Rudi Gammo Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
Rudi Gammo didn’t seem to be making tons of money, nor was it his goal, when he opened one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries in Detroit five years ago.
His supporters, his wife and his attorney believe he is being singled out for selective prosecution in Michigan where MMJ is legal and Gammo has broken no laws.
“Rudi is one of the first people to be provided a medical marijuana dispensary in the city of Detroit, that was permitted by the city,” said Gammo’s attorney Barton Morris who works with Michigan’s Cannabis Legal Group.
Morris believes that his client is being prosecuted as a continual criminal enterprise because Rudi owns homes where he is allowing people to grow MMJ to service the community.
“All the marijuana is being grown and being sold at the dispensary. He’s doing nothing different than what all these other dispensaries are doing,” said Morris, who noted that this is how most MMJ businesses currently operate in Detroit and most of Michigan.
Rudi Gammo, however, was prosecuted and sentenced to 5-and-a-half years in prison.
“Up until now, there has been no uniformity, there’s been some people prosecuted and others not,” said Morris of Rudi Gammo, the father of two young children.
“My kids probably [are] going to be 10 years old when he comes home. I just want a little bit of mercy. My kids and me and my whole family need him, need him back,” said Gammo’s wife Vida.
“Our society has said marijuana should be legal, so we should not be jailing people for it, especially non-violent offenders, that are trying to do within the parameters of this gray area, that we’re in the process of right now,” said Morris.
Meanwhile, Michigan has ordered the closing of 210 MMJ facilities, which raises the question: how can medical cannabis function under such circumstances?
