Whitmer Commutes Four Drug Sentences
has approved requests for clemency from Michael Thompson, Lawrence Cadroy, Lorenzo Garrett and Larry McGhee, all sentenced for drug crimes.
Thompson was sentenced to 40-60 years in prison in 1996, and has served 22. He was set up by Flint Area Narcotics Group (FANG) on a deal for four pounds of marijuana. No weapons were found on his person, or at the time of the sale, a search warrant later revealed the firearms in his home.
Cadroy was sentenced in 1999 to life in prison, having served 21 years. According to documents on law.justia.com he was arrested after more than a pound of cocaine and more than 100 pounds of marijuana were discovered on his truck. Initially arguing the narcotics were illegally seized, the court disagreed and sentenced him to life in prison.
Garret had received a sentence of 29-170 years in 1999, he served 22. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections public notice on his parole hearing, he was charged with two counts of manufacturing and delivering 225-649 grams of cocaine.
McGhee was sentenced in 2004 to 20-30 years in prison, he served 16. According to documents on caselaw.findlaw.com he was labelled a fugitive when his home was raided in 1992, 1995, then again in 1998 and more than a pound of cocaine, less than 50 grams of heroin, an unspecified amount of marijuana, a firearm and a financial ledger were discovered. He was apprehended by the FBI while running under a different name in Georgia, and returned to Michigan for trial.
MRA Drops Marijuana-Infused Drink Guidance
Production of Marijuana-Infused Beverages” Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) technical bulletin details the requirements for submission and approval for weed drinks, as well as provides guidelines for the creation and production.
Same as with many other MRA announcements, the bulletin consists mostly of future promises from the MRA, and a laundry list of hoops one must jump through in order to apply for approval. Obvious general safety and commerce principles are outlined as well, such as all water must be potable, and any marijuana-infused beverage must be shelf stable.
Also typical with MRA rules come stipulations that require a future promise of action. Any producer engaged in the creation of marijuana-infused beverages must provide to the MRA a complete research proposal telling the state exactly how the producer plans on continuing to research the product they produce. How this requirement will affect smaller operations who may not have the resources to commit to ongoing research remains to be seen.
Animals Get Medical Marijuana Love In New Bill
The American Veterinary Medical Association admits that these treatments have shown to reduce things such as seizures and inflammation, but hinges most of it’s opinion on the lack of FDA approval for such treatments. It cites the one cannabis based drug with FDA approval (Epidiolex), and states that it can be used in an extra-label fashion in accordance with the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act. This act, passed in 1994, allows veterinarians to prescribe approved animal and human drugs when the health of an animal is threatened, when it is suffering, or when lack of treatment will result in death.
According to many surveys, most veterinarians consider themselves to be fairly knowledgeable about cannabis as a medicine, however about half of them are still reluctant to discuss it as a treatment option with clients.
Regardless, it is now legal for them to advise the use of these medicines, so initiating the conversation from the patient side could potentially lead to more open discussion of these treatments, and as always this may open more avenues into research.
