MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Prosecutors have been given the green light to pursue charges against medical marijuana users who are smoking pot in their car in parking lots, clarifying a complicated piece of the Michigan marijuana regulatory puzzle.

The Michigan appeals court says a car is private property but parking lots generally are open to the public. The court says the state’s medical marijuana law prohibits use “in any public place.”

The decision last week involves a man with a medical marijuana card who was smoking pot in his car outside the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant.

Robert Carlton was charged with a misdemeanor. The prosecutor appealed after judges in Isabella County said Carlton’s car wasn’t a public place and dismissed the charge.

Trying out some of the 2015 Michigan Cannabis Cup entries gave us all a taste of how flavorful this wonderful plant can be on its very own. Strains like Strawberry Banana, Zkittlez, Tangie and Orange Cookies show just how versatile this plant can be for breeders who seek flavor, but if that wasn’t enough, recent developments have taught us a new way of flavoring cannabis in the most naturally unnatural way possible.

The national marijuana movement has some established personalities and Conference regulars, but more and more of those personalities are Michigan residents.

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) conference in Washington, D.C. saw a broad contingent of Michigan speakers and attendees- and will again; a recent conference in Las Vegas had at least one Michigander on the microphone; and it’s been a busy year for one of our community’s brightest couples.

Members of the Sanilac County Drug Task Force discovered more than 355 pounds of marijuana Oct. 27, 2015.(Photo: Submitted)

Drug task force units in St. Clair and Sanilac counties received $41,740 and $18,483 respectively in medical marijuana grant money in 2015, according to a Sept. 25 report from the state department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

The money was awarded to four counties statewide through an inaugural program that awards grants for the education, communication and enforcement of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

The Medical Marijuana Operation and Oversight Grants come from fees paid to the Michigan Medical Marihuana fund by people applying for or renewing their medical marijuana patient registry cards.

Medical marijuana patients can't smoke pot in their car if in public

Medical marijuana use in a car parked in a public place not protected by state law, justices rule(Photo: File art)

LANSING, Mich. (WZZM) -- Smoking a joint inside a car while parked in a private lot is not protected under Michigan's Medical Marijuana Act, the state Court of Appeals has determined.

The case involves a man who was smoking medical marijuana inside his car in the parking lot of Soaring Eagle Casino in August, 2013.

In a 2-to-1 ruling, the Appeals Court said even if Robert Michael Carlton was in a locked car, the fact he was in a parking lot accessible by the public constitutes a public place and is therefore illegal under Michigan's 2008 Medical Marijuana Act.

Though much of the money collected via the Michigan Medical Marihuana has remained untouched by Michigan law enforcement, a recent report from The Compassionate Chronicles has shed light on an alarming misallocation of medical cannabis funds.

KENT COUNTY, MI – Police raided three marijuana dispensaries in Plainfield Township alleging the businesses violated Michigan's medical marijuana law.

The dispensaries are at 4290 Plainfield Ave. NE, 4564 West River Drive NE and 5260 Northland Drive NE, Suite F, police said.

Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team and Metropolitan Enforcement began investigating earlier this month after both teams received multiple Silent Observer tips about illegal marijuana sales, police said.

Investigators conducted several undercover visits and found that all three dispensaries were selling marijuana in violation of the medical marijuana law, police said. Police used search warrants to raid the facilities on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The Detroit City Council will take up a second ordinance to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015.(Photo: Free Press file photo)Buy Photo

The Detroit City Council is expected take up a second ordinance to regulate the city's booming medical marijuana industry on Tuesday, although final approval of the measure may not come until January.

The council's planning and economic development committee on Thursday approved the latest version of ordinances designating where dispensaries can locate. Without those regulations, more than 150 unlicensed and unregulated dispensaries have opened up across the city, raising deep concerns among some residents.

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM) -- There are new details about Wednesday's raid of three medical marijuana dispensaries in Kent County.

The Kent County Undersheriff tells WZZM 13 that state and county narcotics teams conducted several undercover operations and then seized marijuana and cash from the businesses in Plainfield Township.

If Thursday mid-morning was any indication, the building marked TPC on West River Drive in Plainfield Township gets its share of traffic.

"Look, you've got customers coming," said patient Adrian Joseph, "and they can't get their medicine right now."

However, a short time later there was an empty parking lot as it became clear to patients with medical marijuana cards the doors are closed.

DETROIT (WXYZ) - You could say that one Detroit medical marijuana dispensary is taking gift giving to an all time high.

Green Door Alternative plans to hand out free Thanksgiving turkeys next week. They say it's part of an effort to give back to their community southwest Detroit.

Dispensary manager Larry Hanna says the turkey are, “For someone who does not have any ends to get what they need to for their Thanksgiving-time.”

The pot professionals are giving away the free birds on Monday. They say they are also collecting coats for Gleaners Food Bank.

“We have been in the city for a couple of years now,” said Hanna.  “I’ve been in the city my whole life.  So we are very vested in the city.  So it’s good to give back.”