October Women Grow: What do the new House Bills mean for you?

Women Grow Monthly Networking Meeting

October 6th, 2016 @8pm

Speakers Jeff Irwin and Chuck Ream will be discussing the current passing of the House Bills pertaining to Cannabis and what they mean for you as patients and caregivers. Don’t miss this opportunity to be informed. 

Chuck Ream was born in Three Rivers Michigan in 1946. As a child he read books, played sports and grew plants. He was lucky to go to high school in Australia, where he was forced to take academics seriously.

He has three university degrees, graduating magna cum laude as an undergraduate. He loved teaching Kindergarten in Monroe Michigan for 33 years. He was elected 5 times as a trustee of Scio Township (both as a Republican and as a Democrat). He is married and has three exemplary adult children.

In 2004 he “retired” to lead the Ann Arbor medical marijuana campaign to victory; 3 out of 4 voters said “yes”. Since then he has led or funded a number of other citywide victories, particularly in Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti. He co-founded the Safer Michigan Coalition to unite all of Michigan’s toughest and most effective cannabis activists on one political listserve.

Chuck partnered with Tim Beck and Justin Soffa in the Safer Michigan Coalition. In 2014 they plan to liberate up to 18 Michigan cities from cannabis prohibition. Chuck received the “lifetime achievement award” from “High Times” magazine at the 2014 Michigan Cannabis Cup.

Jeff Irwin is serving his third term as state representative for the 53rd District, which includes parts of the city of Ann Arbor and portions of Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Scio townships. Rep. Irwin continues to focus on investing in education, protecting our shared environment, and making sure all Michiganders have equal opportunity to succeed in our state. He sits on the House Appropriations and Elections and Ethics Committees, and he is the Democratic vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Before serving in the Michigan House, Rep. Irwin served the people of Ann Arbor as a Washtenaw County Commissioner for 11 years, chairing the Ways and Means Committee from 2005 to 2006 and chairing the Board of Commissioners as a whole from 2007 to 2008. As a commissioner, he worked to protect natural areas, promote affordable housing, and support public transit. Rep. Irwin has been honored by both the Sierra Club and Clean Water Action for his legislative efforts to protect public health and the Great Lakes. He is a founding member of Partners for Transit, which is committed to providing countywide public transit to Washtenaw residents.

Rep. Irwin also previously worked for the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and for then-state Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith. He and his wife, Kathryn, live in Ann Arbor with their daughter, Sylvia, and son, Mackinac.