Bad bills advance
Published: June 22, 2011
Ask
your legislators to oppose SB 377 and SB 418
Two bills
that would undermine Michigan’s medical marijuana law were approved yesterday
by the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee.
The first, SB
377, would
require medical marijuana patients’ names and addresses to be sent to a
database accessible by the Department of State Police with or without a
warrant. Sponsors of the measure say
the bill is needed so that officers could verify whether an individual is a
patient before conducting a raid or traffic stop, but the law already allows
police to verify patients’ ID cards. This bill needlessly jeopardizes privacy,
treats patients like criminal suspects, and allows police to go on fishing
expeditions without probable cause.
The second, SB
418, would prevent individuals from suing to overturn municipal ordinances
that violate state law. For example, the ACLU is suing several cities that
have passed local laws prohibiting “any activity that violates federal law” –
thinly veiled efforts to prevent medical marijuana patients and their
caregivers from using or growing marijuana. If passed, SB 418 would take away
the right to challenge ordinances designed to thwart the protections enacted
by 63% of Michigan voters.
Please ask
your elected officials to oppose these efforts to undermine the will of
Michigan’s voters.
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