By JOHN EBY
Leader Publications

CASSOPOLIS – Howard Township medical marijuana activist Sylvester Vanderbutts reappeared before the Cass County Board of Commissioners last week, reiterating a message similar to one he brought Dec. 3, 2009.

“I don’t know if you’re aware of what’s going on,” he began his three-minute allotment, “but right now 21,000 have applied for cards. Twelve thousand have been given their cards. Six thousand are caregivers. Three thousand were denied their cards because of improper paperwork.”

As of April 1, cards were 111 days behind with a three-month wait, Vanderbutts said.

“Police are not recognizing this,” he said. “They’re going after patients and caregivers and raiding their homes. We’ve got to put a stop to this. I’m kind of hoping in the next month or so we can get together and try to figure this thing out and help the people in this area because there are a lot of them. More than you realize because I’m the one who’s come out of the closet so far. But there are going to be a whole lot more, so we’ve got to figure out how to help these people instead of sending the police into their homes.”