Medical marijuana clinic opens in GR

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Medical marijuana has come to Grand Rapids.

The Mid-Michigan Compassion Club opened its office on Front Street, just south of the Sixth Street bridge, Monday. It's not a clinic, and it's not a doctor's office in the traditional sense.

For $200, patients can meet with a doctor who will review their medical documentation to see if they meet the criteria in the law that allows medical marijuana for medical use.

Michigan's medical marijuana law was passed by voters in 2008 and went into effect April 2009.

The organization originally wanted to start out as a club, and set up an office later, but said it had a hard time getting approval to operate as such in a number of West Michigan cities.

The Grand Rapids office doesn't look like much, just a reception area and small room for doctor and patient.

Medical doctors have also been reluctant to authorize marijuana for medical use. The compassion club has hired a physician from Greenville, who we discovered had his license suspended at one time for "mental or physical inability to practice medicine."

The doctor declined to appear on camera but the clinic's director defended him, saying even Monday, he turned down some patients. "Our goal is to look at people and what they're doing today, what they're doing tomorrow, not what they did in the past, what they're doing for society today," said David Overholt.

The doctor doesn't write a script for marijuana. It is up to the patient to find the drug though channels outlined in the law.

The Mid Michigan Compassion Club will assist patients in that effort, including identification of a caregiver, who can grow and distribute the drug under the law.

One man told 24 Hour News 8 he is overjoyed the office has opened. He takes care of a sick nephew with a painful and debiliating case of Chrohns Disease.

The facility is located in Suite 120 in the Riverfront Building at 678 Front Ave. NW. A physician will be there on Mondays and Tuesdays. You can call (989) 690-2222 for appointment times. Walk-ins are welcome.

The group already has an office at 1042 Sidney Rd. in Stanton.

And a third separate office opened, the first in West Michigan, in February in Kalamazoo. The Michigan Holistic Health Center operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 500 W. Crosstown Parkway.

Marijuana use is still against federal law, and until that changes, insurance companies will not cover fees like the $200 charge at the clinic.