Grand Rapids marijuana dispensary remains open while owner fights recent arrest, drug

[oscar169]

Mid-Michigan Compassiont Club founder David Overholt points to a sign that explains the shop's policy after the March 6 raid

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Dave Overholt will fight his case all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court if he must.
The founder of the Mid-Michigan Compassion Club and a strong advocate of the state's medical marijuana program, Overholt said his recent arrest and the charges against him could clarify Michigan's law once they are dismissed.
Overholt, 56, turned himself in to police Friday, April 5, and was charged with three drug-related crimes stemming from a March 6 Grand Rapids police raid of his Leonard Street NW dispensary. He was released on a $25,000 bond after spending about three hours in jail.
"Mentally, I'm drained," Overholt said Saturday afternoon.
Despite his arrest, Overholt intends to continue operating the club. His club is a network of caregivers who provide marijuana to each other. The caregivers then dispense the marijuana to their patients. Overholt believes his caregiver-to-caregiver model is legal under the state's medical marijuana law.
"If I shut and run, it appears that I've done something wrong," he said.

Dave Overholt
Overholt faces charges of delivering or manufacturing narcotics, delivering or manufacturing marijuana and frequenting a drug house, according to jail records. The delivering or manufacturing narcotics charge is from the cannabis oil Overholt extracts from marijuana and bakes into candy.
On March 6, Grand Rapids police raided three medical marijuana dispensaries including Overholt's club. Overholt said police confiscated about $3,900 in cash, less than one-quarter pound of marijuana and five to eight marijuana candy bags - as well as a computer hard drive and paper records. He is still fighting to retrieve the confiscated items, including the money. The club was about to donate $900 to an area church when the raid happened, Overholt said.

Overholt intends to fight the case and will take it the Michigan Supreme Court. The court ruled in February that patient-to-patient sales were not legal under the law. Critics of the state's medical marijuana program, including state Attorney General Bill Schuette, claimed the ruling clarified the law and would allow for prosecutors to shut down dispensaries under public nuisance statutes.
Overholt believes his case will further clarify the law and solidify the legal practice of caregiver-to-caregiver sales.
"The law already backs up what we're doing," Overholt said. "This has to go to the supreme court."
Grand Rapids police also raided Natural Wellness Associates, 1240 N. Taylor Ave., and Purple Med, 1365 Plainfield Ave. NE, on March 6. Both dispensaries remain open. Employees at both shops said to best of their knowledge, the owners were not arrested Friday. Both employees would not give the names of their owners.
Natural Wellness posted on its Facebook page a letter from a Grand Rapids police code enforcement officer. The letter, dated March 27, stated the owner may be forced to forfeit the shop if police again seize drugs from the shop.
The letter also warns that a public nuisance complaint could be filed against the shop, resulting in the shop being padlocked for up to a year.

 

[Mud Boy]

It's the same bullshit from the pigs, pile on the charges and hope everybody cops a plea. What the fuck would they do if everyone busted for any drug offense demanded a jury trial? They would go broke pretty fast. I hope Schuette gets cancer.

 

[MIway]

It's the same bullshit from the pigs, pile on the charges and hope everybody cops a plea. What the fuck would they do if everyone busted for any drug offense demanded a jury trial? They would go broke pretty fast. I hope Schuette gets cancer.

we have judges & prosecutors here that try to find any technical breach of the law and then refuse the mention of any medical defense at all... Will try to dismiss any mention of it in the slightest, let alone to present a full out defense case based upon it. This has already hapened to caregivers... Doubt the dips will get any benefit whatsoever, esp with the mcqueen ruling.

Dont know what it like up in gr... Hope he has a damn good attny and a favorably liberal judge...if not, the system is going to railroad his ass. He would be better off going to the cop and attny and strike a deal where they tap his ass every couple of months and he just nevet mentions it and lets the booty go to their asset siezure infused budgets. Cops may just turn around and sell him back the weed they 'confiscated'... Gt them a new super trooper squad car with a license plate data logger. Think that shit aint a reality in this state? Lol...overtly corrupt in this state. Just a tip from a local attny...dont ask for the cash back, it pisses them off with accountability and paperwork.

 

[Mud Boy]

It's the same up here, the judges and prosecutors won't give an inch and all the lawyers are in cahoots 'cuz they're all members of the same mutual admiration society. Nobody goes to trial and if they do and lose, they get hammered. There are so many pill freaks and tweakers around her, but people still get 30 days for one little bud. I've lived in this state all my life, but if things don't get better by the time I retire in a couple years, I'm gone.

 

[paladin420]

Win for GR Dispensaries



I believe it was last Friday, all the owners of the compassion clubs that got raided last month in Grand Rapids were in court. When the police reported that the cocaine found was actually powdered sugar from a brownie to the judge, he got a little peeved! After that, the judge took the Grand Rapids Prosecutor in the back room and you could hear the judge yelling at the prosecutor how he could use these Natzi style tactics on these businesses and then bring it to his court, when the issue was currently being worked out in the court system and by legislation. Since they raided these shops with no warrants, all evidence is non existent and the judge gave the prosecutor 30 days to build a case or dismiss. This is a big win for GR and the medical marijuana community. You will not see this reported anywhere! If you do find it reported, please let us know!!!


^^^^^ pasted from another forum.. all I kno

 

[oscar169]

Win for GR Dispensaries



I believe it was last Friday, all the owners of the compassion clubs that got raided last month in Grand Rapids were in court. When the police reported that the cocaine found was actually powdered sugar from a brownie to the judge, he got a little peeved! After that, the judge took the Grand Rapids Prosecutor in the back room and you could hear the judge yelling at the prosecutor how he could use these Natzi style tactics on these businesses and then bring it to his court, when the issue was currently being worked out in the court system and by legislation. Since they raided these shops with no warrants, all evidence is non existent and the judge gave the prosecutor 30 days to build a case or dismiss. This is a big win for GR and the medical marijuana community. You will not see this reported anywhere! If you do find it reported, please let us know!!!


^^^^^ pasted from another forum.. all I kno

What forum I would like to read this ?

 

[paladin420]

What forum I would like to read this ?

you just did. that is all it says

poster is a spammer for dispensy's and about to get the ban hammer I expect

 

[MIway]

I hope its true P! ;-)

Holding a prosecutor accountable would make a big difference in how the system runs, regardless of this specific case.