Welcome!

Welcome to the website of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, a 501 (c)(3), Not For Profit Community Service Agency. Our mission is to provide supportive services to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Community. We are not a dispensary and we can not help you obtain medical marijuana.

We are:

The Michigan Medical Marijuana Association represents a state-wide presence, uniting our community and giving us the clout that comes with numbers. Proposal 1, now known as the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, not only won by 63% but also passed in every single county across the state. The message was clear and unambiguous. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Association allows our community to have a place at the table. Our strength is in our numbers and our unity. Please join us and help us grow.

Ever since Proposal 1 passed we have been deluged with inquiries, how do I sign up, where do I get some medicine? Until the Act is certified by the State Board of Canvassers, the law remains the same. After certification which is expected to happen Dec 4, 2008, patients and caregivers may still be subject to arrest but may use an Affirmative Defense of Medical Necessity in court. The best defense however remains, keep your head down and don't get arrested in the first place. Once the Act is certified, the Dept of Community Health has 120 days to write the rules and begin taking applications they will have an additional 20 days to begin issuing cards. This effectively takes us to mid to late April before a Medical Marijuana program will be operational in Michigan.

Until then, it is imperative that we get organized. That is the only way that we can have a meaningful voice in the rule making process. Please consider joining the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association. Supporting us allows us to support you.

November 29, 2008


It looks like the log jam holding up the launch of our website has broken. We are confident that we'll have the glitches worked out and a new site will be published on-line by Dec 4.

I received an e-mail from a representative of DCH last week. They are setting up the venue for the public hearing and wanted to know if they should go with the large conference room or would the small one suffice? I advised her that 85 people showed for the hearing on HB 5470 back in Nov, 06, so a large turn-out this time around is likely. I'd like to hear feedback on this, are you thinking about attending the public hearing in Lansing?

I was also informed that there will only be one hearing and not several around the state as previously thought. The proposed rules will be available for public review and comment in mid-Dec. The public hearing will be scheduled in early January.

For the last few weeks I've been concentrating on networking, building a mailing list and developing a sense of who is out there. Now the fun starts. I've begun putting together small work groups to tackle specific projects. With the emphasis on, "work." These are actual working committees making actual decisions. If you volunteer please follow through on your commitment. Our movement is full of good intentions. This is a time that demands results. I have neither the time nor the temperament to keep hounding people. So please save both of us some grief if you are not serious.

We need one or more serious, dependable volunteers for these working groups. If you are interested in pitching in on any of these or want to suggest another not listed, please contact me at info@MichiganMedicalMarijuana.org. Tell me what group you are interested in using at least one but not more than 3 coherent paragraphs tell me what you think I should know about you, why you are qualified to be on this committee and why I should depend upon you. Go ahead, give me your best pitch. And know that I'm listening with an open heart.

Patients: For a medical cannabis program to be successful in Michigan, the patients must come first. This will be a standing group of patients helping steer our organization.

Caregiver Standards: This group will develop a voluntary code of ethical standards for Local Caregiver Groups. Establishing such a voluntary code and agreeing to follow it gives all of us increased credibility and helps inoculate us from law enforcement harassment.

Training: This group will be developing educational programs and curricula. Previous teaching and curricula development experience preferred. Preference given to volunteer from the northern lower peninsula or the U.P.

Lobbying: The more the better on this committee. We will be organizing lobbying days and other direct political actions in Lansing and local city councils. Direct democracy can be fun.

Fund Raising: Activism is not free. Neither is printing, telephone tolls, gasoline, I could go on. Reality is, the MMMA must develop some income streams if we are going to continue to be an effective voice for the Michigan Medical Cannabis community. We have a few solid leads and we'd like your help finding more.

Publications: We desperately need a graphic artist or two, as well as some volunteers familiar with desk top publishing software to help us get our brochures and flyers out. We have a budget for printing and rough drafts of several bi-folds. Need help polishing them and getting printer ready.

I also need a volunteer to scan ~ 100 photocopied pages and create a pdf file.

This is way too big a job for just a few of us to do alone. We need your help. Please, do what you can. And please consider joining the MMMA next week when we get our website up. Your small donation helps us to help the community.

Greg Francisco
Executive Director
Michigan Medical Marijuana Association
greg@michiganmedicalmarijuana.org