Legislators Discuss Limiting Medical Marijuana Law
LANSING (WWJ) - The State House Judiciary committee Thursday held a hearing to discuss four bills that would clamp limits on Michigan's medical marijuana law. Among the proposed changes is a bill that would require more careful exams from specific doctors who certify patients.
Medical marijuana user and veteran Todd Billman told the committee that that just doesn't make sense.
"I've been in the hospital three times, the urologist and doctor five, new doctor three times, five times the podiatrist, two diabetic nurses, an EKG, EMG, CT scan, X-ray scan, and I still need to go to a medical marijuana doctor ... for what?"
Also included in the legislation is a call for greater access by police to the state marijuana registry.
ACLU Staff Attorney Dan Korotkin has a problem with that.
"It would allow police officers to learn the medical condition of a patient and the name and address of the patient's doctor," said Korotkin.
"That information, it seems to me, should be completely private. Because, ordinarily, there's no legitimate law enforcement reason to know that information, particularly without a warrant or a court order," he said.
Other proposed changes would make transporting medical marijuana similar to transporting a gun and would make it illegal to operate a vehicle, plane or motorboat while under the influence of medical pot.
