burnin1
Well-Known Member
From occnewspaper.com
Americas Sheriff of the Year Has Reefer Madness
Calls Medical Dispensaries a Drug Business and Warns public that likely new Michigan laws are fraught with peril.
By Keith Mansur
Oregon Cannabis Connection
Michigans Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard has expressed his unwarranted fears of murderous heroin dealers becoming dispensary owners in Michigan under new laws being considered by lawmakers. Michigan has started a sweeping overhaul of their medical marijuana system, and one provision bans someone convicted of a felony within the past 10 years from being a dispensary owner. But, thats not long enough, according to Sherrif Bouchard, who believes the worst possible scenario will come to fruition.
If some guy who was a heroin dealer and killed his competitor and got released from prison, 10 years later hes eligible to run a cash drug business, legally, Bouchard said. Obviously thats fraught with peril.
Brouchard additionally opined that there should be a provision added barring people with felony drug convictions from obtaining a license, ever. He thinks Michigan Governor Rick Scott should veto the package of bills without such a provision. Bouchard himself was a candidate for Michigan Governor in 2010 and more recently was voted Michigans first ever national Sheriff of the Year award by The National Sheriffs Association this year.
You cant be a stock broker if youve got a felony conviction, the sheriff explained himself further. You would expect they would uphold the same standards they have for banking, gambling, for alcohol and for cigarettes.
But, not everyone agrees, including one former sheriff and current Michigan Senator.
If somebody 10 years ago got picked up for (drug) possession, I certainly dont think that should, 10 years later, preclude them from having employment, explained state Senator Rick Jones, chairman of the judiciary committee and former Eaton County sheriff. For Sheriff Bouchard to come at this late date and now claim he has a problem, I think is poor judgment. He had plenty of opportunity to have input.
Bouchard was also accused of threatening violence earlier this year by an Oakland County Commission and former state representative Eileen Kowall. A colleague of hers had an encounter with Bouchard in the local YMCA locker room where he apparently threatened harm if any bills were proposed for marijuana regulation.
Dont even think about proposing, sponsoring or voting for any medical marijuana bills, he reportedly said. And drop the ones currently in committee, or well, you know, things can happen.
Looks like what need to happen is Sheriff Mike Bouchard be removed from his position as the head of law
enforcement if he cant be law abiding, himself. The difference is, marijuana consumers are respectable, unlike many law enforcement officers, especially those elected ignorant, not too bright, and paid for political hacks like most county sheriffs. We wont threaten them with violence, we will just vote them out!
There once was such a sheriff in conservative Southern Oregons Jackson county named Mike Winters, too. He was also popular in some respects, and was even featured on Discovery Channels Weed Country in 2012, but they threw him out!
Go get him Oakland County!
http://www.occnewspaper.com/americas-sheriff-of-the-year-hs-reefer-madness/
Americas Sheriff of the Year Has Reefer Madness
Calls Medical Dispensaries a Drug Business and Warns public that likely new Michigan laws are fraught with peril.
By Keith Mansur
Oregon Cannabis Connection
Michigans Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard has expressed his unwarranted fears of murderous heroin dealers becoming dispensary owners in Michigan under new laws being considered by lawmakers. Michigan has started a sweeping overhaul of their medical marijuana system, and one provision bans someone convicted of a felony within the past 10 years from being a dispensary owner. But, thats not long enough, according to Sherrif Bouchard, who believes the worst possible scenario will come to fruition.
If some guy who was a heroin dealer and killed his competitor and got released from prison, 10 years later hes eligible to run a cash drug business, legally, Bouchard said. Obviously thats fraught with peril.
Brouchard additionally opined that there should be a provision added barring people with felony drug convictions from obtaining a license, ever. He thinks Michigan Governor Rick Scott should veto the package of bills without such a provision. Bouchard himself was a candidate for Michigan Governor in 2010 and more recently was voted Michigans first ever national Sheriff of the Year award by The National Sheriffs Association this year.
You cant be a stock broker if youve got a felony conviction, the sheriff explained himself further. You would expect they would uphold the same standards they have for banking, gambling, for alcohol and for cigarettes.
But, not everyone agrees, including one former sheriff and current Michigan Senator.
If somebody 10 years ago got picked up for (drug) possession, I certainly dont think that should, 10 years later, preclude them from having employment, explained state Senator Rick Jones, chairman of the judiciary committee and former Eaton County sheriff. For Sheriff Bouchard to come at this late date and now claim he has a problem, I think is poor judgment. He had plenty of opportunity to have input.
Bouchard was also accused of threatening violence earlier this year by an Oakland County Commission and former state representative Eileen Kowall. A colleague of hers had an encounter with Bouchard in the local YMCA locker room where he apparently threatened harm if any bills were proposed for marijuana regulation.
Dont even think about proposing, sponsoring or voting for any medical marijuana bills, he reportedly said. And drop the ones currently in committee, or well, you know, things can happen.
Looks like what need to happen is Sheriff Mike Bouchard be removed from his position as the head of law
enforcement if he cant be law abiding, himself. The difference is, marijuana consumers are respectable, unlike many law enforcement officers, especially those elected ignorant, not too bright, and paid for political hacks like most county sheriffs. We wont threaten them with violence, we will just vote them out!
There once was such a sheriff in conservative Southern Oregons Jackson county named Mike Winters, too. He was also popular in some respects, and was even featured on Discovery Channels Weed Country in 2012, but they threw him out!
Go get him Oakland County!
http://www.occnewspaper.com/americas-sheriff-of-the-year-hs-reefer-madness/
