In The News- 2014

July 12, 2016 admin

Read some of Rick’s more quotable media appearances from the year 2014

Jump to any single year’s In The News by clicking on the date below:

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JANUARY

Michigan company will grow, sell marijuana in Canada; first US company to win approval

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/michigan-company-will-grow-sell-marijuana-in-canada-first-us-company-to-win-approval

January 1, 2014

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Cushingberry: What we know and where it will go

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/cushingberry-what-we-know-and-where-it-will-go

January 11, 2014

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High Times brings their Cannabis Cup… to Flint?

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/high-times-brings-their-cannabis-cup-to-flint

January 15, 2014

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Will a ‘sticky note’ put marijuana caregiver’s wife in jail?

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/will-a-sticky-note-put-marijuana-caregivers-wife-in-jail

January 17, 2014

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Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Program Has $23,000,000 Surplus

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/michigans-medical-marijuana-program-has-23000000-surplus

January 27, 2014

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FEBRUARY

Why I think Mark Schauer should be our next Governor

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/why-i-think-mark-schauer-should-be-our-next-governor

February 1, 2014

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February 11, 2014

http://www.wltx.com/story/news/weird/2014/02/11/1667844/

(South Carolina)

“There’s a lot of confusion about medical cannabis in Michigan because of recent changes in the law and court rulings,” said Rick Thompson, editor of Compassion Chronicles, an online magazine.

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81.6% of 10,000 people in online survey said Legalize Marijuana

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/816-of-10000-people-in-online-survey-said-legalize-marijuana

February 17, 2014

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Marijuana Bill Gets 1st Hearing in Michigan Senate Tomorrow

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/marijuana-bill-gets-1st-hearing-in-michigan-senate-tomorrow

February 17, 2014

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Press Release: More court for the Green family regarding medical marijuana and children

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/press-release-more-court-for-the-green-family-regarding-medical-marijuana-and-children

February 24, 2014

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Senator: I will “sit on” Michigan’s pro-marijuana bills

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/senator-i-will-sit-on-michigans-promarijuana-bills

February 3, 2014

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MARCH

Bill Schuette: Michigan’s Waiter General

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/bill-schuette-michigans-waiter-general

March 24, 2014

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“Yes Weed Can” Is A Michigan Must-See

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/yes-weed-can-is-a-michigan-mustsee

March 25, 2014

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9 MI Congressmen support federal crackdown on marijuana

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/9-mi-congressmen-support-federal-crackdown-on-marijuana

March 25, 2014

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Michigan signs off on marijuana for PTSD

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/michigan-signs-off-on-marijuana-for-ptsd

March 25, 2014

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Two Bills Legalizing Industrial Hemp Introduced in House

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/two-bills-legalizing-industrial-hemp-introduced-in-house

March 27, 2014

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Feds release marijuana to be used in PTSD and smoking study

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/feds-release-marijuana-to-be-used-in-ptsd-and-smoking-study

March 27, 2014

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Retired cop: legal marijuana could reduce “property taxes”

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/retired-cop-legal-marijuana-could-reduce-property-taxes

March 28, 2014

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Prosecutor, House candidate meet with marijuana group

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/prosecutor-house-candidate-meet-with-marijuana-group

March 29, 2014

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 APRIL

Marijuana legalization: Saginaw, Mount Pleasant among a dozen Michigan communities circulating local ballot petitions

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/04/marijuana_legalization_on_the.html

Rick Thompson is the public relations director for the Americans for Safe Access — Michigan. Thompson said the hope is local decriminalization efforts will pressure Michigan’s state lawmakers to eventually pass similar legislation at the state level.

“We’ve had 14 local ballot initiatives in Michigan in the last decade and all of them have been successful,” he said. “This has been a trend going on for quite some time. The populace is way ahead of the legislature in terms of acceptance of marijuana use.”

Thompson explained that what exactly each ballot initiative seeks to do differs from proposal to proposal.

“There are several different formats it can take,” he said.

The standard approaches have been successful in the past, Thompson said, include moves toward decimalization (where marijuana possession is downgraded from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction), full legalization of the drug and ordinances such as Ypsilanti’s that set enforcement of marijuana laws as the lowest priority for local law enforcement.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” he said. “The local community leaders decide.”

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Similar proposals have already been on local ballots in eight other cities, garnering approval from the majority of voters in every vote. There were five in 2012 and three initiatives in 2013, according to an Internet post by RickThompson January 5th.

Clare, Harrison petitions may add weed to ballot

Clare County Review 4/22/14

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Gone To Pot?

Gone To Pot?

April 28, 2014

Will Michigan become the next Colorado or Washington? Michigan has gone 14-0 in passing local ballot proposals “that reform marijuana laws in a positive way,” says Rick Thompson, editor of The Compassion Chronicles website…

Some Republicans in the Michigan Legislature have shown their support for medical marijuana-friendly bills. Two high-profile proposals — the “medibles” (forms of marijuana that is not smoked, such as oils and infused food products) and the provisioning centers bills — were sponsored by Republicans. Rep. Eileen Kowall, R-White Lake, introduced the medibles (or concentrates) proposal; Callton spearheaded the provisioning centers act. It’s safe to say most people agree that fellow Schedule 1 narcotic heroin is harmful. The consensus is not as clear for marijuana. Both are pushing for patient-friendly laws while representing conservative districts, says The Compassionate Chronicles’ Thompson.

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Maryland to be 21st medical marijuana state

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/maryland-to-be-21st-medical-marijuana-state

April 4, 2014

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Michigan medical marijuana supporters concerned about ‘drugged driving’ proposal to allow saliva field testing

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/04/michigan_medical_marijuana_sup.html

April 17, 2014

“Driving with miniscule amounts of cannabis metabolites in your system is not an activity that is inherently dangerous. There is really no crisis here which we are facing,” Rick Thompson, with the Michigan chapter of Americans for Safe Access, told lawmakers. “Scientific testing, and the validity of tests, are done by scientists, not by police officers.”

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60 supporters in County Courthouse for Medical Marijuana Case

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/60_supporters_in_county_courthouse_for_medical_marijuana_case

April 30, 2014

Theis related an incident from the courtroom proceedings. “The (defense) lawyer really started making some good valid arguments on why we could reopen this case,” she said, “the judge decides to act like we are misbehaving. The judge stops the lawyer from finishing his good point, looks out into the crowd and decides to pick two people to kick out of the courtroom. He picked Steve Green and Rick Thompson.”

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MAY

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/05/marijuana_in_saginaw_6_points.html

May 2, 2014

Rick Thompson

Wow, I am very concerned about this line of dialog. If the people that elected you, the voters, tell you with their votes that they want you to change the way you treat them- but you ignore the democratic process and refuse to make that change- why in the world would you expect they would ever vote for you again?

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Cannabis activists detour THC driving test in Michigan

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/cannabis-activists-detour-thc-driving-test-in-michigan

May 16, 2014

The amendment would have allowed saliva testing in a pilot program incorporating up to five Michigan counties and encompassing at least three years. The language of the amendment and the original bill were not congruent, the amendment was sprung on the Committee and the marijuana community members present by surprise, and confusion ensued. Thompson was the only advocate allowed to testify, but Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Cotter, R- Mt. Pleasant, got the message. He  gave both sides one week to work out the details.

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His Life Depends On It

http://patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/his-life-depends-on-it_12684881

May 31, 2014

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JUNE

PGT Broadcast

June 9

More cities seek new pot laws in 2014

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/the-war-on-medical-marijuana-in-mi-super-thread-news-bust-laws-updated-often.61834/page-7

June 15, 2014

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AUGUST

Illegal Pot Shops Still Open in Lansing

http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Illegal-pot-shops-still-open-in-Lansing-271941391.html

August 19 2014

WILX, dispensaries aren’t illegal in Michigan. The Supreme Court ruling you describe outlawed one form of transfer- patient to patient for compensation- but the Supreme Court Justices specifically said in the ruling that they were NOT determining the legality of dispensaries and that would have to come as the result of a later case (which has never surfaced). That’s why there are distribution centers in Flint, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and elsewhere operating without sanction- because they are legal. Contact me for more information or for a counterpoint to the Councilman’s position.

Rick Thompson, Public Relations Director, Michigan chapter of Americans for Safe Access

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Medical Marijuana Numbers Decline

http://www.livingstondaily.com/story/news/local/2014/08/17/medical-marijuana-numbers-decline/14184957/

While Colorado is smoking pot — medical and recreational — by the ton, according to a recent report, the number of medical marijuana patients in Livingston County has decreased.

Proponents of medical marijuana say this is due to intimidation by law enforcement.

“Individual communities within each county are permissive or restrictive based on their own beliefs,” said Rick Thompson, editor and blogger for The Compassion Chronicles. “Howell is not pleasant toward medical marijuana patients, but Livingston County rural areas are not quite as difficult.”

Thompson said his opinion is based on “patient testimonials” and statistics.

Some of those statistics can be found in the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ annual report, which shows that the number of medical marijuana patients decreased to 1,786 in 2013 — a 4 percent drop from the prior year and a 22 percent drop from 2011.

However, the use of the illegal drug appears to be alive and well, as Michigan State Police statistics show that an estimated 73 percent of all 2012 drug arrests in Livingston County were marijuana-related, which Thompson said bolsters the perception law enforcement is unduly targeting marijuana, which he calls a “victimless crime.”

“It’s not an addiction issue like heroin,” he explained. “I would rather have police concentrate on drugs that lead to death and violence, not marijuana. …

“If I were a drug officer, I can choose to pursue marijuana operations or methamphetamine operations,” Thompson added. “I’m not saying marijuana is something they should not pay attention to, but on a grand scheme of things, pursuing marijuana to 74 percent means there must be other dangerous drugs not being given attention.”

LAWNET — the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team — is the multijurisdictional agency tasked with investigating illegal drugs in Livingston County.

Commanders and officers of undercover drug units like LAWNET typically do not provide information to the media about their investigations and seizures because they say it will compromise an ongoing investigation or their ability to work confidential informants.

According to LAWNET statistics, the group in 2013 seized about 2,452 pounds — including plants — of marijuana, a 13 percent decrease from the prior year and a 41 percent decrease from 2009.

The perception in the medical marijuana community, Thompson noted, is that LAWNET officers are specifically targeting medical marijuana patients and/or caregivers.

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NOVEMBER

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2014/11/03/marijuana-election-legalization/18380993/

The Compassion Chronicles, an online magazine for users of medical marijuana, last week posted a special edition headed “Michigan’s Cannabis Voter Guides.” Previous guides have appeared in print but “this is the first attempt I know of to get this on the Internet,” said Rick Thompson of Flint, publisher of the Compassion Chronicles.

A bill that would let communities choose whether to allow medical marijuana shops, called dispensaries, sponsored by state Rep. Michael Callton, R-Nashville, was overwhelmingly approved by the House in December by a 95-14 vote and could come up for Senate approval in the lame-duck session of the state Legislature this fall, Thompson said.

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http://www.wltx.com/story/news/weird/2014/02/11/1667844/

(South Carolina)

“There’s a lot of confusion about medical cannabis in Michigan because of recent changes in the law and court rulings,” said Rick Thompson, editor of Compassion Chronicles, an online magazine.

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Lapeer voters reject recreational marijuana initiative by 6 votes

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2014/11/lapeer_voters_turn_down_recrea.html

November 5, 2014

Rick Thompson, public relations director for Americans for Safe Access — Michigan, was an advocate of the initiative. He said he’s disappointed in the result, but not defeated by the outcome.

He said the vote in Lapeer and other smaller communities where initiatives did not pass — Onaway, Frankfort, Harrison and Clare — was indicative of the national mood on marijuana in some rural communities.

“That just gives us an idea where to focus education and information in the coming year,” he said, with a possible move to place it on the ballot again still in limbo. “The petition process still exists.”

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DECEMBER

Is there a future for metro Detroit ganjapreneurs?

http://www.semichiganstartup.com/features/metrodetroitganjapreneurs0368.aspx

December 5 2014

Those court actions have done little to stem the proliferation of dispensaries in the metro Detroit area and across the state. Experts interviewed for this story estimated the number of Michigan dispensaries to be between 100 and 200. Rick Thompson is the editor of the online Michigan cannabis news publication “The Compassion Chronicles” and a board member of the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He says dispensaries are “pervasive” in the metro area.

“Considering that metro Detroit doesn’t have a specific law allowing for a lot of the cannabis commerce that exists, metro Detroit is doing fantastic,” Thompson says. “There is de facto allowance of distribution centers, of small businesses that do some manufacturing [and] growing entities within the city. Although there are a couple of raids, there are still a lot more facilities that are known to local authorities that are tolerated.”

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VIDEOS AND INTERVIEWS

Ask Dr. Nandi television show- December 2014

https://vimeo.com/113911899