Jacob Bell
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Patients and people involved in medical marijuana in Jackson and around the state had concerns and suspicions about the chain of dispensaries raided today by police.
Michigan State Police working with Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team and Tri-County Narcotics Squad officers executed search warrants at HydroWorld stores in Jackson and Lansing.
"We had steered people away from there," Vivian Curl said of the HydroWorld store in Jackson. "We knew something was going to happen."
Curl, who lives in Jackson, founded Woosha, a network connecting patients and caregivers to provide legal and consistent access to marijuana. A patient herself, she uses other dispensaries in the area.
"Now we're all worried about who can we trust, where can we go," Curl said.
Mark Macomber stopped by HydroWorld this afternoon to complain to business owners. He found the shop closed with police inside instead.
Macomber, 26, of Jackson had sought out HydroWorld employees in Jackson to help get his state medical marijuana card. Suffering from several medical conditions that make him eligible under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, he got his doctor's recommendation through HydroWorld. Macomber, however, said he never saw a doctor.
He paid the store a $70 fee, but claimed the store made mistakes on his application that caused the state to deny it. Now, Macomber may have inadvertently broke the law.
"I don't know what to do," he said. "I'm just afraid now I'm going to go to jail."
HydroWorld, 834 N. West Ave., is owned by Danny Trevino, who owns two stores in Lansing. Calls to Trevino have not been returned. Chris Brown, an employee leaving the Jackson store during the police raid said the store was operating legally.
Lawyers and others involved with medical marijuana who have met Trevino said they were not surprised about today's raid. One called Trevino a cowboy, and another has heard complaints from patients about the Jackson store.
"We feel badly for the patients who were relying on HydroWorld," said Matt Abel, a Detroit attorney who heads Cannabis Counsel, a law firm specializing in medical marijuana law. Abel did not know Trevino well.
John Lougheed runs Sweet Leaf, a nearby dispensary in Blackman Township. He had not heard of the raid but said said patients who usually frequent HydroWorld came into his store today for marijuana. Lougheed said his store has had no problems with police.
Roger Maufort, who runs the Jackson County Compassion Club, 1620 E. Michigan Ave., said he has known Danny Trevino for a long time but did not know much about his business. Maufort said he had heard rumors and grumblings about HydroWorld but nothing he could confirm.
If HydroWorld was operating outside of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, today's raid proves the law is strong enough to shut down illegal businesses, Maufort said. Some people in the budding industry have what Maufort calls "gold bud fever."
"I think it gives the community a black eye and I think the Attorney General was probably dancing for that negative press," Maufort said. "The majority of the medical marijuana community operates within the law and with the best interest of the patients in mind."
Attorney General Bill Schuette staunchly opposes medical marijuana dispensaries and considers the law, passed by voters in 2008, a poorly written one. He called for the closure of all dispensaries following a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling in late August against a Mount Pleasant store. His office would not comment on today's raid.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mlive.com
Author: Aaron Aupperlee
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Michigan Live LLC.
Website: Patients, medical marijuana community had concerns and suspicions about dispensary raided today
Michigan State Police working with Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team and Tri-County Narcotics Squad officers executed search warrants at HydroWorld stores in Jackson and Lansing.
"We had steered people away from there," Vivian Curl said of the HydroWorld store in Jackson. "We knew something was going to happen."
Curl, who lives in Jackson, founded Woosha, a network connecting patients and caregivers to provide legal and consistent access to marijuana. A patient herself, she uses other dispensaries in the area.
"Now we're all worried about who can we trust, where can we go," Curl said.
Mark Macomber stopped by HydroWorld this afternoon to complain to business owners. He found the shop closed with police inside instead.
Macomber, 26, of Jackson had sought out HydroWorld employees in Jackson to help get his state medical marijuana card. Suffering from several medical conditions that make him eligible under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, he got his doctor's recommendation through HydroWorld. Macomber, however, said he never saw a doctor.
He paid the store a $70 fee, but claimed the store made mistakes on his application that caused the state to deny it. Now, Macomber may have inadvertently broke the law.
"I don't know what to do," he said. "I'm just afraid now I'm going to go to jail."
HydroWorld, 834 N. West Ave., is owned by Danny Trevino, who owns two stores in Lansing. Calls to Trevino have not been returned. Chris Brown, an employee leaving the Jackson store during the police raid said the store was operating legally.
Lawyers and others involved with medical marijuana who have met Trevino said they were not surprised about today's raid. One called Trevino a cowboy, and another has heard complaints from patients about the Jackson store.
"We feel badly for the patients who were relying on HydroWorld," said Matt Abel, a Detroit attorney who heads Cannabis Counsel, a law firm specializing in medical marijuana law. Abel did not know Trevino well.
John Lougheed runs Sweet Leaf, a nearby dispensary in Blackman Township. He had not heard of the raid but said said patients who usually frequent HydroWorld came into his store today for marijuana. Lougheed said his store has had no problems with police.
Roger Maufort, who runs the Jackson County Compassion Club, 1620 E. Michigan Ave., said he has known Danny Trevino for a long time but did not know much about his business. Maufort said he had heard rumors and grumblings about HydroWorld but nothing he could confirm.
If HydroWorld was operating outside of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, today's raid proves the law is strong enough to shut down illegal businesses, Maufort said. Some people in the budding industry have what Maufort calls "gold bud fever."
"I think it gives the community a black eye and I think the Attorney General was probably dancing for that negative press," Maufort said. "The majority of the medical marijuana community operates within the law and with the best interest of the patients in mind."
Attorney General Bill Schuette staunchly opposes medical marijuana dispensaries and considers the law, passed by voters in 2008, a poorly written one. He called for the closure of all dispensaries following a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling in late August against a Mount Pleasant store. His office would not comment on today's raid.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mlive.com
Author: Aaron Aupperlee
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Michigan Live LLC.
Website: Patients, medical marijuana community had concerns and suspicions about dispensary raided today
