Michigan News for November 2016 - by Rachel Bunting

Jason Boyce

Man Stabbed in Illegal Grow WarehouseDetroit: Police are asking for help from the public to capture Jason Boyce. Boyce is suspected in the stabbing of a 55 year old man. The man was found late last month, stabbed multiple times, and transported to Detroit Medical Center’s Receiving Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The warehouse where the victim was found housed a large illegal marijuana grow operation. Officials could not speculate whether the plants were related to the murder. Detroit police ask anyone with information on the crime or the whereabouts of Boyce to contact the homicide unit.


Man Found Beaten to Death, Plants StolenGratiot County: John M. Erskin was found dead early last month after his nephew, who hadn’t heard from him in a couple of days, decided to check on him. According to the autopsy, Erskin’s death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head from numerous blows with a blunt object. Surveillance cameras and alarms positioned around the victim’s legal grow operation were either broken or missing, as were all of his medical plants. The crime happened on Lumberjack Rd in Riverdale and police are asking for any tips to help the case.


Community Legalizes Small Amounts of MarijuanaEast Lansing: A recently passed ordinance in East Lansing allows adults over the age of 21 to possess and use up to an ounce of marijuana on private property. The ordinance also charges those under the age of 21 with a $25 fine and community service if caught with the flower. Police still have

the opportunity to arrest and seek criminal charges on non-card holders under state law. Lt. Scott Wriggelsworth of the East Lansing Police says most people using or possessing the drug will not be arrested unless they are known to be a drug dealer. Residents may also possess up to an ounce of marijuana in public but will receive a ticket if they try to smoke in public. The state still has the power to make a declaratory action against the city, voiding the ordinance.


Waxy ThiefRoscommon: Two men in Roscommon were pulled over on a routine traffic stop, when officers found a potent form of marijuana in the vehicle. When asked about the wax found with them, one of the men confessed to have gotten it from his home. State Troopers got a search warrant for that home and found an abundance of drugs, along with various pieces of stolen property. Police believe the stolen property may be linked to several recent break-ins in Denton Township.


Stolen MarijuanaLaGrange County: A Michigan man was vacationing in Indiana last month when he noticed his hotel room had been broken into. J. Johnson returned to his room to find his marijuana missing and immediately called the police to report the incident. Johnson explained to police that upon returning
to his room he noticed about 3.5 grams of marijuana gone. Officers search the “immediate area” but were unable to find the drugs. There were no arrests made.




Follow the Rules or Get BustedLivingston County: Two of the four men charged with being involved in a large grow operation have entered in a plea this month. The men were charged after a 15-month undercover operation concluded they were manufacturing marijuana for illegal sales under the guise of following the MMMA. Officers seized a total of 545 plants, 15 pounds of marijuana, and 7 pounds of dried flower, as well as nearly $195,000 in cash. While two of the men entered a guilty plea of possession with intent to deliver, two of their co-defendants have yet to enter a plea. The sentencing hearing for those men will be in early November.


Governor Snyder Signs PackageLansing: Late last month Gov. Rick Snyder signed the three-bill package to clarify the medical marijuana act in the state. The new system will give local governments the right to regulate the number and location of marijuana dispensaries in their area. It also gives them the authority to allow marijuana infused products, such as balms or lotions, while having them create a seed-to-sale tracking structure. The biggest perk to the package is the idea of legally allowing dispensaries, as MMM Report last month, the new bills will put a new 3% tax on the “gross retail income” of every provision center, as well as requiring all dispensaries, growers, and transporters to apply for an annually renewed state license to stay in business. They were not outlined or mentioned in the original law. Edibles are also a new feature with the bills, since straight smokable marijuana was the only approved method of use in the MMMA, but the newly approved medibles will require a THC limit. As mentioned in the