Truth Seeker
New Member
he Med Joint Community Compassion Center in Oshtemo Township has closed.
The center, at 6857 West Main St., had temporarily closed its doors in February on the advice of founder Kevin Spitler's lawyer, after the Michigan Supreme Court upheld a ruling that patient-to-patient sales of medical marijuana are not covered under state law. This week, the former medical marijuana dispensary closed permanently, according to Spitler.
Spitler said the center had recently been open only as a resource center, providing information and education. Previously, it had provided medical marijuana patients with topical oil, juice and other non-psychotropic cannabis products for free and with medical marijuana for a donation. The center served 2,676 patients and 314 caregivers, according to Spitler.
Spitler said in late April that he was closing the center due to lack of funds and letters he has received from Oshtemo Township, but that he will continue to maintain the Med Joint website and hold public meetings.
"I might not have the medicine anymore, I might not have the facility, but when I first started this nonprofit I had a purpose, to educate, and I still have that purpose," Spitler said. "If everybody knew that you didn't need to get high (to get medical benefits from marijuana), it would be a whole different ball game. I want to educate society about the non-psychotropic uses of cannabis. That's a game changer."
On the center's Facebook page, Spitler has posted letters he received from Oshtemo Township, including one dated March 8, 2013 that states Med Joint's practices at its location, in a retail plaza near Ninth Street, are not in compliance with the court ruling or the township's medical marijuana ordinance. The ordinance allows registered medical marijuana operations only as home occupations in rural residential districts.
The closing of the physical location means the end of the center's charitable efforts, which Spitler said has included a monthly food drive that in 2012 supplied almost 12,000 pounds of food to Loaves and Fishes, as well as various efforts to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Spitler said he hopes to hold public meetings monthly to continue to educate people.
"When the laws change, these people need a way to know," Spitler said. "How many people know that you've gotta put your marijuana in your trunk? .... How can we work together with the sheriff's department, because that's something that needs to be done. At what point do people find out (about law changes) and how people find out?"
Spitler said the meetings will also continue his message that medical marijuana is not about getting high.
He hopes at some point to be able to open a new facility.
"Where that may be, who knows?" Spitler said. "It might take until we have (the laws changed) or until somebody embraces that what we're doing is different from anybody else around the state."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: mlive.com
Author: Fran Wilcox
Contact: Contact Us - MLive.com
Website: Oshtemo Township medical marijuana dispensary Med Joint Community Compassion Center closes | MLive.com
The center, at 6857 West Main St., had temporarily closed its doors in February on the advice of founder Kevin Spitler's lawyer, after the Michigan Supreme Court upheld a ruling that patient-to-patient sales of medical marijuana are not covered under state law. This week, the former medical marijuana dispensary closed permanently, according to Spitler.
Spitler said the center had recently been open only as a resource center, providing information and education. Previously, it had provided medical marijuana patients with topical oil, juice and other non-psychotropic cannabis products for free and with medical marijuana for a donation. The center served 2,676 patients and 314 caregivers, according to Spitler.
Spitler said in late April that he was closing the center due to lack of funds and letters he has received from Oshtemo Township, but that he will continue to maintain the Med Joint website and hold public meetings.
"I might not have the medicine anymore, I might not have the facility, but when I first started this nonprofit I had a purpose, to educate, and I still have that purpose," Spitler said. "If everybody knew that you didn't need to get high (to get medical benefits from marijuana), it would be a whole different ball game. I want to educate society about the non-psychotropic uses of cannabis. That's a game changer."
On the center's Facebook page, Spitler has posted letters he received from Oshtemo Township, including one dated March 8, 2013 that states Med Joint's practices at its location, in a retail plaza near Ninth Street, are not in compliance with the court ruling or the township's medical marijuana ordinance. The ordinance allows registered medical marijuana operations only as home occupations in rural residential districts.
The closing of the physical location means the end of the center's charitable efforts, which Spitler said has included a monthly food drive that in 2012 supplied almost 12,000 pounds of food to Loaves and Fishes, as well as various efforts to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Spitler said he hopes to hold public meetings monthly to continue to educate people.
"When the laws change, these people need a way to know," Spitler said. "How many people know that you've gotta put your marijuana in your trunk? .... How can we work together with the sheriff's department, because that's something that needs to be done. At what point do people find out (about law changes) and how people find out?"
Spitler said the meetings will also continue his message that medical marijuana is not about getting high.
He hopes at some point to be able to open a new facility.
"Where that may be, who knows?" Spitler said. "It might take until we have (the laws changed) or until somebody embraces that what we're doing is different from anybody else around the state."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: mlive.com
Author: Fran Wilcox
Contact: Contact Us - MLive.com
Website: Oshtemo Township medical marijuana dispensary Med Joint Community Compassion Center closes | MLive.com
