Jan 05, 2009
MPP director of state policies Karen O'Keefe spoke this morning at a hearing convened by the Michigan Department of Community Health to consider draft regulations implementing the state's new medical marijuana law.
The very well attended hearing took the whole morning, Karen reports, with large numbers of patients presenting constructive criticisms of rules that in some cases go beyond the authority given the department by the voter-approved initiative. Of particular concern are rules that require participants in the program to submit a written inventory of medical marijuana plants grown, and defining "use in public" (prohibited by the law) so broadly that it would ban patients from medicating in their own living room with the curtains open.
Karen's full written comments are here.
As is probably inevitable at such an open, public forum, a few speakers veered off-topic, but very few were hostile to the law. Even the Michigan State Police gave generally constructive testimony, though one police comment having to do with a law enforcement database raises concerns about patient privacy that will require MPP to follow up.
There's already been extensive media coverage, including early-morning radio news stories, and articles in the Detroit Free Press and Michigan Messenger. Half a dozen TV cameras were present, so we expect lots of coverage on the evening news.