HARRISON, MI — A medical marijuana rally planned for Saturday in Clare County has been canceled after organizers said they received a cease and desist letter from Hayes Township.

Billie Jo Hogan, co-owner of Mid-Michigan Caregiver's Club in Harrison along with her husband, Donnie Hogan, said they received the order against the rally on Thursday.

"I am taking my lawyer's advice and not having the rally," Billie Jo Hogan said.

She added that organizers thought they were in compliance after speaking with township officials.

Officials were not available for comment Friday night.

The cease and desist order said the event could not be held because organizers did not have permits to serve food and provide camping, Billie Jo Hogan said.

After receiving the order from a police officer, the Hogans met again with township officials and asked if they could hold the event with pre-packaged food and no camping, and the township said yes, Hogan said, but the couple is still scared they will be targeted if they hold the rally.

Donnie and Billie Jo Hogan are being charged with illegal marijuana sales after being arrested at Mid-Michigan Caregiver's Club on June 14.

After the cease and desist letter this week, they said they didn't have time to react and reluctantly began notifying supporters that the rally was cancelled.

"We have been scrambling to figure out what to do and it is a shame to know know that once again our little non-profit club has been targeted for doing something for the community," Billie Jo Hogan said.

"This was a family thing," Donnie Hogan said. "It was about families, it wasn't about who smokes what, you know? It was about giving back to families and the community."

Mid-Michigan Caregivers Club will still host a doctor to give medical marijuana recommendations on Sunday, Donnie Hogan said, though the couple believes authorities are watching them closely.

"There's no law against it," Donnie Hogan said.

Donnie Hogan said he'll ask supporters to instead join him in the courtroom during a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, July 18.

"We couldn't fill this up," Donnie Hogan said, "so we'll just fill the courtroom up."

Earlier (5:20 p.m.)

A man and his wife, charged with illegal marijuana sales, will rally with members of their caregivers club and others in support of medical marijuana as they wait for their next court date.

Donnie Hogan and his wife, Billie Jo, owners of Mid-Michigan Care Givers Club, were arrested Thursday, June 14, and charged with the illegal sale of marijuana.

Clare County Prosecutor Michelle Ambrozaitis said the couple was in violation of the act because they sold marijuana to a patient that did not have either of them designated as her caregiver.

Donnie Hogan, who said he suffers from a hereditary condition that causes chronic pain, believes he and his wife did nothing wrong when they gave a medical marijuana patient an ounce of the herb.

The rally will be held at the club, 3514 North Clare, in Harrison beginning at 2 p.m. and will include speakers from the Michigan Cannabis Cancer Project and testimonials from other marijuana clubs in the area, Billie Jo Hogan said.

A vigil for patients who have lost or are still fighting health battles will be held near dark, Billie Jo Hogan said.

“That is what the rally is about, it’s about patients, to stop the gossip and show the public what we are fighting for,” Hogan said. “We are honestly fighting for the right reasons.”

There will be three bands playing and poets reading to the crowd and informational flyers will be distributed, she said.

The Hogans encourage marijuana patients and caregivers to attend, along with their families, and any other supporters of the medical marijuana cause.

Face painting, balloons and games will be held for children and camping will be available nearby with a free breakfast for campers on Sunday morning, Hogan said.

The couple’s lawyer, Jeffery Weberman, has instructed them not to talk about the case. He confirmed that they will be in court on Wednesday, July 18, for a preliminary hearing.

Brad Devereaux Email | Facebook | Twitter | 989-372-2442