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Michigan Supreme Court Takes Two More Medical Marijuana Cases

The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear two more medical marijuana cases.

As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta reports, two medical marijuana cardholders want protections from criminal charges.

In both cases, the defendants say the fact that they have medical marijuana cards should protect them from prosecution even if they did not abide by the letter of the law. In one case, a cardholder who was also allowed to provide marijuana to two patients was charged after he sold pot to an undercover police officer.

In the other case, the cardholder had more marijuana than he needed for his patients, and the plants were not kept in a separate locked location. They both say the medical marijuana law is supposed to offer sweeping protections to state-issued cardholders from criminal charges. Michigan’s medical marijuana statute was approved by an overwhelming majority of the state’s voters in 2008. More than 130 thousand Michigan residents have registered for cards.

Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He has been covering Michigan’s Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The (Pontiac, MI) Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener.
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