Medical Marijuana or Felony?

Richard Baird, Jr., is charged with Possession of Marijuana (a class D felony) after State Police found more than 130 grams of marijuana with him on a traffic stop. Baird, a convicted felon in Colorado, had a warrant out for a Burglary charge in Colorado, when Indiana State Police pulled him over for speeding on August 24th, about 15 miles northwest of Angola. After arresting Baird, State Police found bags of marijuana in his pockets. A search of his car revealed a large amount of marijuana in an Apple Dapples cereal box. A passenger was riding in the car with Baird. He told police where the two were going. Police went to the residence where they found weapons and additional drugs. Trooper John Grant says it is not uncommon for a small amount of drugs to lead to a larger amount, "It wasnt surprising, it was just good police work." Michigan allows the medical use of marijuana. Its law was enacted within the last year and allows for up to two grams of marijuana to be used by those who qualify. A doctor must confirm the person applying for a medicinal marijuana card has a qualifying condition such as HIV or cancer. However, in Bairds case the card was not recognized in Indiana. According to the Marijuana Policy Project Foundation, a group in support of medical marijuana several groups support the use of medical marijuana including: • Michigan Nurses Association • American Academy of Family Physicians • American Academy of HIV Medicine • American Bar Association • American Nurses Association • American Public Health Association • Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP) • Episcopal Church • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • Lymphoma Foundation of America • National Association of People with AIDS • Presbyterian Church (USA) • Union of Reform Judaism • Unitarian Universalist Association • United Church of Christ • United Methodist Church