News for $MJNA - (Statewide Medical Cannabis Non

  News for $MJNA - (Statewide Medical Cannabis Nonprofit Launches Awareness Initiative) 
 
	 
 
 
 
TAYLOR, Mar 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Patients who might benefit 
 
from Medical Marijuana for cancer treatments and other qualifying medical 
 
conditions now have a new resource for information and advocacy. 
 
 
 
Michigan Compassion launched in January and is the state's only federally 
 
recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated solely to Medical Cannabis Education and 
 
Advocacy. The organization is one of only four in the country to be granted this 
 
nonprofit status. Michigan Compassion is different from most Medical marijuana 
 
organizations because it does not dispense Cannabis and cannot lobby. Its 
 
mission is to help the public, patients and healthcare professionals understand 
 
what Medical Cannabis is and what conditions can be helped by it. The 
 
organization also helps patients and professionals navigate the Michigan Medical 
 
Marihuana Act passed in 2008 along with all the recent related bills and changes 
 
to the MMMA. 
 
 
 
Michigan Compassion, formerly known as the Downriver Community Compassion Club, 
 
has always considered itself a trusted resource in southern Wayne County for 
 
Medical Cannabis education and advocacy. Upon the approval of its 501(c)3, it 
 
expanded its name and outreach to help all of Michigan with continuing education 
 
about the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and Medical Cannabis. 
 
 
 
Cannabis is the botanical name for marijuana and can be used for pain 
 
management, reduction of epileptic seizures, Multiple sclerosis, Crohn's 
 
Disease, relief of nausea and vomiting, and killing cancer cells along with many 
 
others. The benefits vary by condition and patient, according to clinical 
 
studies. 
 
 
 
Michigan Compassion was founded by a Medical Cannabis patient who has 
 
experienced first-hand the benefits of its use. 
 
 
 
"Through my own experience using Cannabis and the improvement I saw in my health 
 
and that of others, I realized there was a need for a statewide organization 
 
dedicated to bringing awareness to those who didn't understand or know about the 
 
law or medicinal value of this plant," explains Heidi Parikh, executive director 
 
and founder of Michigan Compassion. 
 
 
 
Parikh points out that there are many organizations around the state that 
 
support the use of Medical Cannabis, but none are recognized by the federal 
 
government as 501(c)3 nonprofit. The political nature of the medical marijuana 
 
issue led Parikh and her supporters to differentiate from dispensary-like clubs 
 
so they could raise funds for advocacy efforts and be recognized as a vetted 
 
charitable organization. 
 
 
 
In December 2012, the Michigan Attorney General's Office granted approval to 
 
Michigan Compassion to solicit in the State of Michigan for Cannabis and Cancer 
 
awareness. Soon after, the first Cannabis awareness billboards went up on major 
 
highways in southeast Michigan with the message, "The Answer to Cancer, 
 
Cannabis." Though some may consider this a provocative message, it would only be 
 
natural to start with cancer first, states Parikh, considering there is often no 
 
time to waste in getting treatment. The billboards will eventually reach 
 
throughout the state. 
 
 
 
Michigan Compassion continues to take Medical Cannabis mainstream as it has 
 
become the only nonprofit Medical Marijuana organization in the country to 
 
receive a "lifetime" grant from Google. Parikh says the yearly $240,000 in-kind 
 
donation will be used to heighten Michigan Compassion's profile in search 
 
engines and gain it national visibility. 
 
 
 
Michigan Compassion currently operates by a volunteer board of directors and is 
 
funded through donations, memberships, and in-kind services. It also has planned 
 
giving options and corporate sponsorships. The organization has earned the 
 
GuideStar Exchange Seal, demonstrating its commitment to transparency. It is 
 
currently exploring the possibility of opening chapters in other areas of the 
 
state. 
 
 
 
For more information, visit  www.mycompassion.org   or call 734-931-0620. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTACT: Heidi Parikh 
 
 
 
         Executive Director 
 
 
 
         734-931-0620 office 
 
 
 
         734-678-9675 mobile 
 
 
 
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