The state government in Michigan has declared marijuana sales and services an essential industry during the current lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus spread. Official reports indicate that cannabis is exempt from the governor’s stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of this deadly virus.
In a small town in Montcalm County in Michigan, a group made up of business owners, and cannabis advocates decided that the best way to help out during the current crisis was to provide free marijuana to veterans and people with disabilities.
Several cars lined up on April 3 along Sheridan’s main street in front of businesses that are normally closed even in the best of times when movement restrictions were minimal. Any Montcalm County resident who could prove beyond any doubt that they served in the military or were on Social Security disability list got a quarter-ounce of free marijuana.
Wellwishers also gave the people who qualified some edibles and a bit of hemp product that would likely retail at over $150. David Overholt is an iconic figure in Michigan’s marijuana advocacy movement. He organized the latest event in front of his store known as the Mid-Michigan Compassion Club. He commented:
“Everybody’s wearing safety precautions, masks, gloves. We’re trying to stay our distance. We have nobody in the building. It’s all preregistered in the car, similar to take-out food.”
The recipients
All the people who received these items were grateful, including Melissa Houston, who is on Social Security disability after she was involved in an accident where a drunken driver hit her when she was a teen. After receiving her bag of free goodies, she said:
“Trust you me; this is going to help with my depression and anxiety, too, because it always has helped me.”
Overholt may be seen as a nuisance by the officials in Montcalm County. However, the people who lined up to receive these items were fans and not surprising since he was giving them a free quarter bag. One Navy veteran with disabilities using medical marijuana to help move away from prescription medicines, Debbie Wright, said:
“It’s a big deal for those who became ‘unemployed temporarily due to the virus.”
But, it was surprising that the authorities never pushed back this event. Overholt said:
“I wouldn’t want to be a politician arguing with a bunch of sick people and veterans right now who are getting free meds at voting time.”
The authorities
Although the state police made their routine patrols up and down M-44, there was no county sheriff presence, and a city council member who spoke to reporters off-camera said that the authorities could do nothing until there is a law that is broken.
Overholt even put some of his products into the paper bags. He also gave out products from some of the providers and growers he knows in the area. He said:
“The generosity has come out in droves since we announced we were doing this. This is the right thing to do, and I’m so proud of the caregivers that stepped up and did it.”
Danny Bailio donated some of the stuff that was given away from his Belding hemp farming operation, the Hemp Train. He owns the shop in partnership with his wife, Kristina Bailio. Danny said:
“I think it’s a great idea. I think there are a lot of people struggling right now; we’re just trying to give back and help people through a tougher time.”
Overholt concluded by saying that the giveaway will be a weekly event in Sheridan. He hopes that many other parts of the state will join in this worthy cause.
