GROW TIP: Protecting Your Grow from Future Raids - by Ben Horner

What is worse then mites and powdery mildew? Law enforcement, legislators, lobbyists and investors want to take away your right grow and transfer cannabis. Michigan Growers, its time to expand your growing skills outside of the garden.  Ever since medical marijuana has been enacted into law, more and more people have become cannabis growers. Hundreds of grow stores have opened in Michigan over the last 5 years to sell us lights, nutrients and other supplies for our grows.



     Most growers in the state have been doing so with a patient or caregiver license for medical purposes. They transfer their overages to qualified patients and dispensaries around the state. Others have been doing so for many years prior the passing of MMMA, and will continue to do so illegally.  On September 22nd, the House Judiciary Committee passed an amended version of HB 4209, now called the Medical Marijuana Faculties Act. Last year the bills allowed every caregiver to transfer up to 60 ounces every 60 days, now when these bills pass only state licensed growers (Class A 500 plants. Class B 1000 plants, Class C 1500 plants) which must pay an excise tax of 8% and use an armored car transportation service to deliver the raw herb to processing centers and provisioning centers. At the hearing, a spokesperson for the sheriffs association insisted that for the bills to work that the caregivers and home grows should be eliminated.

     Many owners of dispensaries, mostly from Detroit, have negotiated this deal with the help of the MRC, MDCA, NPRA and the MCC. They are trying to sell you out to law enforcement. They know that once they are the only legal supplier that market will spike, people will go underground and law enforcement will be targeting every caregiver in the state. Growers will go to jail by the thousands feeding the police budget. The price of medical marijuana will increase temporarily allowing the dispensaries that sell out the caregivers to make windfall profits and reinvest in commercial cultivation.

You have two options:

1.)  Call or write your lawmakers and tell them to add caregivers back into the program and don’t charge them an 8% excise tax. Donate to the Cannabis Stakeholders Group (CSG) and participate in meetings that will help protect you. If you have any questions about CSG check out the website:
www.cannabisstakeholdersgroup.org

2.)  Establish a commercial grow. Review the pending legislations and position yourself to get one of those commercial cultivation licenses.

I think this is the best grow tip for Michigan growers right now. Good luck!