcement&quot; in this country. WAKE UP! You think this raid improved the community? You think closing down successful businesses treating sick people with one of the safest drugs known to man is a positive thing? Do you know what the ratio is between the therapeutic dose of THC is versus the toxic dose? I don't know it off the top of my head either, but I do know that no one has physically been able to kill themselves with cannabis. How many people die every day from legal over the counter drugs. How many families are ruined by alcohol or pills? This is just ridiculous, and the fight is only just begun. The thugs that run Michigan government have started a battle that they will lose. - Peace

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:29 a.m.

Golf clap.....golf clap......now in the real world, have you ever seen an actual sick person go into the dispensary? The one downtown is on the second floor for petes sake and there is no elevator. Yea, thats being considerate, make your terminally I'll patients walk a flight of steps to get their meds. At least your working in cardio for them. Nice

Lynn

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:17 a.m.

Hey come visit ann arbor apparently you can get away with robbing banks, you can get away with rape. But apparently taking the rights away of hard working citizens who appreciate doing things legally is more important use of police time and resources. Give the power back to the black market and the criminals. Forget what the people vote for. Brilliant Idea that will make us all safer. Ann Arbor &amp; Michigan I am dissapointed in you, powers that be I seem to have lost faith in you. Clearly there is a lack of integrity and union.

tim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1:22 a.m.

Boo whoo whoo-- life is tough for a stoner

MWH

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:39 a.m.

The breaking point is near... I hope everyone is ready. I'm not referring solely to the legal pot issue, but civil rights in general. By the way, I do believe pot should be legal. I also think that pot can be abused, just like anything else. However, I believe that prescription drug abuse is a far, far bigger problem in our society. This, and the crap that most people call food, will be our undoing.

NewStart

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:27 a.m.

Bummaaaaah!

Olan Owen Barnes

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:20 a.m.

&quot;As a side note, the FDA, DEA and the Office of National Drug Control Policy do not support the use of smoked marijuana for medical purposes.&quot; <a href="http://drug.addictionblog.org/medical-marijuana-cards-top-10-medical-conditions-people-can-fake/" rel='nofollow'>http://drug.addictionblog.org/medical-marijuana-cards-top-10-medical-conditions-people-can-fake/</a> &quot;How people abuse the medical marijuana system Logically, medical conditions must be sufficiently debilitating before a doctor will sign off permission for someone to receive (or grow) marijuana to treat illness. But some conditions are subject to interpretation or can even be faked. Although medical conditions must be of a certain degree of seriousness and/or limit the ability of a patient to perform daily activities, doctors CAN make a subjective decision that favors the patient. But which medical conditions may be subject to interpretation? Medical conditions that people may claim to get medical marijuana 1. Hair loss 2. Dry skin 3. Ligament or tendon pain 4. Anxiety 5. Muscle spasms 6. Loss of appetite 7. Severe pain 8. Severe nausea 9. Arthritis 10. Migraine headache&quot; I had a diagnosis of liver cancer in 2005 and had a liver transplant and never had to need to smoke weed. There is nothing in the law to set up dispensary's and it is deficient and lacks clarity.

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 5:07 a.m.

Did you get the liver cancer from drinking tons of legal liquor?

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:29 a.m.

Very big of you to pull through without using the &quot;weed&quot;. Even bigger of you to want to deny it to those that feel it would help them. Very nice. Have you been this mean all your life? Did surviving cancer make you want to enjoy each day at the expense of others? You do know that doctors prescribe cocaine every day don't you? Do you have any idea why the medical community does not like &quot;the weed&quot; - because they cant make &quot;the cash&quot;. God forbid sick people should be able to treat themselves without making drug companies rich.

Terry Star21

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:19 a.m.

What is wrong with vast majority of the commenters here ? Ream and his operations broke the law, and the officers did their job. It doesn't matter how much good Ream did for his patients and the pain he prevented them, he broke the law - plain and simple. Even if one complains it's a poor law and no one is being hurt, it's the law. Can you imagine what America would be like, allowing laws to be broken ? If you don't like the law, do something legal to fight it. If you win, then you proceed with your operation. You can't defy a law, saying it's an improper law. Ream defied the law and was busted. Thank God we live in American, follow American Laws, and have American Law Officers that enforce these Laws to help and protect us Americans. God Bless America. Note: I won't be coming back here to read replies, judging from the above commenters there are too many idiots out there - and I won't stoop to their level.

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 5:10 a.m.

Retired school teacher! Perfect 30 year record! Well respected! OOOPS

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:24 a.m.

And no one has issue with the fact Charles Ream is a school teacher and is out protesting in favor of a drug when he should be getting his classroom ready for the kids? This doesnt bother anyone?

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:33 a.m.

good they wont be back! With idiots like this who needs logic? Obviously the law was poorly written. I think our current economic situation can shed some lite on Terry's question of what this country might be like if we allow our laws to be broken... The people that took this whole country down will never be punished.

Olan Owen Barnes

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:08 a.m.

There is nothing in the law about a dispensary to get the drug of choice so the law is deficient and unenforceable as the ballot proposal was not written in such a way as to make it clear. With no clarity there is no such thing as a store / dispensary you can buy the drug to get high by a script by a Doctor Feel Good.

LeLe

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:43 p.m.

ANOTHER sad day in Michigan. These people have jumped through hoops to have these businesses. Their clients have also had to have years of documented illnesses to become "registered" with the state of Michigan and to be issued an identification card, along with the paperwork and fees to abide the law. VOTERS no longer have voting power. I AM APPALLED BY OUR SO CALLED LEADERS!!

Justwhen

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:39 p.m.

Justwhen I thought Ann arbor coud not get any more dangerous i.e. (rapist running free) the police get card blanch to raid mm clinics. For the record I do not smoke marihauna. I happen to know many &quot;real&quot; patients who do smoke. I work for a legitmate doctor. There are many many patients who get relief from pain. I know some people choose not to believe this truth. It is only because of ignorance and politics that these people are negative. Ignore them. The truth has been proven. Now back to the &quot;raids&quot; WT ___ is going on. I as a women am afraid to be alone on the streets of Ann Arbor, but the prosecutor and the police have resources to &quot;raid&quot; medical marihauna clinics! This is medicine!! The rapist is still at large why weren't the funds allocated for a &quot;raid&quot; allocated to search for the rapist? Remember him? The guy who violating someone's sister, aunt,, daughter, mother, friend student etc. As for those who applaude the police shame on you. There are much bigger problems to focus on. The people spoke when they voted. Are any of you afraid that the rights of voters was taken away by &quot;three&quot;. That is far scarier than a mm despensary!!!! So boo to A2 politicians, who in my opinion could not wait for this to happen. Republicans are for small business, YEAH RIGHT! You have created unemployment and a loss of revenue and taxes to the city and state. More importantly you have assured that sick peopleuffer! Good Job!

Nick

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:21 p.m.

The severe penalties they will be charging employees with is more then cruel and with the City vote on medicinal cannabis in 2004 just plain wrong . To see these employees that are usually very sick people and qualified patients who were attempting to aid the medical cannabis movement and patients taken away brings me to tears. Especially when their are no laws in Michigan to protect patients by ensuring they receive and medications and personal needs while incarerated . The AG was the leader of opposition to medical cannabis and he simply is not able to properly implement a workable program . His mind is closed to every solution that is in the best interests of patients and affordabillity . There are 17 States and DC now with some form of legal medical cannabis . This isn't optional for the patients that benefit suffering on the fringe of insanity with nothing but nature between them and death .The concepts of the extremists who sadly have taken over the Michigan Municiple League , the U of M , with everyone having to cower or be mowed over have everyone terrified . You cannot get a recommendation from Doctors with hospital affiliaitions they are threatened and or scared by pressure from the DEA , Federal Funding etc . Even if you do not need cannabis you should support those that do and State rights over Federal before it is too late . Your next .

LeLe

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:46 p.m.

How can people be charged when they thought they were ACTING within the law? Am I missing something?

G. Orwell

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:05 p.m.

Wachovia Bank gets caught laundering $372 billion in drug monies, get a slap on the wrist. Dispensaries provide a proven medical service to those in need, faces financial ruin and jail time. Dispensaries should have been laundering drug money rather than selling MM.

RJA

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:54 p.m.

Guess I am a minority, Great Job, to all law enforcements involved. Those protesting must all be users. CLOSE and LOCK all of them. (BURN IT!) Those that are sick and think they are dying, consult with your doctor. Lay off more police? Got to be kidding! For anyone not liking Lawnet as they are dressed, go out there and raid the places yourself in street clothes.

Nick

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:26 p.m.

I just want to understand how this is a threat to you . This really helps people . It can detox people off hard drugs that no treatment facility could when love and support is also applied . How could you hate like this ? I know things are tough allot of this is just a witchhunt as people grabble with their very difficult problems looking for distraction in the Coliseum

Sadie1951

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:42 p.m.

Not only is this a waste of resources, and undermining one of the few emerging industries in a failed economy, but a disservice to sick people. Sick people that you work with, carpool with, and share your neighborhood with. They are not hippies, pot-heads or criminals. Dispensaries provide specific strains for specific illnesses that patients can't always obtain elsewhere. Not all patients smoke and to those of you that ask, &quot;how can anything smoke be medicine?&quot; I will tell you. Oral tinctures, topical salves and ointments, along with cannabis infused edible goods. Often times these can only be purchased at dispensaries and without them you will be forcing people to smoke in order to get their relief, or leave them without access at all. Regardless of your political agenda, please do not punish the sick and dying. -deeply shocked and concerned with the shameful behavior of my home state and city.

Fatkitty

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1:03 a.m.

&quot;emerging industries&quot; - wow, that's a new one.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:40 p.m.

This is an outrage. Why are we still wasting money busting people for marijuana. Enough is enough. We need to vote these clowns out of office.

D

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:32 p.m.

what you card holders gonna do now? time to spread those mi bucks around to a more diverse crowd is how i see this. oh, and the price of real dank just got bumped up!

Mr. Ed

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:22 p.m.

Medical marijuana is a joke. People hid behind the law to smoke for pleasure, we the voters did not vote for that. Stop hiding behind a poorly written law.

johnnya2

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:53 a.m.

Bad laws like the one against the usage of marijuana in general will never be followed because people do not believe the lies politicians and their corporate henchmen tell them anymore. Most of us in this country have used marijuana at some point, and even the past three presidents of the US have used it recreationally. I guess it must be horrible to tell your kids if you smoke pot you might grow up to be President of the United States. Anarchy only happens when the monarchy fails. The anti drug monarchy is failing. Hell, they even give the guy a name like the &quot;drug czar&quot;. That is EXACTLY their mentality. I will take the Thoreau advice and call it &quot;Civil Disobedience&quot;

thinker

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:43 p.m.

See my note above. We voted for legitimately prescribed marijuana for glaucoma, cancer pain not relieved by morphine, and some cases of MS. Not the number of people and dispensaries that have popped up. Until dispensing laws and narcotic schedules change, we are obligated to live by them. Otherwise is anarchy.

rulieg

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:18 p.m.

there are just so many things wrong with this decision: -med marihuana was one of the only successful businesses in Michigan! yeah quick--shut it down. it might bring in some money and help with our budget problems. -people spent real money setting up those businesses. will they now join the ranks of the foreclosed? happy days ahead for the Michigan housing market, I see. -for every stoner hippie who got his medical card just to get high, there were probably 10 people with cancer, MS, glaucoma, chronic pain, and a host of other real medical ailments who were being helped...and who can no longer legally get their medicine. yes! let's make more criminals. our jails aren't crowded enough. from John Sinclair's 10 years for 2 joints right up to this decision, we sure have a proud heritage of sensible drug policy in this state, don't we?

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2 a.m.

Based on what, Ed? Nothing, because it's not true.

Mr. Ed

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:24 p.m.

I doubt that Mr. rulieg 10 to 1 is probably more accurate than 1 to 10.

goosenews

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:06 p.m.

I hope I'm on the jury if this goes to trial. Kind of hard to respect the AAPD when they act like this. ps It amazes me how the moderators act on these comment pages. I guess slang is not allowed. pps Canceling home delivery of paper right now

Chicagobob

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 6:46 p.m.

Cancelling the paper? Bon voyage.

T Del

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:59 p.m.

To those who wonder why the Postal Service was involved, I say that they may have taken payments via mail or used Credit Cards to process their transactions. Wire Fraud. This may be the Federal Crime that chasing after. On another note, we can complain about the thuggery and disrespect for the voters will all we want. It will accomplish nothing. we have two avenues: 1. Jury Nullification - If juries fail to find defendants guilty of the offense regardless of the physical evidence, prosecutors will no longer bring these to trial and by extension, raids will no longer be done because the end result would be nothing. Pass this to all, as you may be on a jury for this and you have the duty as a citizen to inform and educate your fellow jurors on their duty. It would take millions of votes to change this at the ballot box, but as a juror it only takes 12 to start real change. <a href="http://www.rmcortes.com/books/jury/Jury-Illustrated.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.rmcortes.com/books/jury/Jury-Illustrated.pdf</a> 2. Ballot Initiative to Amend - We could organize a ballot initiative much like the original proposition. An initiative to define Caregivers - Primary and Secondary as well as the role of dispensaries as Secondary Caregivers would be ideal. I vote for Jury Nullification and a Ballot initiative as well. Sept. 7 - At the Capitol....See ya There!

Milton Shift

Sat, Aug 27, 2011 : 3:37 a.m.

Jury nullification is the primary reason juries exist. Juries were designed as a last line of defense against tyranny.

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:12 a.m.

Yes jury nullification would be such a wise way to stand your ground. So instead of doing your constitutional duty as a citizen to this state to openly review all information presented to you in an unbiased manner, you are going to do the whole country and constitution a disservice because of your personal agenda or beliefs. Shame on all of you! Your statement disrespects every servicman and women that has ever died for this country to give you that right!

rulieg

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:10 p.m.

I think these are both great ideas. good on you for coming up with solutions instead of just whining, like I did! and thank you for the plug for the march at the capitol. EVERYBODY BE THERE! 11am I think, right?

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:58 p.m.

Local medical marijuana activists should petition the Mayor and City Council at the next public commentary period to complain about the shabby and unprofessional treatment dished out to Chuck Ream and others today. They should also demand of both Mayor Hieftje and Sheriff Jerry Clayton that their officers and deputies be withdrawn from the LAWNET unit operated under the auspices of the Michigan State Police. Were the search warrants referenced in the article authorized by the office of Prosecutor Brian Mackie? If so, they should send their protest to the office of the County Prosecutor over the raids. This smells of a political witch hunt targeting poor Chuck Ream.

RayA2

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.

Thank you Michigan State Police for bringing some sanity to Ann Arbor!. I know that building a case against these out of state drug lords takes time but it is much appreciated. The complainers are those most in need of this action.

Basic Bob

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 7:50 a.m.

Enjoying your after-work cocktail?

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:19 p.m.

Please let us and the police know who these &quot;out of state drug lords&quot; are.

David Briegel

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:13 p.m.

Yeah, quite the case. How did they ever find them? Great undercover work. Our tax dollars at minimal competency. We are becoming as big a laughing stock as Livingston County! I would say that this is an insane action by a schizophrenic drug enforcement industrial complex. Meanwhile, tons of illegal drugs are being traficked right under our noses! No change there. Waste of money and waste of lives ruined! Happy?

rulieg

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.

so let's review, shall we? -first there was a ballot proposal for medical marijuana. WE THE PEOPLE voted overwhelmingly in favor of it--every single county in Michigan voted for it, even Grand Rapids, for goshsakes! -then 3 random judges (and not all Republicans either, people) decided to subvert the will of the people by arbitrarily pulling the plug on the law. so I have to ask: why do we vote? clearly our vote doesn't mean anything if it can be overturned so easily. so why do we bother doing it? Mr. AG Bill Schuette, who I mistakenly voted for...you call yourself a &quot;conservative&quot;? conservatives do not believe in government messing in your private life. conservatives do not believe in litigating away voters' rights. next time why don't you run on a party that aligns more with your view of privacy--like maybe the American Communist Party?

rulieg

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:21 p.m.

ack! how do I reply to a reply? this is for my good friend Dave B, who I think is right about this. my apologies to all my Marxist pals.

David Briegel

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.

No Communist would do what these Fascists are doing.

bigblue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:42 p.m.

here's the real sad irony here. the most serious crime that occurs in ann arbor is rape. about every 20 years or so some serial rapist comes to town. right now is one of those times. shame on ann arbor for allowing this raid to go on while a serial rapist(s) is on the loose. ann arbor should be ashamed of itself for allowing this raid to go on. the voters have spoken before and they should speak again.

al

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:28 p.m.

As someone who suffers from chronic back pain after surgery, two nerve blocks, at least 60 spinal shots and medical costs of near $100,000 most paid by insurance I rebut the claims of those few who think this is a hippies law. Being able to go from 4 vicodin a day and one flexeral to 1 vicodin a day and no treatments since I started using MJ as medicine and being able to sleep at night is not a hippies delight but pain relief and great medical expense savings for my health insurance provider. I have less sick days with back problems and thus more productive in my services to clients. If I can't get the relief envisioned by the people of the State of Michigan I would expect going back to 6 shots per year and nerve blocks at costs of approx $10,000 per year. I'll have my off days when I can't work causing more economic injuries when we can't afford anymore. Remember when you do vote not to vote for those acting against the peoples wishes including Judges. prosecutors Atty Gen and governor. When did the country founded By the People , for the People and of the people get so scewered?

Some Guy in 734

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:37 a.m.

Amen. My pain was elsewhere and slightly less intense. That aside, there but for the grace of God... I just find it hard to believe that a plant that allowed me to manage pain without Norco is something people should be arrested for... especially when it's been voted on by We The People.

MsCochise

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:25 p.m.

All dispensaries as of &quot;Yesterday&quot; should file a complaint with the AG office to refund their money for application fees and licensing. Seeing as how this was a setup to begin with.

bluecollar

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:12 p.m.

These cops must be really dumb. Why would an undercover narcotics officer want to conceal his idenity? Is it so you won't recognize him when he's buying weed from you? That's the dummest thing I ever heard. It's easy to bag on these cops, when the target audience of this thead is a bunch of pot heads. How quick everyone is to judge based on the small blurb this article provides. The police should check with each and every one of you before it enforces any laws in the future. Whens the last time we heard about the rapist striking. Seems to me there havent been any other incidents to report. Is it possible he left town, or is in jail for another crime. You're right the police budget should be cut. Maybe we as tax payers should demand that they fire the entire department, Apparently they don't pay any taxes and can't be grouped into the &quot;tax payer&quot; pool. Why don't we have the transients, youth or any of you police our streets? Seems the common theme here is it's an easy good paying job. When that day happens and lawlessness takes over our society, may god help you cowards as you cower in the corner. AAPD I'm glad for all you do. Keep up the good work. Too bad you have more haters than supporters in this city.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:37 p.m.

Why should those police officers who participate in undercover investigations even be the ones doing the arresting in the first place? Wearing masks to a raid like this just makes the cops look like thugs. If police officers want support from their community, they need to treat people in the community with respect and it is simply not respectful to police officers to wear masks in public. Police officers are here to serve us and it isn't unreasonable for people in a community to demand that their police officers act in a way that makes them worthy of public support.

David Briegel

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:16 p.m.

Yeah, you really like wasting those precious tax dollars!

Bear

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:11 p.m.

Once again, LAWNET is trying to justify it's existence and keep itself funded. This is BS. Over 35 years ago, LAWNET formed and stated that &quot;it would clean up the drugs in the area within 20 years.&quot; In that time, they have been used mostly in the war against Marijuana. You don't hear jack about them busting cocaine, heroin, opium or any hard drugs. You just hear about them knocking over pot dealers. And they don't even get that right. Their own statistics show they are successful in only about 40% of their raids (and most of those are small busts of the little guys). This is an enormous waste of resources to support a paramilitary police team comprised of mostly thugs, irreverent and insulting to those whose homes they bust into and find what they call &quot;A dry hole&quot;. It is time to put THESE rogue police units out of business, they do more harm to the community than they do good.

xmo

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:08 p.m.

Wow, Maybe these people were Conservatives arrested by the Obama Police!

David Briegel

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:18 p.m.

I know that would REALLY make you happy. But it is YOUR Nerd's crowd harrassing our fellow citizens! You should be thrilled!

catA2

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.

As long as Big Pharma and Insurance Companies are not getting paid and as long as the huge profits of &quot;illegal drugs&quot; are in effect as well as the billions of dollars made from privatized prisons, small groups of herbs that soothe people and make life a little softer will be shut down. I still like to believe that informed voters that understand what is happening stay calm, thoughtful and vote.

Davidian

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.

This is unbelievable. There is a SERIAL RAPIST on the loose in Ann Arbor, and they are worried about marijuana? Those of us who have ever smoked marijuana--likely the majority of the populace these days-- know that this is just the biggest, most incredulous waste of resources imaginable. People have been using it for thousands of years, and all the laws in the world won't stop anyone. Ever. The Ann Arbor Police Department should apologize to the citizens and cease these &quot;raids&quot; immediately.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:51 a.m.

The AAPD participated. Some of their officers are with LAWNET and may have been among the masked men, and they provided a perimeter for the raid so that LAWNET could focus entirely on removing materials. It was a team operation.

Davidian

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:39 a.m.

Read the article again. The AA police were complicit. Besides, you are deflecting the real issue. There is serious violent crime occurring and it's not being created by cancer patients and people with neck pain!!

WalkingJoe

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:12 p.m.

Read the article again. The AAPD did not conduct this raid the Michigan State Police did, AA cops mainly directed traffic.

WalkingJoe

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.

After reading the article and most of the comments I can only shake my head and say &quot;no comment&quot; because if I do it will only be removed.

Fatkitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.

Unbelievable isn't it.... like they've been smokin' something.

eastsidemom

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:41 p.m.

wow...maybe we should all take a look a the new Ken Burns Prohibition...see where all that lead...crime and crime bosses. Doh!

G. Orwell

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:35 p.m.

What's with the black ski masks? Is this what a police state looks like. Why don't they arrest the real criminals and leave law abiding citizens alone. Voters have spoken and servants should serve.

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:02 a.m.

What are real criminals?

rusty shackelford

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:27 p.m.

@many commenters: this raid was conducted by state cops, not AAPD. That said, city council needs to pass a resolution condemning these raids immediately. It should also instruct AAPD not to cooperate with any similar raids in the future.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:51 a.m.

The AAPD participated. Some of their officers are with LAWNET and may have been among the masked men, and they provided a perimeter for the raid so that LAWNET could focus entirely on removing materials. It was a team operation.

rulieg

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:39 p.m.

amen to that, Rusty!

Joe Kidd

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:19 p.m.

&quot;Ream said the raid was a disservice to voters who approved making medical marijuana legal in Michigan.&quot; It seems most comments here are critical of the investigation into these businesses. However if those that promotes MJ as a medicine are truly serious, which many of us doubt, why wouldn't you support closing dispensaries that are violating the law as passed by the voters? Obviously these dispensaries are violating the law. Anyone in support of prescribing MJ as a medicinal substance should insist they conduct their business like they are supposed to. If they are violating the statute that supports the opinion of a lot of us that this medicinal claim is false and this is just a way to deal drugs illegally. So why is there not more comments that these guys got what they deserve if in fact they did violate the law?

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:01 a.m.

So.....how come only them two? If this was in respond to the appellate court decision. Why not all the other ones? I would have thought they'd be working late into the night beating in all these dispensary doors. Wake up people...open your eyes and your narrow minds. Only two? Postal inspectors? Seized everything?

David Briegel

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:21 p.m.

If I was them I'd be ashamed to show my face also!

RayA2

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:54 p.m.

Well said Joe. I can't figure out why arresting out of state (Illinois) drug lords who break the law as written can be considered a bad thing by anybody. Unless the true intention of the law was to simply legalize any and all uses of pot?

George1984

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:34 p.m.

why do you say &quot;obviously&quot; violating the law. What happened to innocent till proven guilty idea. If a bar sells to minors, they don't raid it with swat, c'mon... this is just gustapo garbage.

Terry Calhoun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:29 p.m.

Why not more comments? a) Innocent until provem guilty is a basic American right. We do not even know yet what, if anything, they will end up charged with. It might be things outside the law. but we don't know that yet. b) In my case, I am far more concerned with the Attorney General's intent to start a culture war than with a couple of raids that might be for, ahem, warranted reasons.

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:23 p.m.

Please tell where the dispensaries are in violation of the MMMA? Where in any law are dispensaries illegal? They are only illegal by AG Scheutte's decree.

nickcarraweigh

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:12 p.m.

Masked police? What is this, Chile? El Salvador? Surely the police aren't actually feeling the shame they should.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:49 a.m.

Maybe if they didn't go around kicking down doors of innocent civilians homes all day, they wouldn't need to be so anonymous?

Marilyn Wilkie

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1:09 a.m.

Did you ever consider that the masked officers might be undercover detectives that need to protect their identities to protect their lives? Probably not. It's not part of your world.

Joe Kidd

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:21 p.m.

That is so that they can keep going into these places undercover. If they aren't masked, the dealers will know who the cops are.

leaguebus

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.

After reading the Attorney Generals statement, if this is just a public nuisance, why send in the police to confiscate everything? It would seem to me that a simple phone call would have done the trick. I, too, think that they might be going after the end users through the records. I am really tired of being ruled by dogmatic right wingers. It seems like an eternity that they have been in power, but its only been a year. Please vote your displeasure in the next election.

Terry Calhoun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:09 p.m.

We are all going to vote in next year's election, right? Didn't Ann Arbor go for Culture Warrior Rick the Nerd?

Joe Cain

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:05 p.m.

A gentle man, Chuck Ream, has been led away in chains. His crime, trying to help the sick. I know Chuck, he is a good man. I fail to see how society is any safer or how justice has been served. It does illustrate how warped Bill Schuette is. These raids are in response to an bought and paid for appeals court decision. The decision stated that patients couldn't sell their medication to each other. The voters initiative that 63% of the voters approved, said that they could. The instant impact of this decision was to deny tens of thousands of patients access to their medicine. Even as I write this comment, hundreds of terminal cancer patients are screaming in agony as their disease takes it's natural course and destroys their bodies. Many of these patients were kicked off opiates by their doctors when they chose medical marijuana. Other patients have had their liver destroyed by their cancer so their livers can't process opiates. Marijuana does not depend on the liver. It is metabolized via the lungs and is absorbed in a matter of seconds. So these poor people are suffering needlessly, so an heir to the Dow Fortune(Bill Schuette), can have the law his way. You see folks, in Bills world, you are the little people. He is determined to be your governor or the VP. He will do whatever it takes to put you in your place, if you get in his way. He knows what this decision meant to patients, because we have told him hundreds of time. Yet here he is celebrating his victory. The people did not intend for patients to be punished by power mongers or by corrupt judges, but to be protected from the government. Believe me folks, I am one of the sick and dying, there is nothing more personal and private, than the process of dying. I ask that you join us on September 7th, on the front steps of the capitol, in Lansing,Mi, to tell the politicians and tyrants to back off and let the sick die on peace.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:48 a.m.

The law wasn't deemed &quot;illegal,&quot; the judges used extensive legal acrobatics to justify an inversion of the meaning of the law.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:23 p.m.

I hope this motivates people to pay more attention when they are voting for judges and for attorney general.

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.

How compassionate of your wife to deny cancer patients marijuana. By the way, ever heard of a vaporizer?

Joe Kidd

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:27 p.m.

Despite what the statute stated, a court can rule any part of it illegal. That is what happened here. Happens all the time, laws are found illegal. I guess you do not believe the story where is says this raid had nothing to do with the court ruling. My wife works with cancer patients. Some ask for MJ and are all refused. Real drugs are more efficient and inhaling smoke is hazardous for cancer patients. If you really think MJ is a good medicine, why aren't you insisting these dispensaries operate as the law allows? Apparently with these two there is reason to believe they did not.

Terry Calhoun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:03 p.m.

Thanks, Nerd Rick, Culture Warrior. I thought you were about jobs. Culture wars do play well in Republican primaries., I guess. It's clear that's what the ones in Washington are doing, too. Meanwhile, in hard hit Michigan, Republicans are telling county sheriffs that it's time to put thousands more people out of work by closing their workplaces, which just happen to be in the fastest-growing piece of Michigan's economy.

rulieg

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:43 p.m.

you know, I don't think we can blame Snyder--yet. 3 activist judges, yes. Schuette, yes. but Snyder seemed to be on board with the law. he recently changed the office that administers the medical marihuana [their spelling] program from Community Health to the Licensing division. I kind of took that as a tacit admission that the law was here to stay. I'll be waiting to hear from the Guv on that, tho...

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:03 p.m.

Postema and Barnett must go.

Chicagobob

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 6:42 p.m.

Nonsense!

Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.

I wish the police department would find a real problem to deal with. They will never win this battle they continue to wage against pot smokers. Never. How long will it take for them to understand that?

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:45 p.m.

There was once a time in this nation when anyone could do what laws did not specifically prohibit and law enforcement could only prohibit and enforce what the law allowed. Dispensaries are only &quot;illegal&quot; because Scheutte says so and not by any law passed by the Michigan legislature or voted on by the people.

Joe Wood

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:15 p.m.

ah, Those were the days...

Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:53 p.m.

Right on Mr. Blue!

Sciomanone1

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:30 p.m.

This is wonderful, I am so glad that the Ann Arbor Police is doing a good Job to get rid of the Medical Marijuana, it is a drug there is nothing Medical about smoking anything, that is such a joke for the people to say the word Medical with smoking, the smell is enough to make anyone sick and more sick. It is just wrong for the people to be selling the drugs, I hope they are all arrested and closed down for good. NO real Doctor would say smoking is good for your health. Good work Ann Arbor Police, another Job well done.

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 4:50 a.m.

Forever27 you are correct, the addition to your point is that doctors prescribe cocaine. Hell they gave it to my grandmother for a nose bleed...

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:45 a.m.

You don't have to smoke it. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis</a>

LeLe

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:49 p.m.

I will pray for you that you never get cancer and have pain.

Davidian

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:09 p.m.

So you think that marijuana is more harmful than rape?

Terry Calhoun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:04 p.m.

Another one who didn't read the article.

Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:51 p.m.

Relax, relax. This is just round one - the dispensaries will be back and people are going to smoke pot whether you like it or not. It is your freedom of choice to stay away from it and not be sickened by the smell.

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.

Some people ingest marijuana and smoking is bad so marijuana is consumed by vaporizing it. There is no flame and the temperatures are only high enough to vaporize the chemical compounds. No harmful effects &quot;smoking&quot; involved. Ignorance is bliss and breed fear.

Forever27

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.

cocaine is a druge. Heroin is a drug. Marijuana is a naturally occuring plant that requires absolutely no processing for usage. Just because it was classified similarly for political reasons in the 1960's, doesn't mean it's the same thing.

candygirl

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:28 p.m.

@ America: Obviously you STILL don't get that YOU are in the minority. Nobody is going to agree on any law 100%, but have you been reading all the comments? You an a few others oppose marijuana. Good for you! However, as you see, most people don't. That is why the law passed.

YpsiVeteran

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:28 p.m.

candygirl, believing that the existing law should be properly enforced does not automatically translate into opposing marijuana. In fact, the more you are for maintaining a legal pathway to obtain marijuana, the more you should be supporting strict enforcement against anyone who refuses to abide by the law regarding dispensing. All it takes is a few idiots to screw it up for those who are following the rules. You don't have to be against marijuana to be against improper dispensing.

Kitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:22 p.m.

LAWNET is a huge waste of taxpayer money and really does nothing to reduce drugs or crime.

America

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:22 p.m.

Police enforcing the law is never a waste of time. It is shameful that there are so many people in what I think of as a family friendly community posting in favor of blatant law breaking and get upset when the law is enforced. I can only assume it is the addiction talking. Glad to see the sanity of our law enforcement and legal system (reference yesterday's unrelated but wonderful ruling) getting back on track and taking the correct actions.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:19 p.m.

I disagree. When the police spend their time enforcing laws like this, it is time they aren't spending enforcing more serious crimes. Are you really ok with the police shutting down a marijuana operation instead of catching rapists and murderers? It isn't unreasonable for citizens to expect law enforcement to prioritize their time in a reasonable manner.

Joe Wood

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:09 p.m.

Haven't smoked it since 82, and I still think it's a waste of time and money. But hey, that's just me.

Terry Calhoun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:05 p.m.

Ignorance on two feet here.

Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:57 p.m.

&quot;I can only assume it's the addiction talking&quot; Are you sure about that, people are &quot;addicted&quot; to Marijuana? Absolutely hysterical!!

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.

And you are so good at interpreting the law that you know for a fact that they are enforcing the &quot;law&quot;. Way to be a blind follower.

Gill

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:21 p.m.

If we want to balance the State budget and increase tourism, the State should make marijuana sales legal, if bought from the State. Maybe sell at the park entrance booths to increase Park visits...

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:16 p.m.

Gill, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana is going to rake in millions as a result of marijuana tourism. I hope that state will be Michigan but unfortunately, I don't think Michigan voters are smart enough to vote in the sort of people who have that kind of vision.

Kitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:21 p.m.

Should of known the place on packard was a goner, it reeked with weed

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:12 p.m.

Yes, they sold medical marijuana there. It has an odor.

Kitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:20 p.m.

medical marijuana pleeeeeeeeeeeze in ann arbor, just a way for these hippies to get their high on after Hash Bash

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:14 p.m.

FWIW, the &quot;hippies&quot; in this town do not need access to medical marijuana. There is already a well established black market for marijuana in this town and trust me, the stoner hippy types have their contacts. These raids actually will mostly hurt those who have a medical need.

Davidian

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:08 p.m.

That's not the point. The point is that there is a serial rapist on the loose and the city has high violent crime.

AA

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:16 p.m.

Absolutely Disgusting. Makes me want to holler and throw up both my hands. Disgusting. Shame on law enforment, the judiciary and anyone else involved in this tragic waste of time and resources.

Some Guy in 734

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:16 p.m.

&quot;but said the raids had nothing to do with a state appeals court ruling Wednesday that prohibits dispensaries from selling marijuana.&quot; Uh huh. And I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. I'll let you have it cheap, because reconstruction still isn't finished.

bigblue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:13 p.m.

LAWNET is a huge waste of taxpayer money and really does nothing to reduce drugs or crime. most of their &quot;investigations&quot; centered around busting a crack head and then getting him to buy from the dealer. taking a bite out of crime a 20 rock of cocaine at a time...LOL.. the whole ski mak thing is just a facade to justify their need for existence in thier own minds. anything that looked like a &quot;major&quot; drug gang in washtenaw county was taken down by the FEDS not LAWNET. if the budget is such a big deal in Michigan then get rid of LAWNET and save the taxpayers some money. washtenaw county is not the dangerous place that LAWNET tries to make it out to be. they are not needed!

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:49 a.m.

<a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-5-drugs-seized-by-the-livingston-and-washtenaw-narcotics-enforcement-team/">http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-5-drugs-seized-by-the-livingston-and-washtenaw-narcotics-enforcement-team/</a> Yea .....yer right.

Brian M.

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:09 p.m.

Medical marijuana dispensaries aren't legal under current Michigan law. Read the law. They are not legal. This is not surprising. There are legal ways to obtain medical marijuana through a one-to-one relationship between patient and grower, but the dispensaries are not legal to my understanding. Again, this is not surprising.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:43 a.m.

I have read the law. It authorizes patient to patient sales. This legalizes dispensaries. Bill Schuette was the head of the campaign against medical marijuana, and even he warned the initiative would legalize dispensaries.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:43 p.m.

@Brian M: Are you Prosecutor Brian Mackie? If so, thank you for imparting your viewpoint. If not, thanks anyway!

George1984

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:49 p.m.

people understand things differently, it is legal under MY understanding and many others.

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:42 p.m.

And dispensaries are only &quot;illegal&quot; because of Shuette's pronouncement, not because they MMMA says so.

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:13 p.m.

Tell me where they aren't legal. Caregivers are allowed to help patients procure marijuana and they are allowed to compensated for costs associated with that. Patients can't sell to each other. But no where does it say dispensaries aren't legal.

George1984

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:02 p.m.

In regards to Basic Bob's question: You can phone or email Brian Mackie at the Washtenaw County Prosecutors office - (734) 222-6620 appeals@ewashtenaw.org. If anyone would like to make their voice heard about your frustration with this abuse of power and resources, this is the office to start with.

YpsiVeteran

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:22 p.m.

Equally good advice would be to be reasonably certain you have some idea of the actual facts and what you are talking about before doing so, assuming you wish to be taken seriously and avoid making a complete fool of yourself.

TruthIsEternal

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:59 p.m.

It's a good thing that the Police are able to rob legitamate businesses, thanks to our Attorney General, Bill Schuette. Prohibitionists need to stop their failed policy; it didn't work for alcohol, it's not going to work for anything else... GOOOO Fascism!!!!!!

Nephilim

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:44 a.m.

What's your definition of legitimate?

Charlie Brown's Ghost

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:57 p.m.

Has anyone considered why postal Inspectors were involved? Could it be these places were not just selling to local &quot;patients?&quot; The postal police do not perform enforcement of federal law in general, they enforce postal laws. If this was simply an anti-dispensary effort, you would see the FBI. My guess is that this has more to do with items sent through the mail illegally.

John of Saline

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:42 p.m.

Yep, that's almost certain. Do NOT mess with the Postal Service. They will smack you down hard. Dealin' by mail. Really dumb.

Dan Payne Jr.

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:55 p.m.

so there mister mayor and police cheif of ann arbor what happend to the rapist that the FBI was brought to town to find? If you ask me i think my tax dollars are been wasted going after marijuana instead of finding a sick freak. Yet there are tons of bars around town where people have 2 drinks and then drive home which is breaking the law but yet as soon as you get a chance you bust down the doors. The last time i checked drinking and driving kills one person every 30 mins so its like 16,000 every year but yet i can go get bombed and ya year in jail and fines blah blah blah. But yet marijuana has never killed anyone instead it helps people and yet you old folks and politians don't see that but if you were sick you'd be the first to say pass that jib. I feel it should be as legal as alcohol with the same restrictions and tax. Tha way you police officers can do real police work instead of busting people over a dime bag and writting stupid traffic tickets.

Dan Payne Jr.

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:59 p.m.

oh ya and for you parents out there your kid could give a crap about pot these days. better put a lock and key on your precriptions and cough medicine.

thinker

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:52 p.m.

Marijuana is a Schedule 1 Controlled drug by the DEA, for those drugs that have the highest addictive potential. That is a fact. Law enforcement has to act on that. When medical marihuana was voted in, it was assumed that it would be prescribed on a controlled substance prescription form, by a physician who has a controlled-substance license. It was to be used for those patients with glaucoma, cancer, MS, etc, whose condition or pain could not be controlled any other way. The mushrooming of marihuana dispensaries and so-called physicians who are &quot;prescribing&quot; pot to those not in those categories, is despicable. As a physician, with a DEA license, I am appalled.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:41 a.m.

Many pain patients qualify for highly narcotic addictive drugs closely related to heroin (Vicodin, morphine, oxycodone, etc.) and CHOOSE med mj as it is safer, cheaper, and most importantly, does not carry the horrific addiction potential of the heroin-type drugs. I thought the whole reason pot was so scary was because it supposedly lead to the use of heroin.

1bit

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1:15 a.m.

Davidian: I don't think it is valid for you to dictate what thinker should or should not do. I'm sure you would not want thinker to tell you what you should do or believe. This is not &quot;hiding&quot; behind a Schedule, it is not &quot;convenient&quot;, it is the law. Likewise, although prohibiting an item creates a black market for the item, it does not logically follow that the greater good is achieved by ending the prohibition. Again, I believe the point thinker is making is the same many medical professionals have made: if people want to legalize marihuana (as spelled in the MMMA), then they should just do it and not under the dubious auspices of its medicinal value. If it is as harmless as tobacco or alcohol (neither of which are harmless, of course) then it should not need a prescription and physicians should not be placed in legal jeopardy. That is a question for society to answer on the national level.

Davidian

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:37 a.m.

The point is that professionals like &quot;thinker&quot; need to speak out against marijuana prohibition, because we all know that prohibition creates a black market that begets violence. It's really convenient to hide behind the schedule. What about YOUR professional opinion? Either you support peace or you don't. Live by your code.

thinker

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:38 p.m.

@1bit- You're absolutely right. My license does not have Schedule 1 on it. Of course, I do not want to write scripts for Marijuana, thus endangering by license and my good name. Federal laws and statutes are the law--sorry, marijuana lovers.

1bit

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:10 p.m.

Although some of you are deriding what thinker posted, the substance of the post is correct. The drug in question is Schedule 1. Most physicians (even with DEA licenses) do not have prescribing authority for Schedule 1 drugs (better check your license again, thinker, you are probably Schedule 2 and up unless you are a medical researcher and went through the process for Schedule 1). So, irrespective of State law, any physician &quot;prescribing&quot; a Schedule 1 drug is violating the terms of his/her DEA license. This is called drug diversion and makes any physician at risk for their medical license and DEA license and, consequently, their ability to practice. If you don't like it then don't blame the doctors, blame the people who make the laws and the rules. Blame a vague law approved by voters that is overruled by federal statutes.

Davidian

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:05 p.m.

It's been my experience that physicians are famous for not knowing the first thing about marijuana. Sorry, you don't know everything.

Terry Calhoun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:07 p.m.

I'm with the guy below who posted that if you are a physician, and you really think that cannabis is medically addictive, then I'm guessing you graduated 40 years ago and haven't cracked many books since.

Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:02 p.m.

Marijuana was spellled correct one time in Mr. Doctor's post. Personally, I might re-think calling myself &quot;Thinker&quot;.

thinker

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.

I am merely stating the DEA and legal view. I did not say it was my opinion. What I am appalled by are the physicians, perhaps not in Ann Arbor, who dispense marihuana to anyone who requests it, saying they need it medically. If marihuana is not addictive, and not a Class I drug, then it should be changed and re-scheduled according to whatever protocol is in place. I disdain any physician who takes money to write a sham prescription, such as physicians who over-prescribe pain-killers, for examples, or give out sick slips to people who are not truly ill.

Basic Bob

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:27 p.m.

@thinker, Then you also understand that insanity is a legal opinion, not a medical condition. As a physician that believes that marijuana / marihuana is highly addictive, you need to do some medical research to back your opinion. If your statement is based strictly on legal standing, your professional opinion is invalid.

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:20 p.m.

Oh Mr Physician....where is cocaine on the DEA's schedule??? Oh its Schedule 2 I think isn't it. That makes sense.

Dave66

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:18 p.m.

Pot is a Schedule 1 drug and Schedule 1 drugs are *supposed* to be for the highest addictive potential. Clearly, then, pot is in the wrong schedule. What your post argues is that a bureaucratic label should trump reality. Regardless of what category some political appointee designated for pot, that pesky reality refuses to budge, and the science still says that it's not all that addictive.

Dan Payne Jr.

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:13 p.m.

your right about it being a level 1 drug in a law that was writting about the same time my parent were born. the world has changed some much and is marijuana the root of the problem that is going on in the world today. answer: NO. are there physicans who use worse drugs to get threw med school? YES. Are there physicans that write scripts like giving out candy to anyone? Yes everyday. Do people die from drugs that approve by the FDA? Yes all the time. So as a person who has watched all of things i've mentioned happend i would say that marijuana is less harmless then &quot;SOME&quot; doctors precription for vicodine, oxycotton, or other things that &quot;SOME&quot; doctors push like crazy. SOME physicans are just as bad a herion drug mules but with a peice of paper that give them the power.

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:55 p.m.

It appears that is your professional opinion. So do you think that the doctors who are licensed in our state as medical professionals are wrong when they prescribe medical marijuana? You realize you are basically saying that your professional standard is better than others and the is poor professionalism. Marijuana is a Schedule 1 Controlled substance due to the war on drugs. It has been studied extensively and been found to be far less harmful and addictive than two legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. How do you reconcile what the law states and what is right?

pissedoff

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:52 p.m.

What do you expect from a bunch of grown boys playing dress up in black ski mask's?? They obviously don't know how to do real police work. Thats why we still have a rapist and a few bank robbers running around town. What a complete embarrassment to AA resident's!

Ryan J. Stanton

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:46 p.m.

From the AG's office yesterday: <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-164-46849-261211--,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-164-46849-261211--,00.html</a>

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:49 p.m.

If I read this right, its dispensaries that allow patient-to-patient sales. So caregiver-to-patient dispensaries are still legal.

Chandelle German

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:29 p.m.

Let me guess what they will do with all the names that they find in the computer???? Oh ya its not over.....

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:33 p.m.

You may have set a record by the end of the day for number of votes with your first post. It's already near 200 after barely two hours.

Fatkitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.

To YpsiVeteran: &quot;... police said the raids had nothing to do with a state appeals court ruling Wednesday that prohibits sale of marijuana at dispensaries.&quot; &quot;.... the clinics were raided because they allegedly did not follow guidelines established for operating dispensaries. &quot; &quot;It's an ongoing investigation,&quot; she said. She said she did not know what was seized. The investigation has been under way for at least a couple of weeks, she said. &quot;Three people were arrested&quot;. Uh-Huh! Once you &quot;weed&quot; through the fluff, and get down to the facts (i.e., provided by Ann Arbor.com), it appears that perhaps some shady deals are the cause of all the commotion. NOTHING to do with yesterday's ruling.

YpsiVeteran

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:20 p.m.

Corey Lord, I have to disagree with your statement, &quot;...the ruling yesterday gave the police cause for a warrant to search and seize...&quot;. A court ruling is not probably cause. Probable cause is required for warrants. This would have most likely been gathered over time, previous to the ruling. For all we know, people in there were selling joints to passers-bye...it's impossible to tell from the article what violations of what laws are involved.

YpsiVeteran

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:17 p.m.

Fatkitty, I suspected as much, which was why I included the &quot;assuming the raids were related to yesterday's ruling,&quot; etc. A large portion of the info currently in the article was not there when I commented. It appears they've updated it at least once since I first read it. A raid with arrests usually comes after a long period of observation and/or illegal buys, etc., so I was not convinced the raids were related to the appeals court decision. That said, I'm always glad to see people who think they are above the law get a smack-down, and I'm relieved to see something more than a simple law interpretation caused these raids.

djm12652

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:24 p.m.

finally a sobering voice of reason

Fatkitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:32 p.m.

A2.com put their own spin on the story, adding the &quot;sidebar&quot; about the court ruling and clearly complicating/confusing the facts: &quot;The law enforcement action comes one day after the state appeals court ruled medical marijuana sales are illegal.&quot; &quot;Attorney General Bill Schuette's office issued a statement Wednesday saying he would send a letter to county prosecutors &quot;explaining that the ruling clearly empowers them to close dispensaries.&quot; &quot;A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office today said she wasn't aware of any state directive to raid dispensaries, but in general the office doesn't confirm or deny ongoing investigations.&quot; Biased &quot;reporting&quot;.

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:29 p.m.

It may not have to do with the ruling yesterday but the ruling yesterday gave the police cause for a warrant to search and seize without much to go on.

bigblue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:25 p.m.

LAWNET strikes again. i wonder if they beat anybody up? doesn't sound like anyone got shot though. which is a good thing considering LAWNET was involved.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:15 p.m.

Encourage City Council to cut the police budget again. The AAPD officers are earning over $80,000.00 per annum and non-union police Ann Arbor PD evidence technicians earn $48K per year. There are asst. county prosecutors in Mackie's office earning less than 60K per year. Overpaid, rude, and engaging in tactics like above. Lay 'em off and cut their pay during the next collective bargaining sessions. It'll get their attention.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:37 a.m.

djm12652 when you are kidnapped and robbed for your own choice in medicine, I think you will see the police differently. Try to be a little less accusatory, hostile, even hateful toward those you have never even met.

djm12652

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:18 p.m.

I'd be happy to have each and every one of those &quot;overpaid, rude, and engaging in tactics like above&quot; AAPD folks have my back anyday...kind words and a smile have never been a deterrent to crime...but then again most of the commentors here have never been a victim of rape and assault...

Basic Bob

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:14 p.m.

I'm sure the LAWNET mystery men wore hoods so they couldn't be identified. That is their M.O., and if they are operating against a clandestine drug house, I understand. This was not the case here. Lt. Sturdivant should not have supported this field operation against a public business, even if it is found to involve illegal &quot;narcotics&quot; (Don't get me started on this, marijuana is not a narcotic like Oxycontin.) But seriously, I'd like to know who - *locally* - ordered the raids. Someone please post this info so I can call and write directly and express my displeasure with the way this was handled. This was a sad, shameful waste of police services. As much as I believe that LAWNET has a useful purpose, I will also ask my local municipality to withdraw their personnel and funding from future operations.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:59 p.m.

I may see what I can do to encourage my neighbors in Ypsilanti to demand that our city divorce itself from this LAWNET nonsense before our honest business people are similarly harassed.

Dave66

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:14 p.m.

zigziggityzoo has it right. &quot;Police dressed in black and wearing masks&quot; when a simple knock on the door with a warrant would have been enough? If they're so ashamed of what they're doing they have to hide their faces, perhaps they should consider another line of work. Unless they *like* dressing up as jack-booted thugs and playing Gestapo. If they get off on that sort of thing, it's kind of creepy. Maybe they're like children on Halloween, and are playing make-believe? Maybe they like to pretend that they have a tough and scary job when taking medicine away from sick people on the mean streets of Ann Arbor.

Snarf Oscar Boondoggle

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:28 a.m.

&quot; ... they *like* dressing up as jack-booted thugs and playing Gestapo.&quot; ya think?

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:33 a.m.

djm12652 have you spoken with any patients? I doubt you have. Walk into a compassion club sometime and ask some patients to share their stories. Try to be polite and not accusatory or you'll feel guilty if not ashamed when they begin to speak.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:57 p.m.

UC police officers need not participate in the raid at all. Police officers should *never* be allowed to wear masks when they arrest people. Transparency is the kind of thing that will keep them honest.

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9 p.m.

Who are you to decide who's sick or not? A lot of illnesses are invisible, ya know.

djm12652

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:22 p.m.

seriously? most [95%] of the patrons of the main st. are not sick...tired feet or hang nails do not make one a patient

Joe Kidd

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:12 p.m.

Or perhaps if they went in and bought drugs illegally as undercover officers they want to protect the ability to continue.

theodynus

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:05 p.m.

LAWNET has to do something to justify its existence, right?

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:46 p.m.

Exactly. Troopers, deputies, and local officers get assigned to these units which are considered better jobs than working in the jail or shuffling papers in a police station and ther supervisors like high-profile cases that get reported in the media.

candygirl

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:02 p.m.

I am SO ashamed of my city and state. We voted. Law passed. Nuff said.

redwingshero

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:01 p.m.

To quote Clark Griswold's mother in-law: &quot;I hope you kids see what a waste of resources this is&quot; The day after the court decision, they didn't wait long did they? Sounds like A2PD has too much time on their hands. I thought there waws some suspected serial guy on the loose still.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:56 p.m.

This is obvious law enforcement overkill in response to a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling. I have to believe that the City Attorney's office was working in close coordination with the Ann Arbor P.D. to give the police the green light to commence high-profile raids against these business establishments. The execution of the raids smack of Gestapo tactics to harass honest businessmen trying to help medical marijuana patients. The manner in which these raids were carried out is appalling and the public should lodge protests forthwith to the Mayor's office and City Council.

Mike Belzer

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:54 p.m.

Obviously Ann Arbor does not need to spend so much funds on police. Time to cut the budget. If they don't have anything more important to do, then there's too many of them. Go chase a rapist, bank robber, or mugger; plenty of those around town these days, in case the AAPD hasn't noticed. I am amazed they are wasting public funds to support prohibition when there are real criminals to worry about.

YpsiVeteran

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:40 p.m.

Seems to me that if this business was operating in a way that was previously thought to be legal, and it turns out that, since yesterday, it is no longer legal, that a simple cease and desist order -- &quot;You are hereby notified you have 24 hrs. to end unauthorized sales...blah blah&quot; -- would have been a more reasonable and less expensive first move. If an order to knock it off was ignored, then an escalation of effort could have been employed. Of course, this is assuming the raids were related to yesterday's ruling, and not something else. The way this was conducted seems, based on the small amount of info available so far, to be quite ill-advised.

Snarf Oscar Boondoggle

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:27 a.m.

you are too smart to believe theat 'ceaase and desist' would be teh state's weapon of choice when thuggery is also an optoin.

tommy_t

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:32 p.m.

They should have a stay on raids until this can be sorted out by the Mi Supremes . How many man hours on these easy targets compared to the raqpist hunt?

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.

Let A2 withdraw its officers from LAWNET as a response to these politically motivated raids.

nowayjose

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:27 p.m.

Narcotics teams don't generally hunt for rapist

Not from around here

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:28 p.m.

I was watching some of the proceedings on TV. The Big sleevless guy who runs &quot;Big Daddy dispensary&quot; in Detroit just screams &quot;Medical Professionsl&quot;. Why not only allow it to be despensed at Pharmacys like other medication. I voted for this law and after seeing the people involved, I wish I could change my vote.

Marilyn Wilkie

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:54 p.m.

I have to agree with you. I thought that there would be a more professional way to dispense it. I'm for taking the profit out of it all together by legalizing it though. People I know who smoke a lot of weed just seem unmotivated but they don't kill people like drunks do.

Blue Marker

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:29 p.m.

You know, Michael Jackson's doctor was very professional. He had a nice tie and short hair. Then he gave him enough pharmaceuticals to kill him. Just like Anna Nichole's doctor. The whole book by it's cover thing comes to mind.

mun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:28 p.m.

Gee, why does big gubmint have to regulate marijuana? Why can't we let the market forces work themselves out?

mun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.

I bet the serial rapist is loving this, with the police focused on those &quot;dangerous&quot; dispensaries.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:36 p.m.

Unless he is a customer of one of the dispensaries. LOL.

RuralMom

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.

Well since they are DEAF to the voters, remember this if you are given jury duty. All it takes if for juries to consistantly find people NOT GUILTY for this game to be OVER.

BC

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.

I feel safer now. And my pharmaceutical stocks just went up. Taxes well spent!

Stephanie

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:13 p.m.

This is so wrong it's ridiculous. I see absolutely NO reason why anyone should have arrested or anything taken out of the store. I just don't understand how they got away with this.

Snarf Oscar Boondoggle

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:26 a.m.

&quot;... but said the (Thursday) raids had nothing to do with a state appeals court ruling Wednesday that prohibits dispensaries from selling marijuana.&quot; hthey were 'jsut followng the law' ....

grye

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.

Good. Shut it down.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.

Marinol is extremely expensive ($1000+ per month) and carries harmful or even dangerous side effects that marijuana lacks (due to moderating effects of other compounds in the plant.) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis</a>

Tim Belcher

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.

@grye, great, let the drug companies over charge the consumer for something that an be grqwn in our backyards.

grye

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:03 p.m.

The medicinal benefits can be found in Marinol. If Marinol is not the answer, the govt should allow drug companies to extract the active ingredient and put it in pill form to help those with specific illnessess. Otherwise, the only use for Marijuana is to get high. Don't need it. Only causes more harm than good. Got enough societal problems. Don't need another one.

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:34 p.m.

Shut it down so we can allow more black market transactions.

mun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:21 p.m.

Yep, shut it down. 'Cuz this is way more dangerous than the serial rapist, right?

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.

Why?

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.

And so it begins....lets waste taxpayer money (ya know because financial efficiency is all the rage right now) to arrest a former township board member/former school teacher for something that over the past 3 years was talked about and debated. I don't even know where to begin on this but this is sickening. What has become of our country?? We're willing to use resources to attack non-violent citizens who are doing something thought to be legal instead of going after violent people. Hell I'd rather see the Ann Arbor police going out of jurisdiction to help out Detroit's violent problems than this. This is just sad folks.

Wolf's Bane

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:09 p.m.

BUZZ kill.

Fatkitty

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:05 p.m.

Chuck Ream, longtime medical marijuana advocate and partner in the business: &quot;Our patients are sick. We need the medicine and we need it now,&quot; Ream said. &quot;We praise the wisdom of the voters of Ann Arbor and know the voters of Ann Arbor are outraged to see their vote means nothing.&quot; Hmmmmm - I thought the law was pretty cut and dried (pardon the pun), that the &quot;state-registered patient&quot; would get the weed from their &quot;state-registered care-giver&quot;, not from a dispensary. Yet, from an earlier A2.com article: &quot;Michigan's law doesn't indicate how people who are allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes can get hold of supplies. It says they can possess up to 2.5 ounces of &quot;usable&quot; pot and keep up to 12 plants in a locked place. &quot; So is it a free-for-all? Is it regulated? Is someone getting RICH from their dispensary &quot;business&quot;? I guess it's all a matter of interpretation, who and where you are, and how bad you want/need the magic weed.

BigLover

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:44 a.m.

So true! How dare they cut into the profits of the drug companies?

Annie

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:35 p.m.

See, in order to work for a dispensery, you have to be either a caregiver or a patient. I interviewed to work at a dispensery, got the job, but decided against working there after getting a bad vibe. All you have to do is call a specific doctor, who will &quot;see&quot; you twice, deem that you have some sort of illness (could just be back pain!) and you automatically get to be in possession of a certain amount of &quot;product&quot; or plants. This is the dispensery's loophole.

Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:02 p.m.

I can not help but wonder when the A2PD is ordered to undo this and return what they took by a higher court how much will turn up missing. This is going to weed out the good and bad in the A2PD. (Pun Intended)

Alan Goldsmith

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:57 p.m.

Weclome to the new era of Rick Snyder and his jackboot cabinet members. This is only the beginning...

Snarf Oscar Boondoggle

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:24 a.m.

@alan .. either your are illinformed or somethkng else not printable. smear is not a good tactic.

Davidian

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:01 p.m.

False. This has nothing to do with Snyder. This is the Ann Arbor government.

Mr Blue

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:18 p.m.

@no flamers. Shuette works for Snyder and I doubt that Snyder did not know AND condone what Herr Scheutte did.

EyeHeartA2

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:01 p.m.

@no flamers; Don't convolute an opinion with the facts.

no flamers!

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:19 p.m.

The raid had nothing to do with Governor Snyder. First, the raid was presumably a reaction to the intermediate court of appeals opinion that was published just yesterday. That court is an independent body with no reporting relationship to the Governor (the whole co-equal separate of powers thing, you know?). Second, the judges on that opinion were in their jobs before Snyder ran for his first political office, and so there is no credible connection. Third, the AA police do not report to Lansing or even the MI State Police.

rs

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:56 p.m.

3:1 odds those cops are in a basement right now playing X-Box, eating Cheetos and listening to Dark Side of the Moon.

djm12652

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.

have you forgotten there is no police locker facilities in the basement? Dude...

Blue Marker

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:21 p.m.

That's what I'd be doing. Call of Duty as Run Like Hell plays on the hi-fi. Pass the Cheetos!

Charles

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:10 p.m.

Oh you bet they are!

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:56 p.m.

The law enforcement officers who orchestrated this raid are nothing but thugs.

SpaceGirl

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.

This seems so stupid to me. The law was passed and communities have spent the time defining their ordinances to allow or disallow dispensaries in their communities. It seemed like things were working out just fine. Why is our court system trying reverse the will of the majority of voters? I completely agree that this just seems like a complete waste of taxpayer dollars and police resources. There are much more valuable things they could be doing! Can't they go bust some kids peddling ecstasy in the Diag or something? C'mon, let us be done with this authoritative pissing contest and get over it!

jennifer

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:54 p.m.

This is just wrong. There are so many violent crimes that are ignored. This is horrible for the business owners as well as the sick people who now have no access to their medicine!

Red Barber

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 11:08 a.m.

Thanks for the laugh, Woman in Ypsilanti.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:28 a.m.

They were obviously eager to do it. They did not reluctantly slink off to &quot;do their job,&quot; they charged out of the gate like a pack of rabid wolves the moment the COA gave the go-ahead.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:48 p.m.

@Joe Kidd Actually the police can and do pick and choose which crimes they enforce. Almost every man in the state is guilty of MCL 750.532 but you don't see mass arrests going on.

jennifer

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:31 p.m.

I agree that it is not up to police. They should not be put in the position of harming citizens, but in the position to protect and serve. I do not blame police, but I do feel that their role in society has changed due to the war on drugs.

Joe Kidd

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:36 p.m.

Unfortunately the police cannot pick and choose which crimes they can enforce. In this case, they can investigate if it comes to their attention these dispensaries are not following the MJ law as passed. It is just like a pharmacist violating laws s/he is supposed to follow.

emily

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:52 p.m.

I am ashamed of my government.

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:57 p.m.

It is possible to live in the United States and oppose the war on drugs.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:35 p.m.

I was already ashamed of them before the raid. The Mayor is ultimately responsible fr this fiasco. Recall John Hieftje!

zigziggityzoo

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.

You know, the whole &quot;masks and all black&quot; SWAT look is good for some things... but I'd venture a guess that 95% of the time, a simple knock on the door with a warrant in-hand is enough. Commandos are necessary for armed and dangerous, not for hippies with hash.

simply amazed

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:10 p.m.

Hmmm. Because not everybody was wearing a mask, I assumed those that were wearing masks were doing so because of the smell, not for anonymity. If you don't care for the smell or aren't used to it, that odor can be pretty intense when the product is found in volume.

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:54 p.m.

Well I meant that they are NOT doing anything good for our country. Sorry about they typo.

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:53 p.m.

Sure. The media is just supposed to sit back and pretend not to notice when cops are intimidating the local populace.

tickieboom

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:52 p.m.

I agree their jobs are doing good for their country. The need for anonymity for a UC officer is great. We wouldn't send firefighters into a fire with out a helmet, or expect a doctor to perform surgery without a heart monitor. These are men and women doing a full time job like the rest of us, I wouldn't come into your workspace and put you in unneeded danger, why should they have people doing that to them?

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:47 p.m.

Its fine to put them in the spotlight because we live in America. Maybe they should realize their jobs are doing anything good for our country and then it wouldn't be a problem.

tickieboom

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.

Because these &quot;journalists&quot; are taking photos of UC officers. Putting people into the spotlight who are already in a dangerous job is something I really appreciate AnnArbor.com doing.

obviouscomment

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:27 p.m.

they may be wearing masks because they participate in undercover investigations and are concealing their identity for that purpose

deb

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.

Sounds like it is marijuananacht

Greggy_D

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:47 p.m.

I feel sooooo much safer AAPD. Ridiculous. Jack Booted Thuggery at its finest.

Brent

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.

They're raiding the one above Cafe Felix on Main St. right now too... 4 police vehicles and two unmarked vans.

Annie

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.

Why vote? The government will do what it pleases regardless.

Jammers02

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:13 p.m.

Because it is being abused.

Charlie Brown's Ghost

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:48 p.m.

Right. Same with California's Proposition 8.

ChrisW

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.

Obviously we have too many police officers in Ann Arbor if there's time for this kind of nonsense.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:35 p.m.

LAWNET has many AAPD officers; it's multijurisdictional. See my reply to the first post above. .

Corey Lord

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:44 p.m.

However, AAPD was there at both raids.

2WheelsGood

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:40 p.m.

I love how people only read the headline, then completely skip the store. First sentence of the first paragraph: &quot;Michigan State Police drug investigators...&quot; Then the first sentence of the next paragraph: &quot;Det. 1st Lt. Wynonia Sturdivant of the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team...&quot; Try actually reading the story.

TrappedinMI

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:41 p.m.

I thought we passed this law! Let the people speak! Ridiculous!

Mr Blue

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 12:43 a.m.

RayA2 has already convicted Mr Ream. Only in Ann Arbor...

RayA2

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:22 p.m.

&quot;We&quot; passed it, and the Medmar owners violated it.

Sarah

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.

What a ridiculous waste of time, money and resources.

Ike

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.

Yeah, Wikipedia's always right. They have the best information. Usually, when I turn in a paper for U of M, my only source is Wikipedia, and I get all A's, all the time.

Milton Shift

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:02 a.m.

RayA2, try doing some reading before you continue spreading misinformation. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis</a>

RayA2

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:21 p.m.

It is a rediculous waste of time that was made necessary by the fraud of &quot;medical&quot; marijuana. MM is no more than snake oil with the alchohol replaced by THC and a few carcinogenic chemicals thrown in.

Ike

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:16 p.m.

Yo, everybody needs to chill. The cops were just running a bit low.

Mark Hergott

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.

Seriously... let the police and prosecutors have their fun. Advocates will just use this authoritarian orgy and all the others as the reason to put the dispensary question on the ballot. Reasonable human beings have no problem with people buying dried plants in a store as long as all the paper work is filled out.

West of Main

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:55 p.m.

You know sometimes words have 2 (or more!) meanings.

djm12652

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:43 p.m.

There was an orgy? I missed that.

Chandelle German

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:39 p.m.

Maybe they should try to find that rapist instead of jumping on the medical marijuana dispensaries.....Because they are &quot;such&quot; a threat to our community!

Soothslayer

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 11:52 a.m.

Yeah ... I'm like so pissed off right now but like I can't figure out about what. Oh yeah, cops shouldn't do their jobs! Down with teh man!!! ...Dude don't canoe that thing &amp; pass me the Cheetos Maybe they should keep cracking down on illegal activities at these MM fronts that behave like any other drug dealer. /fixed All aspects of investigating and stopping &quot;illegal&quot;activity are covered under their job description, they don't discriminate. Some busts are just more public and incite potheads more than others m'kay?

DonBee

Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1:34 a.m.

We don't know why they were raided. Were they selling to minors? Sending drugs thru the mail? Providing medical advice? Making nasty cartoons of the President? We will not know until charges are filed.

Laura Peretick

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 10:19 p.m.

it REALLY does show that our government's priorities are way out of whack.

anti-thug

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:15 p.m.

tHEY GO WERE the money is............

djm12652

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.

I agree because it could very well be that the suspected rapist is an ex-con on parole having served time for violating the law in another fashion...like say selling illegal drugs...but hey, everyone knows that stoners are not a threat...they can even drive while stoned and the majority of these dispensaries are not ill but just pot heads...no law breaking to get stoned with a MM card...it's a joke

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:31 p.m.

@Mr.Kidd: I am very familiar th the organizational structure of these units. The NET stands for &quot;Narcotics Enforcement Team&quot;, a multijurisdictional law enforcement unit under the management of the Michigan State Police that is largely staffed by local officers and county deputies. Every region of Metro Detroit has its own NET. DRANO is the Downriver Narcotics Area Narcotics Organization, COMET is the County of Macomb Enforcement Team, and Oakland NET enforces that county. There are likely many AAPD officers assigned to the units conducting these raids and therefore the Chief of Police, Barnett Jones, would have some say as to what goes on with his officers. The multijurisdictional nature of these teams allows the individual officers to cross city and county lines to conduct drug investigations, however the name NET implies narcotics - not marijuana - and that is why I belive these raids are politically motivated as usually their focus is on cocaine and opiate trafficking as opposed to someone like Chuck Ream - who is well-known and respected in marijuana advocacy circles.

Joe Kidd

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 8:09 p.m.

Roadman, once the smoke clears reread the article. The raid was done by MSP and LAWNET, not AAPD.

Roadman

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:59 p.m.

Maybe Chief Barnett should tell us what progress he is making on finding the sexual assault perpetrator menacing the community. Was this just a diversion by Barnett to make us forget wht a lousy job the department is doing in locating suspects in the rape cases?

Lola

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:22 p.m.

Amen to all of the above!

mun

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.

...and tax it too.

Buster W.

Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 5 p.m.

Agree 100%. Just legalize it, already!!!