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.
