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Hello, my name is Ariel, I'm the founder & president of the Michigan Cannabis Caregivers Association, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit focused on advocating and lobbying for the rights of patients & caregivers. We represent over 9,000 Michigan patients, caregivers and small business owners. I'm also the owner of Entourage Effect CBD & Shaman Dreams Wellness cannabis companies. As a small cannabis business owner that started as a caregiver helping patients, I’m appalled at the actions being taken in an attempt to strip medical cardholders of their legal rights and protections provided by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. 

Today I call you to act on behalf of every medical patient here in Michigan. Say no to The Michigan Cannabis Safety Act, House Bills 5300-5302. These bills update rules in the Michigan Medical Marijuana and Michigan Medical Marijuana Facility Licensing acts by establishing a new Specialty Medical Grower (SMG) license & forcing caregivers who serve more than one patient to apply or be criminalized.

The language in the bill makes it very difficult for most caregivers to actually be licensed. These bills' texts are full of controversial violations of individual and patient rights. This includes but is not limited to unreasonable stop search and seizure, a direct violation of our constitutional rights as Americans. Please contact the statehouse by phone or email and request this bill not be signed into law!

The Michigan Cannabis Safety Act may sound like an opportunity, but it is truly harmful to Michigan's patients & caregivers alike. What these reforms aim to do is eliminate many caregivers' ability to provide for a patient's needs and forcing patients to the retail market where the costs are higher. This is being done in the name of public safety by some of Michigan's biggest companies.

What they aim to do is eliminate any competition so all patients will have to shop with them. Caregivers have proven their ability to provide safe access to patients. Michigan's current retail model was built on the backs of caregivers. All products in retail stores came from caregivers from the start. Caregivers were the advocates and activists that pushed for the legislation to pass that allowed these large companies to operate in Michigan. 

I've fought and sacrificed my life to see this become a reality and be a part of it. My mother was one of my patients due to chronic pain and the opiates took her life. What they're doing by making the medicine patients need too expensive for them to have access to is detrimental.

Someone who uses cannabis to help with pain and stay off of opiates as my mother did, could go back to opiates because they can't afford dispensary prices, no longer have access to a caregiver, and cannot grow their own medicine. Not to mention the large commercial companies will not cultivate or produce what a specific patient needs to treat their conditions. 

Lastly, supporters of this legislation claim that it will curtail the black market here in Michigan. I'm here to tell you that is an outright lie used to gain the support of this evil corporate greed agenda. The black market will continue to thrive despite these efforts, just look at the data from other states nationwide. The bottom line is this, criminals do not care about the law they just break it.

The Cannabis Safety Act being in place will not stop people from growing and distributing illegally in or outside of Michigan. There will still be people from here, from out of state and even out of the country, that will illegally import and sell regardless of the Michigan Cannabis Safety Act. The only thing this legislation will truly do is further restrict patients' access to the medicine they truly need to live a better quality of life. 

FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT ONLINE! @ https://michigancannabiscaregivers.org