Raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in this northern Lower Peninsula town have sparked action among the region’s activist community. A protest march and press conference are scheduled for Monday, June 1 beginning at 10 am.
Eight dispensaries and eight residences were raided on Wednesday, May xx by agents of the Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement unit, called SANE, and other local law enforcement officers. Some of the dispensaries had been open for months- even years.
The protest will begin at 10am at 115 S Wisconsin Street, Gaylord and will end at noon, when a press conference will be held at 563 S Otsego, Gaylord, in front of the Michigan State Police post.
From a Press Release prepared by protest participants:
Last week, Michigan State Police and several other agencies used SWAT to investigate compliance with the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, executing simultaneous raids on provisioning centers and family homes. The participating agencies searched the homes of frightened residents, forfeited 19 cars and all of the medicine from every provisioning center. No arrests were made.
On Monday, June 1st, following a marching protest, medical marijuana patients and Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement (SANE) victims from Cheboygan, Emmet, Ostego and Charlevoix counties will rally in front of the Michigan State Police post in Gaylord. Despite the threat of law enforcement retaliation, in protest of the SANE actions, and to call on the State of Michigan to Stop The Raids and protect them from further harm.
“This is not only an example of law enforcement actions being wasteful and inefficient,” said Chairman for the Michigan chapter of Americans for Safe Access Jamie Lowell, “but SANE has proven itself to be a danger to the very citizens that it was created to protect.”
Source: The Compassion Chronicles
