Pubdate: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 Source: Daily Tribune, The (Royal Oak, MI) Copyright: 2010 The Daily Tribune Contact: http://www.dailytribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1579 Author: Michael P. McConnell, Daily Tribune Staff Writer Cited: Oakland County Sheriff http://www.oakgov.com/sheriff/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Michigan+medical+marijuana Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Oakland+County Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?275 (Cannabis - Michigan) HEARINGS DELAYED FOR POT DEFENDANTS FERNDALE - One of the owners of a Ferndale medical marijuana dispensary raided last week said the facility won't reopen until court cases against owners and employees are resolved. "We're pretty much sitting on our hands waiting to see what the court does," said Matthew Curtis, co-owner of Clinical Relief, 352 Hilton, following a brief court appearance Thursday in Ferndale 43rd District Court. "We want to find out from the courts what we did wrong." Curtis of Lake Orion was in court along with co-owner Ryan Richmond of Royal Oak and five other defendants for a preliminary hearing that was delayed until Sept. 20. At least three other defendants were not in court because of a death in their family. The defendants face a range of charges that include conspiracy and illegally growing and selling marijuana. All are free on personal bond. Authorities allege that marijuana sales were conducted with people lacking state-issued patient cards and that some sales took place outside the dispensary. Ferndale Judge Joseph Longo granted a delay Thursday because an employee of the dispensary - Sal Agro, 68, of Lake Orion, whose house was raided last week - died of a massive heart attack Thursday at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak Thursday. He is the husband of one of the defendants and the father of two others, including Clinical Relief co-owner Nicholas Agro. Oakland County Sheriff's deputies raided Clinical Relief with guns drawn Aug. 25. Similar raids were carried out the same day at private homes in Oakland and Macomb counties, a warehouse in Macomb County, Everybody's Cafe in Waterford Township where a marijuana compassion club meets, and Herbal Remedies, a marijuana dispensary in the township. More than 20 defendants from all the raids face charges. Other charged in the Ferndale case are Barbara Johnson, Barbara Agro, Anthony J. Agro, Angelina Veseli, Stacey Ellenbrook, Ryan M. Fleissner and Derek A. Anderson. Ten people connected with the Waterford Township raids waived preliminary hearings Tuesday in 51st District until October. More than two dozen demonstrators who support medical marijuana attended the hearing. Authorities say those arrested violated the state medical marijuana law. Sheriff Michael Bouchard has said that while the law allows caregivers to grow plants for up to five patients there is nothing that allows for dispensaries where patients can buy marijuana. He and others see the current proceedings as a test case to clarify the law. Richmond's attorney, Neil Rockind, said defendants acted legally. "They were attempting to assist patients in the medical use of marijuana," Rockind said. "The people have (voted) and said they want people to have access to this medicine." He also challenged Sheriff Bouchard's claim that because dispensaries aren't addressed in the marijuana law they are illegal. "You can't have no provision for how (patients) are going to get medical marijuana," Rockind said. Robert Redden of Ferndale has a medical marijuana case pending before the state Supreme Court and showed up at Thursday's hearing. Redden was living in Madison Heights early last year when police confiscated marijuana plants from him and his girlfriend. They were both registered as medical marijuana patients but hadn't received their state-issued ID cards. Former Madison Heights 43rd District Judge Robert Turner dismissed the case in April 2009, but county prosecutors are challenging Turner's dismissal and want Redden's case sent back to district court. Redden said the current batch of medical marijuana cases and dispensary closings makes it harder for patients to get what they need. "All we want is a safe place to get our medicine," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake